Soft, chewy cinnamon milk chocolate chip cookies with toasted pecans and candied orange peel. These cookies will have you reaching for another before you realize what you’re doing!
12 Days of Christmas Cookies
Y’all know how I feel about chocolate chip cookies. They are my ride-or-die favorites. It just didn’t feel right not having one in this cookie-marathon!
I added orange zest and cinnamon to my cream cheese chocolate chip cookie dough and folded in toasted pecans, candied orange peel and milk chocolate chips to create a wintery, holiday CCC!
This post is part of the Great Food Blogger Holiday Cookie Swap, which is an international cookie swap that benefits Cookies for Kid’s Cancer. I participated last year with my Grandmother’s Molasses Sugar Cookies and I couldn't wait to be a part of it again this year!
I was going to send the Moravian Christmas Cookies from yesterday, but I ate too many “taste testing”. #sorrynotsorry
So these Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies were born!
When I got my list food blogger cookie recipients, I was absolutely thrilled to see a familiar favorite food blogger (I started reading “I Can Cook That” in 2010 before I even fathomed that I would start a blog one day.) and some new faces.
But honestly there really is nothing better than receiving cookies in the mail!
My first box was from one of my favorite bloggers of ALL TIME: That Skinny Chick Can Bake! She sent Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookies that will absolutely to die for! She mails care-packages to her sons, and if those cookies are anything like these, they are some lucky, lucky boys!
Alli from An Alli Event sent these milk chocolate toffee butter cookies! Rich, buttery and sweet: everything you want in a Christmas cookie!
And Brian from This Cookin Dad sent Lemon Basil Cookies - a totally sweet, savory experience!
These Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies are for the tenth day of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! You won't want to miss the Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars, Rum Refrigerator Cookies, or Cardamom Walnut Snowballs, Spiced Crinkle Cookies, Coconut Peppermint Pretzel Bark, Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels, Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies, Nana's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Moravian Christmas Cookies !!
Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 orange – only the bright orange parts!)
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup toasted pecans (coarsely chopped)
- ½ cup candied orange peel (finely chopped (Recipe here for homemade!))
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- I add my orange zest directly to the granulated sugar and toss it around to break up the clumps. This helps distribute the zest throughout the batter and the sugar also helps draw out some of the orange flavor. I do this first because the longer the zest sits in the sugar, the better the flavor!
- Whisk together in a medium bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter, cream cheese, sugars, and zest together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture; mix until just incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips, pecans and candied orange; mix briefly on low to distribute.
- You can bake the cookies right away or refrigerate the dough overnight. Your cookies will be thicker and will spread less if you chill it, but it isn’t totally necessary. I do, however, think the flavors are enhanced after a little refrigeration. When you are ready to bake, proceed to the next step.
- Pre-heat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment or silpat.
- Scoop the dough using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or roll into balls and place 2” apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake 12 minutes. The sides should just be starting to brown. You don’t want them to be brown. Just have a nice kiss of color. Let them cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lindsey, I absolutely loved these cookies! Thanks so much for the wonderful note as well, I can't wait to make my own batch of these!
Hi Kaitlin! I am so glad you loved them and that I got you in the lottery! I really did start reading your blog back in 2010 when I first discovered the world of food blogs! And from that moment on, I was hooked!
These cookies look like your best ever cookies yet! Ooh yes!
I love everything that you stuffed into them! I must make them today! MMMMM! These would be lovely with a good café latte! xxx
Thank you, Sophie!!!
I haven't had the chance to come over lately, but just got to drool over all these Christmas cookies you have been baking! These orange pecan choc chippers are my favorite, though! Wish I had some to munch on right now!!
Me too, Krist!
Lindsey, your sweet comment made my day! I was thrilled to get your name fo this fun event. And it looks like you had some lucky recipients with these magnificent chocolate chip cookies!!! xo
Lindsey, you made the simple chocolate chip cookie exquisite! Loving the addition of candied orange peel and pecans! This was my first year in the Food Blogger Cookie Swap and you are right - nothing's better than getting cookies in the mail!
Hahah isn't it the best!??!