Notice anything different around here?
Sally’s Baking Addiction got a facelift yesterday. A few changes to the overall look including easier navigation—especially for mobile—slightly darker colors (for easier reading!), fonts, new recipe format, and the sidebar. I’ll take a moment to fully explain all of the changes (and recap our NYC bakery tour!) later this week. Please let me know if you notice anything wonky. Site updates are never easy!
But right now we have to discuss cookies. Business as usual.
More specifically, slice and bake shortbread-like cookies with a drench of dark chocolate and scented with fresh orange. A sprinkle of sea salt to bring it all together, not to mention butter + brown sugar + cinnamon + vanilla inside the cookie itself. This is where you want to be and that salted dark chocolate edge is allllll you want to taste. Do yourself a favor and actually cover the entire thing in dark chocolate. I promise you won’t hate it. ♥
These cookies are a nod to my classic stand-by: the toasted hazelnut slice ‘n’ bakes that changed my opinion on slice and bake cookies altogether. Prior to those gems, I thought slice and bake cookies were dry and boring. Because honestly? They can be very dry and even more boring. But when carefully crafted with the proper ratio of ingredients, plus a little flavor—these thick buttery cookies melt in your mouth and the words dry + boring only belong to plain rice cakes and cardboard.
Still need convincing? Try pinwheel cookies or pistachio chocolate chunk slice and bake cookies next.
I’ve sort of explained all this before, so I’ll just recap here. The dough for these slice-and-bake cookies is similar to my cranberry orange icebox cookies. The base recipe couldn’t be easier: flour, sugar, egg and butter. Creamed butter and brown sugar is the base; brown sugar because there’s flavor and moisture there! A teensy bit of vanilla extract adds more wonderful flavor, while the egg keeps the cookies from crumbling all over your hands and lap.
You’ll need 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons of flour. I know that amount is weird. Why the 2 extra Tbsp? Well, you’ll add 2 Tablespoons of fresh-squeezed juice from delicious Sunkist oranges. More on that in a sec. The 2 Tablespoons of flour keep the added moisture in check and prevent the cookies from over-spreading. A pinch of cinnamon, fresh orange zest, and just enough finely chopped walnuts for flavor. You can leave out the walnuts, I just added them because NUTS belong in all cookies. I know .01% of you agree. Please comment if you agree so I don’t feel nuts! (Get it??)
The dough is soft, but sturdy enough to be shaped into logs. What I mean by that is this: you’ll take the dough, turn it out onto a floured work surface, divide in two, roll into logs, wrap the logs in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. That all sounds like a lot of work but it will take you all of, like, 2 minutes. What I love about this log business is that you can slice off however many cookies you want to bake and eat at any given time. The dough can chill in the refrigerator for 5 days, but I’ve kept it in there for a week and the cookies still taste fabulous.
Roll the logs in a little coarse sugar for sparkle, just like I do for brown sugar shortbread cookies. This is optional, but it’s pretty.
So is it really optional then???
See that gorgeous orange zest in the cookie? I love it. So much flavor. This is a recipe I’m making in partnership with Sunkist and their juicy, refreshing navel oranges SHINE in these slice ‘n’ bake cookies. What better to pair with orange than dark chocolate? Truly an underrated flavor combination, chocolate and orange is not only spot-on delicious—the pair’s kinda perfect for Halloween, no?
So good it’ll scare you. (I couldn’t help myself with that one!!!)
These dark chocolate orange slice and bake cookies are soft in the centers, super thick and dense with crunchy edges, with lots of salted dark chocolate and orange zest. And I’m being serious about coating the entire thing in dark chocolate…
Print
Dark Chocolate Orange Slice & Bake Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These dark chocolate orange slice & bake cookies are loaded with flavor! A little crunch from sea salt and cinnamon spice bring it all together.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer light in these!)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- zest from 1 medium navel orange (plus more for sprinkling on top if desired)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) orange juice from 1 medium navel orange
- optional: 1/2 cup (63g) chopped walnuts
- optional: coarse sugar for rolling (I use sugar in the raw brand)
- 8 ounces (226g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, and continue to beat until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Switch to high speed and beat in the zest, fresh orange juice, and walnuts (if using). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, divide into two. Shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 2.5 inches in diameter. The measurements don’t have to be exact. Tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Remove logs from the refrigerator and roll into coarse sugar, if desired. It’s added only for a little crunch! Slice each log into 12 equally thick cookies and place cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until brown around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) use the microwave. For the microwave, place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the chocolate and place onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and orange zest (if desired). Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set. Once set, enjoy!
