Chocolate Dipped Orange Spritz Cookies

You know those chocolate oranges that start showing up this time of year. The ones you hit on the bottom and all the sections separate and then you can eat the entire chocolate orange and pretend it is a fruit? I love those. Or those chocolate covered orange sticks? I love those too. One year my secret santa at school gave me a box of orange and a box of raspberry. I ate the whole box of orange in about 2 hours (school is stressful around the holidays) and was a little hyper so my administrative assistant hid the second box from me until it was time to go home! It turned out she was my secret santa and said she would never give me chocolate orange sticks ever again, and warned everyone else to keep them away from me.

So needless to say, I love chocolate and orange together. I found these orange spritz cookies and thought they would be perfect with a little chocolate. Genius! They are so delicious that it is a good thing I got 7 dozen from this recipe because I think I ate 3 dozen before I could pack any away for the kids and work.

Enjoy these, they are a perfect little bite.

Chocolate Dipped Orange Spritz Cookies
adapted from Taste of Home Cookie Swap
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
orange zest from one large organic orange
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

dark melting wafers (I used Ghirardelli)
orange colored sanding sugar - optional

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in orange peel and extract.  Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press cookies 1 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375˚F for 6-9 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.  Cool completely.

Melt chocolate in 30 second increments in microwave, stir and repeat heating until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Dip half cookie into melted chocolate, scrap extra chocolate off bottom.  Place on parchment lined sheets.  Sprinkle colored sanding sugar on top if desired.
makes about 7 dozen

1 year ago:    Crock Pot Chocolate Lava Cake and Playing in the Snow
3 years ago:  Fig Bars and Counting all the Dogs
5 years ago:  Caramel Rolls and Not Shopping on Black Friday

November 30, 2016  Sunrise 10:18 am  Sunset 3:01 pm  Temp. H -8/ L -18˚F