Italian Frosted Chocolate Cookies |
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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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I make these cookies each year at Christmas. They are a favorite of family and friends. This recipe makes approximately 120 cookies. Ingredients:
7 cups all-purpose flour |
2 cups white sugar |
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (such as hershey's®) |
1/4 cup baking powder |
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon |
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves |
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice |
1 teaspoon salt |
1 large orange, zested |
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as crisco®) |
1/2 cup margarine (such as parkay®) |
5 eggs |
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste |
1/4 cup orange juice |
1/4 cup whole milk |
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened |
1/2 cup chopped walnuts |
3 tablespoons whole milk, or more as needed |
1 teaspoon orange juice, or as needed |
3 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir orange zest into flour mixture. Mix vegetable shortening and margarine into dry ingredients, using your hands, until mixture is crumbly.
3. Beat eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy; add egg mixture, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup milk to flour mixture and knead dough in the bowl until thoroughly combined and dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Dough will be stiff. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.
4. Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
6. Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.
7. Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place frosted cookies on racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let cookies dry overnight.
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