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Baked and chocolate-dipped cookies freeze well—up to three months. Or you can freeze them without the chocolate and dip/decorate after they thaw out. Cookie dough logs freeze well too, up to three months. Allow the logs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then continue with step 3.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler
- Chocolate: Make sure you are using quality, pure chocolate. Not chocolate chips. You can also use bittersweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or white chocolate instead.
Sally, when I try to find your Milano-style cookie recipe (if memory serves, they are cookie-cutter butter sandwich cookies with orange zest and chocolate filling) I consistently get redirected here. 🙁 Did you remove the other recipe from your site? If so, I am devastated. I haven’t had the chance to make them in years but they’re so fun to make when I want to impress company, which is a rare opportunity. I am hoping there is a way you could send it to me or perhaps a link to it that I’m simply missing. Please help!!
Hi Carly, we recently removed that older recipe from the website, but if you send us an email (sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com), we’d be happy to share a copy with you. Thank you!
My friend made these for a party…. SO good! and I am part of the .01% who agree nuts always make a cookie better. Thank you for this deliciousness.
Hi! To make them a bit crunchier (like shortbread) can I just replace some of the brown sugar with white and omit the egg? But leave the rest of the recipe as is? Or I should just go to one of your shortbread cookies and try to add the add-ons (e.g. orange and chocolate, or hazelnuts)? Thanks!
Hi Dim, we’d recommend using our shortbread recipe instead and seeing some of the add-in options there. Enjoy!
I would love to be able to make these gluten free. Has anyone tried this yet?
Hi Melanie, we haven’t tested a gluten free version, but let us know if you do!
These’s were great! I added the extra orange zest to the melted choc instead of on top. They were delicious.
I have some orange extract. Can I replace vanilla extract with orange extract? Or will it be too much orange flavour?
Hi Dina, we would keep the vanilla and try adding just a bit of orange extract – try 1/4 tsp first so it doesn’t overpower.
Can’t wait to make these, I just found this recipe and I am already drooling! Just a note here to support you on your nut theory that nuts belong in every cookie…. YES! Yes I put nuts in everything I bake and if someone brings baked goods that do not contain nuts I will walk away. Walk away I tell you! I do not understand why some people are so offended by adding nuts – I grew up in the South but out here in the Midwest they look at me like I have three noses on my forehead 🙁
Can I make these in the Nordic ware shortbread square cookie tin?
Hi Jolie, we haven’t tested this recipe in that particular pan, but we imagine that should work!
Planning to bake these to celebrate the solar eclipse!
Made them. Loved them. Great depth of flavor after the first day. Happened to use clementines since that’s what I had in my pantry. Froze the dough for 1h instead of refrigerating for 4h. And I would check the bake at the 10m mark instead of 12m.
Definitely pro walnuts. 🙂
Thanks for sharing a really good recipe.
Wanted to make for a friend whose favorite combo is Orange and chocolate. But….they taste so good we want to keep them. The orange zest shines so brightly and I think the walnuts are a must. I only made a half batch..but I will definitely make more soon. Easy to make and great, less sweet, adult flavors.
Really… this recipe should never be made as half they are so good and you can freeze the dough to bake late – for me it makes far more sense to double the recipe 😉
I’m very excited to make these, and your photography here is gorgeous btw. Question about that chocolate…because it’s why I’m here right now: Would this work for drizzling over a bundt cake? I’m assuming so, but thought worth asking.
Hi Susanna, you can certainly drizzle melted chocolate over a Bundt cake, or make a chocolate ganache for something more soft-set. Enjoy!
