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The Hug – Cookie Creation

1st January
2012
written by C

This particular cookie may be the most sophisticated of the ones I’ve whipped up so far.  It also has had two very different test batches, both of which were delicious.  The flavor profile of this cookie has orange, dark chocolate and pecans. It’s called The Hug because it feels like getting a big bear hug when you take a bite. :)

The Hug – test batch #1

  • 1 c unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 c granulated sugar
  • 3/4 c packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1t vanilla
  • zest AND juice of one orange
  • 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
  • 1t baking soda
  • 1t salt
  • 1 Hershey’s Special Dark jumbo bar, chopped finely
  • 1/2 c finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375.  Makes 4-5 dozen cookies
  1. Cream butter and sugars together.
  2. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated
  3. Mix in vanilla, zest and orange juice
  4. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and add into the wet ingredients in small batches until well combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate and pecan pieces.
  6. Roll into balls and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe notes – Test batch #1 -
This dough was really sticky!  The orange juice really created a loose dough. While it was baking, the cookies spread out to about 4 inches in diameter and were very thin.  I quickly added another 1/2-3/4c flour to get it to a consistency that wouldn’t run. (Hand mixed, while all the chips and pecans were in the dough..no easy task, people!)  These cookies were orange flavored and orange in color, but that is partially due to the brown sugar.  I took these to work and the general consensus was that they were delicious but needed more chocolate and bigger pieces of pecans.
Here’s a picture of the first batch of The Hug.  The lighting in my kitchen is very yellow, so the cookies don’t actually look this orange.  If you look at the back left, you’ll see the first batch which spread out 4 inches.  The rest of them have the additional flour stirred in.
The Hug – Test batch #2
  • 1 c butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Grated zest of 2 oranges
  • 1t  vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 c (12-oz. pkg.) dark chocolate chips
  • 1 c chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.
  1. Cream butter and sugars together.
  2. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated
  3. Mix in vanilla and orange zest.
  4. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and add into the wet ingredients in small batches until well combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate and pecan pieces.
  6. Roll into balls and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Here’s a picture of the dough for this batch. You can see it has a lighter color and larger chocolate and pecan pieces plus all that yummy, fragrant, delicious orange zest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe notes – Test batch #2 -

These cookies had a delicate yet noticeable orange essence. The orange flavor hit after the first bite was chewed and then it just perfumed the whole cookie.  The dark chocolate chips and larger pieces of pecans packed a much bigger punch and the double zest easily replaced the juice of the orange in the first batch.  I may experiment with adding the zest of one more orange, but that will be the only change I make in this recipe.  This recipe already used more flour so the consistency is a puffier cookie.  The color of this cookie is definitely lighter because of the absence of brown sugar.  You have to check this cookie often when you pass the 11 minute mark because it won’t really turn brown.

I hope you enjoy it!

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