Chocolate Orange Gingerbread Cookies

Have we all been doing really well on that New Years resolution to cut calories and shed some chub? February rolls around and the time for a treat has arrived. This recipe only make 2 dozen cookies, perfect for bagging up portions to share with friends. Quite possibly we escape baking without wrecking our diet plan. Or what the heck eat them all!



Chocolate and Orange Gingerbread Cookie

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven.

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp.ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1  stick of butter
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp.baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons of boiling water
6 oz. of chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling.

In a medium bowl sift together first six ingredients. In another medium bowl cream the softened stick of butter with the orange zest until light about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined then add molasses mixing well. Now add the flour/spice mixture to the butter and sugars. Alternate the addition of flour between the baking soda water mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Roll the chilled dough into walnut size balls, place them on cookie sheets and return to the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.

Roll each chilled cookie in the granulated sugar and bake for 12 minutes. Bake until surface cracks. Do not remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Allow them to rest slightly on the warm cookie sheet then remove to the wire rack.