Name: Chewy Orange Cookies Loaded with Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 100g caster sugar; 75g soft brown sugar; ½ teaspoon fine salt; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste; 200g plain/all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; grated zest from 3 oranges; 300g Terry's chocolate orange mini eggs; extra Terry's chocolate orange mini eggs

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Orange flavoured chewy cookies, crispy on the outside, and absolutely loaded with chocolate orange mini eggs; these Easter treats are utterly irresistible. Charlotte came home with some Terry’s chocolate orange mini Easter eggs and we just knew that they would make the most amazing Easter cookies. If you love Terry’s chocolate orange and you love cookies, then these are most certainly for you! In fact, I feel quite sure that these could be your favourite Easter treat!

I appreciate that the name of these cookies is a little long winded, but when that name includes the words ‘chewy orange cookies’ and ‘loaded with chocolate orange mini eggs’, it sounds like a pretty good name to me! I can also see that they are not the prettiest looking cookies, although the orange eggs are very vibrant. However, their taste and texture, more than make up for it!

Quick and easy to make, chopping the mini eggs is probably the most time consuming aspect. You do have to remember however, that the cookies need to go into the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour before you cook them. This helps to stop them spreading too much. However, if you are like me, and never allow enough time to do anything, you have the option to make one or two large cookies or make cookie bars. These don’t need to be frozen first – instructions and cooking times are all laid out in the Recipe Notes.

How to make Chewy Orange Cookies Loaded with Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs

This recipe is based on my Chocolate Chip Cookies – Core Recipe. I have simply:

added grated orange zest
used Terry’s Chocolate Orange mini eggs as the add-ins and increased the quantity of chocolate. It is easter after all!

Collect all your ingredients together:

unsalted butter
soft brown sugar
caster sugar
salt
egg
vanilla extract
plain/all-purpose flour
baking powder
orange zest
chocolate orange mini eggs

How to make these fabulous Easter cookies:

Put the butter, salt and both of the sugars into a large bowl and using an electric whisk mix until fluffy. This should take 3-4 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure it mixes evenly.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat again with an electric whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Add the flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Either beat with an electric whisk on the slowest speed (to avoid a cloud of flour covering your kitchen!) or mix in with a wooden spoon.
Chop the eggs – I like quite large chunks so I just halve them. It is a bit fiddly and I find that the easiest way, is to do one at a time. Add to the mixing bowl.
Grate the orange zest directly into the mixing bowl
Finally fold through the chocolate chunks. However, hold a few chunks back before mixing in. I often find the last cookie dough ball to be made has no or very few chocolate chunks in it. If you hold a few back you can simply mix into the final cookie.

Make one large cookie!

I used half of the mixture to make one large cookie. Simply:

Tip half of the mixture into a round 15cm/6in greased and lined cake tin and level the surface
Decorate with some extra eggs
Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly brown but still looking a little undercooked in the centre. Remember it will continue to cook after it comes out of the oven.
Leave in the tin for around 30 minutes to cool.
Lift out of the tin and transfer to a cooling rack. When cold, slice.
NB When you are cooking in a tin, you do not need to refrigerate or freeze before cooking. Simply pile into the tin and bake.

Other cake tin options cooking the whole batch of cookie dough:

2 x round 15cm/6in greased and lined cake tins
1 x round 23cm/9in greased and lined cake tin – cook for 30 minutes
1 x square 20cm/8in greased and lined cake tin – also cook for 30 minutes. (See here for further details)

1 tip half of mixture into 15cm tin. Level surface

Or you can make cookies!

I used the second half of the mixture to make 16 cookies:

Use a small ice cream scoop or a 1 tablespoon measure to divide the mixture into balls, around 30g each – you should make around 14 – 18 cookies and place on a baking parchment lined baking tray or flat surface
Top each cookie dough ball with a mini Easter egg – you will notice a few missing below. I got a little too carried away helping myself to a few treats – they really are just gorgeous!
Cover with cling film and place in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour – or up to 3 months!
When you are ready to cook them, place spread out on a baking sheet and cook from frozen in a pre-heated oven for 11 – 13 minutes. (I cook 5 per sheet but it depends on the size of the baking sheet – they do spread quite a lot.)
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Can I bake these cookies directly from the fridge?

Unlike many recipes, these cookies do not have to be chilled prior to baking. They can be cooked as soon as they are made. However, if you want to prepare the dough ahead of time, simply store them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and then bake them, directly from the fridge, when you are ready.

What is the best way to store these cookies?