Sally – My brother-in-law loves your Dark Chocolate Orange Slice & Bake Cookies so much that he requested them this year instead of a birthday cake!!!
He also loves Pistachios and Terry’s Orange Chocolate and wondered if I could add some pistachios and Terry’s Orange Chocolate to your cookies. If possible, would you please suggest how I could BEST combine your Dark Chocolate Orange Slice & Bake cookies with your Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Slice and Bake Cookies?
Thank you for your help. We appreciate it!
Hi Eljer, We are so happy he enjoys these cookies so much! You can certainly replace the chopped walnuts in these cookies with pistachios. You can also either try adding some chopped orange chocolate to this dough, or even melting it and using it instead of the dark chocolate to dip the baked cookies in.
Hi Sally! I was wondering, do you think that I could make these into sticks? Thanks!
Sounds like fun! We haven’t tried it, but can’t see why not. Let us know if you give it a go!
I made the sticks and they came out great! I did the same chocolate dipping and they were delicious, 11/10!
Hi, I kept these in the fridge for well over 5 hours, put them in oven at correct temp on silicone mat and the bottoms spread but the tops didn’t so they are an odd shape. Any ideas? X
Hi Shali! Here’s our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading.
Made these to take to our weekly board game night and they were a hit. Easy to make and easy to pack and take. I always trust any recipe Sally offers and haven’t been disappointed yet.
Wow, these cookies are crazy-good and so easy to make!
I should have known to zest the orange over the cookies, but I made the mistake of zesting it first and trying to sprinkle it on. Instead of cute little besties all over, I have not-so-cute little clumps. Who cares? I’ll do it for the next batch.
I make these EVERY Christmas. One year I had trouble with the logs setting up firmly after chilling so I rolled out the dough and used a small round cookie cutter. Worked just as well. 🙂
Hi Sally,
What are your thoughts about using some gran marnier in dark chocolate for dipping the cookies in? I was thinking I could cook off the alcohol content prior to adding it to melted dark chocolate. I thought it might give me something reminiscent of those chocolate oranges for the dipping… but a little more kicked up
Sounds delicious, Stacey! Let us know if you give it a try.
Could I use orange extract instead of vanilla?
Hi Jackie, you can definitely give it a try! The orange flavor may be a little too strong – maybe start with 1/2 tsp of each extract (vanilla and orange).
These are delicious and have been added to my Christmas cookie list.
Chocolate and orange is a myst in this house.
This recipe has become a family favorite, always requested. Delicious. I make it with and without nuts.
What kind of knife do you cut them with?
Hi Laurie, any super sharp knife will do!
Great cookies
Hello there, I would like to try making these cookies again this year. Last year I made the dough in advance and frozen it. When the cookies were baking, they became very flat ..kind of like pancakes. But were still delish! This year, I will not freeze the dough, but will cool it as suggested. I think that might have been the culprit.
My question is about doubling the recipe for the cookies… do you actually get a double batch? Thank you:)
Hi Olya! Freezing the cookies shouldn’t make them spread more. Here’s our best tips for keeping cookies from spreading. You can double this recipe for a double batch.
Home run!!!! Made a double batch and these were great! I reduced the salt just a little since I was using salted butter already instead of unsalted butter. They weren’t soft in the middle but that’s because I had cut them thinner. But in this case, I liked having a crisp cookie. I bought expensive Guitard baking chocolate. Spent $21 for the pound needed for a double batch. But it was worth it. I tempered the chocolate over a double boiler. And was nice and glossy but after putting in the fridge for 20 min to harden, the chocolate took on a dull look. They still tasted awesome. But I’m hoping you can suggest a way to keep the chocolate shiny, like in your photos? I agree with others who mentioned the challenge of getting the orange zest distributed on the cookie. And I did try blotting it several times as suggested. But it still clumps together. It was a bit tedious and time consuming to try to separate the zest bits. Next time I’ll do what another review suggested to grate the zest directly over the cookie. Instead of putting it onto a plate. Ve got this marked as a favorite recipe now!!