October is National Cookie Month and TODAY is National Homemade Cookie Day.
This month I've been challenged with NINE other bloggers to create a new cookie each week, share tips, tricks and highlight the products of more than a half dozen sponsors and culinary content providers. Follow us and contribute your own love of cookies by searching #CookieMonth14 on your favorite social media sites. Start by checking out our Pinterest board to get ideas for making your own cookies! Below is an overview of what to expect each week from this amazing group:
October 1st: Kick Off with Homemade Cookie Day
Oct 5 - 11: Family Favorites Cookie Recipe with my favorite baking tips Oct 12 - 18: Best Shippers (cookies that ship well in the mail) Oct 19 - 25: Best Gift Cookies Oct 26 - 31: Best Freezers (cookies that freeze well)
Be sure to check out my Cookie Month partners and their amazing recipes:
DISCLAIMER: I have received free product in exchange for participating in #CookieMonth14, but all opinions are my own. Now onto the cookies...
To kick off the month, I want to share my best cookie recipe. I made these cookies for the first time last October while preparing to enter the World Food Championships in Las Vegas. These cookies are the best cookies I've ever created and I'm superbly proud of them. Originally, I made them as sandwich cookies with an Earl Gray tea whipped ganache. While incredibly vibrant and floral, they are too rich and decadent to be sandwiched like an Oreo (because these little beauties are in fact grown-up Oreo cookies, although not vegan [sorry, not sorry]) In short, they whip up quick, bake very quickly and are intensely flavorful and fun to make. Who doesn't like a little sugar-crusted cookie?
Dark Chocolate Orange Cardamom Cookies
Yield: 20 cookies
Author: Nikki Miller-Ka of Nik Snacks
To kick off the month, I want to share my best cookie recipe. I made these cookies for the first time last October while preparing to enter the World Food Championships in Las Vegas. These cookies are the best cookies I've ever created and I'm superbly proud of them. Originally, I made them as sandwich cookies with an Earl Gray tea whipped ganache. While incredibly vibrant and floral, they are too rich and decadent to be sandwiched like an Oreo (because these little beauties are in fact grown-up Oreo cookies, although not vegan [sorry, not sorry]) In short, they whip up quick, bake very quickly and are intensely flavorful and fun to make. Who doesn't like a little sugar-crusted cookie?
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder and 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, mixed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 Tablespoon orange zest, grated
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Into a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powders, baking soda; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg, orange zest and cardamom; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.
Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar; press to flatten cookies to about 1/8 inch thick. (You may need to carefully remove dough from glass with a thin metal spatula.)
Transfer to oven, and bake until cookies are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Calories
160.29
Fat (grams)
6.75
Sat. Fat (grams)
3.80
Carbs (grams)
23.71
Fiber (grams)
0.89
Net carbs
22.82
Sugar (grams)
15.49
Protein (grams)
1.83
Sodium (milligrams)
165.29
Cholesterol (grams)
24.56
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.
Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
The smell of these beauties baking must be amazing, Nikki! Orange, cardamom, chocolate?! Mmmmmm. I can see why these cookies can stand on their own without filling but now I want the recipe for the Earl Gray whipped ganache!! (pretty please?)
Made these tonight and they are very good. Next time I will add more orange zest and sift the cardamon in with the flour. Some cookies had more cardamon flavor than others, so maybe that would help? I may add a tad more cardamon, since I really like it. Definitely will make these again.
The smell of these beauties baking must be amazing, Nikki! Orange, cardamom, chocolate?! Mmmmmm. I can see why these cookies can stand on their own without filling but now I want the recipe for the Earl Gray whipped ganache!! (pretty please?)
ReplyDeleteoh, gosh, these look amazing! I've never used cardamon, I'll need to remedy that soon. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI adore Cardamom and think I would have a hard time sharing these ones. They look delicious.
ReplyDeleteMade these tonight and they are very good. Next time I will add more orange zest and sift the cardamon in with the flour. Some cookies had more cardamon flavor than others, so maybe that would help? I may add a tad more cardamon, since I really like it. Definitely will make these again.
ReplyDelete