Chocolate Dipped Orange Butter Cookies are one of those easy Christmas cookie recipes that will sweep you off your feet and will woo you over into making them year after year. These buttery shortbread cookies are infused with orange and dipped in melted dark chocolate giving you all the vibes of classic Milano cookies.
I’m not sure if others have had similar experiences during childhood, but I must share this experience with you…
My brother and I were not allowed, under ANY circumstances, to eat mom’s Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.
She only bought them for two reasons: 1.) we were taking a long car trip, or 2.) the cookies were on sale and she had a coupon.
No matter the reason though, those precious little commodities were not for kids.
They were kept hidden, sometimes even in her purse. And if we ever came across them in our searches for a snack, we knew she had the cookies counted so if one was missing, she would know.
Flashforward to the present…
Since moving out of my parents’ house decades ago, I’m not sure if mom is still as obsessive about her Milanos as she once was. But I do know that Pepperidge Farm struck gold with all the new Milano cookie flavors.
No, I certainly have never tried them all but I definitely have tested out the orange Milanos and I was not at all disappointed. In fact, they are so good that I was inspired to make a loose version of copycat Milano cookies at home.
Thanks to the fantastic butter cookie recipe I was given many moons ago, I was able to recreate the flavor and texture of the orange Milanos at home.
Orange Butter Cookie Ingredients
This is a wonderful butter cookie recipe that not only stands beautifully on its own, but it is also the perfect butter cookie base recipe to adapt into all different versions.
Here is the grocery list for ingredients you need to make these cookies. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the full printable Ingredients list for this recipe!
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Large eggs
Pure vanilla extract
Orange extract
All purpose flour
Chopped chocolate – I highly recommend a mix of semi-sweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate for these cookies.
If you love butter cookies, you're going to absolutely flip over these orange flavored butter cookies that are halfway dipped in dark chocolate. They're like eating homemade Milano cookies and they're just so so good!
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Ingredients
UnitsScale
1cupbutter
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure orange extract
2 1/3cupsflour
3 tbsp course sugar
2ozbittersweet chocolate, chopped
2ozsemi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and orange extracts. Gradually blend in flour.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half of the dough into logs about 2 inches in diameter, wrap them in clear plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I sliced them with a sharp knife into 1/4″ x 2″ discs.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the dough into ¼-inch thick disks. Place cookies on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with coarse sugar.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, Transfer the baking sheets wire rack to cool and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes. Move cookies to the racks to cool completely.
While cookies cool, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. After the cookies have cooled, dip them in the melted chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper to cool.
Oh, yes, they will make a beautiful addition to my cookie round-up, Tara. I’m so happy you created this unique recipe and submitted them. They look wonderful. Cheers, Susan
Patricia — I really don’t have a method to get the chocolate to set. The cookies were *almost* completely cool. I didn’t exactly dip the cookies, but set them in the chocolate and use a spoon to push the chocolate up onto the cookie. The chocolate wasn’t incredibly hot so it wasn’t really runny – it was a bit thick actually, which I think helped the chocolate cool faster. Hope that helps!
What gorgeous cookies — your pictures make them look very very appetizing. Wish I had one (not that I haven’t already eaten more than my quota of Christmas cookies!)
[…] for a while that orange and chocolate is an awesome combination and since making some delectable Christmas treats last year, I’ve been totally sold on the combination. So after Lisa of Lime in the Coconut […]
[…] recipe takes no more effort than putting together a cookie recipe and uses the same technique as slice-and-bake sugar cookie where you roll the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for a few hours or a few […]
what pretty pictures! and these sound yummy 🙂
Oh, yes, they will make a beautiful addition to my cookie round-up, Tara. I’m so happy you created this unique recipe and submitted them. They look wonderful. Cheers, Susan
A pile of deliciousness!
Tara, they look delicious. How do you get the chocolate to set so well?
Patricia — I really don’t have a method to get the chocolate to set. The cookies were *almost* completely cool. I didn’t exactly dip the cookies, but set them in the chocolate and use a spoon to push the chocolate up onto the cookie. The chocolate wasn’t incredibly hot so it wasn’t really runny – it was a bit thick actually, which I think helped the chocolate cool faster. Hope that helps!
What gorgeous cookies — your pictures make them look very very appetizing. Wish I had one (not that I haven’t already eaten more than my quota of Christmas cookies!)
Simply beautiful, Tara.
Apu
here I am, 1 month after the fact, just realizing that this was my recipe I submitted! LOL
I’m glad you loved it!!
[…] for a while that orange and chocolate is an awesome combination and since making some delectable Christmas treats last year, I’ve been totally sold on the combination. So after Lisa of Lime in the Coconut […]
[…] recipe takes no more effort than putting together a cookie recipe and uses the same technique as slice-and-bake sugar cookie where you roll the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for a few hours or a few […]
Hello Tara, I only have an electric hand mixer. Would that change the outcome of these cookies ? Thank you, Dianne
A hand mixer should work just fine for this cookie dough.