Orange Pistachio Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

As soon as I saw the recipe for these cookies, I knew I had to try them. Chocolate, pistachios and orange all in one cookie... Hell to the Yes! These cookies were easy to make, and loved by all that tried them!! They did seem a little flat but there was a ton of flavor.

Now that the summer heat is going away (YAY!!) I can start baking more! I love making cookies, but I hate using the oven when it is 101 degrees outside. I have quite a few dessert type foods I have been wanting to make.





Adapted from Lora Brody’s “Chocolate American Style”

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
Grated zest of 2 large oranges or 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shelled pistachios, salted or unsalted, left whole

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, with the rack in the center position. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone pan liners or parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the almond extract, orange zest and the flour mixture. Once the flour mixture is totally incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they begin to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. The centers should remain pale. (If you like flat, crisp, chewy cookies, slam the cookie sheets down on a work surface halfway through the baking time. If you like softer cookies, skip that step.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Bake the remaining cookies in the same way.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Note: These make great freeze-and-serve cookies. Form the dough into 2 logs 10 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: Use a sharp knife to cut the still frozen dough into 3/4-inch slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and allow them to defrost for 15 minutes before baking them according to the directions above.

Not the prettiest picture, but this is the zest of one orange. Looks like a pumpkin threw up :o)