When you store cookies, it is important to cover them and store in an airtight container. They keep well for 3 – 4 days at room temperature or 5 – 6 days in the fridge. However, if you are storing them in the fridge, remember to take them out to warm up to room temperature before you serve them.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes you can! You can freeze the cookies prior to cooking and after cooking.

Freeze prior to cooking:

One of the wonderful things about this recipe (and most cookies in general to be fair) is that you can make a big batch and freeze them uncooked, but oven ready. To freeze, place them on a baking parchment lined board or baking tray, cover with cling film and place in the freezer until solid. As soon as the dough balls are frozen, they can be transferred into labelled freezer bags or containers. They can be cooked directly from frozen. Freshly baked warm cookies on demand – what is not to like?

Cook directly from the freezer:

Bake directly from frozen, as described in the recipe. Simply allow 1 – 2 extra minutes bake time.

Freeze after cooking:

These cookies can also be frozen after you have cooked them. Freeze in labelled or sealed containers/bags for up to 3 months.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Chewy Orange Cookies Loaded with Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs

Orange flavoured chewy cookies, crispy on the outside, and absolutely loaded with chocolate orange mini eggs; these Easter treats are utterly irresistible. Makes 30 – 32 cookies (or 1 or 2 large cookie cakes or cookie bars!)

Course afternoon tea, Morning Coffee, Snack, treat

Keyword Cookies, Easter, orange chocolate

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Author Susan

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g caster sugar
75g soft brown sugar
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste
200g plain/all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
grated zest from 3 oranges
300g Terry's chocolate orange mini eggs

Topping:

extra Terry's chocolate orange mini eggs

Instructions

Timings
If making cookies: start making your cookies around 1 hour and 15 minutes before you want to cook them.
If making a cookie cake, you can cook it as soon as you have made the dough
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Make the cookie dough: put the butter, salt and both of the sugars into a large bowl and using an electric whisk mix until fluffy. This should take 3-4 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure it mixes evenly.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat again with an electric whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Add the flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Either beat with an electric whisk on the slowest speed (to avoid a cloud of flour covering your kitchen!) or mix in with a wooden spoon.
Chop the eggs – I like quite large chunks so I just halve them. It is a bit fiddly and I find that the easiest way, is to do one at a time. Add to the mixing bowl.
Grate the orange zest directly into the mixing bowl.
Finally fold through the chocolate chunks. However, hold a few chunks back before mixing in. The last cookie dough ball to be made may have no or very few chocolate chunks in it. If you hold a few back you can simply mix into the final cookie.
How to make a cookie cake: preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Round 15cm/6in greased and lined cake tin – tip in half the cookie dough mixture and level the surface. Add any extra toppings and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
Round 23cm/9in greased and lined cake tin – use all the cookie dough and level the surface. Add any extra toppings and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
Square 20cm/8in greased and lined cake tin – use all the cookie dough and level the surface. Add any extra toppings and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
Leave in the tin for around 30 minutes to cool.
Lift out of the tin and transfer to a cooling rack. Slice when cool.
How to make the cookies: use a small ice cream scoop or a 1 tablespoon measure to divide the mixture into balls – you should make around 28 – 32 cookies – and place on a baking parchment lined baking tray or flat surface.
Top each cookie dough ball with a mini Easter egg.
Cover with cling film and place in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour – or up to 3 months!
When you are ready to cook them, preheat the oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Place, spread out on a baking sheet, and cook from frozen in a pre-heated oven for 11 – 13 minutes. (I cook 5 per sheet but it depends on the size of the baking sheet – they do spread quite a lot.)
Baking one tray at a time: bake for 11 – 13 minutes. (I cook mine for 12 minutes.)
Baking two trays at a time: add one minute to the total time to cook. Bake for half this time and then quickly swap the trays over i.e. put the top tray on the lower shelf and the tray from the lower shelf and on the higher shelf and cook for the remaining time.
(So for one tray I cook for 12 minutes and 2 trays for 6½ minutes, swap the trays and then another 6½ minutes = 13 minutes on total.)
The cookies are cooked when: they have spread out, are starting to brown on the edges and look ever so slightly underdone. They should still be soft in the middle. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
Electric whisk and mixing bowl
Chopping board and knife
Baking sheets lined with baking parchment, if necessary

Softening brown sugar:

Have you ever taken soft brown sugar out of the cupboard and found it was rock solid? If this has happened to you and you need to know how to fix it using the microwave rather than a hammer, please see here.

Weighing the ingredients:

You can either weigh your ingredients and then add them to the mixing bowl or you can weigh your ingredients directly into your mixing bowl. Simply put the bowl on the scales and zero the scales. Make sure you remember to zero them in between adding each new ingredient.

Chewy Orange Cookies Loaded with Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs