What are your favorite Christmas Cookies? The classic ones? Here in Germany, the most common Christmas Cookies are probably Ausstecherle, Spitzbuben and Zimtsterne. Recipes for all of these Christmas Cookies can already be found on the blog, of course! This year, we decided to make a batch of new cookies: Orange Pecan Chocolate Cookies! They are really nice ones! They earned a spot on the »must bake list« for next Christmas and the ones in upcoming years!
We got a bunch of Christmas cookies we make every year. Easy cookie recipes, mostly, so you are able to bake a larger variety of Christmas cookies without experiencing a mental breakdown right before Christmas. The easiest are most definitely Ausstecherle Cookies aka. Butter Cookies where you decorate the cookies with sugar glaze and some sprinkles only. Perfect if you want to bake fun cookies with kids.
Some other recipes require some more work, though. Classic Dominosteine/Domino Squares, for example. These sweet little treats are less often on the baking list. Maybe every two to three years, or even less. ;P We love to munch them, but they are just a lot of work. Very different to these cookies here. They are most definitely on the »easy cookies list« for Christmas. There is really not much to do – a bit of kneading, a bit of cooling (overnight), and then they are ready for baking and dipping into chocolate. Easy-peasy.
The flavor combination of the orange and pecans is really nice. We did not know they work so well together when making these cookies for the first time. We will certainly try to use this flavor combination for our next cake or maybe for some scones? Scones… hmmm. Yes, that sounds good! That’s undoubtedly gonna happen!
If you like it sweet ‘n’ salty, we certainly recommend sprinkling the cookies with some flaky sea salt. It makes the experience so much better. Anyway – in case you want to check out our other Christmas cookies, take a look at our Christmas recipe overview.
In case you want to try some German Christmas cookies (at least I assume they are German), take a look at these two recipes: Spitzbuben aka. Hildabrötchen are simple butter sandwich cookies with jam filling and some confectioners’ sugar on top. The most loved cookies in our family!
Close second in the list of the best Christmas cookies – Zimtsterne aka. Cinnamon Stars. These cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside… when baked correctly! Using our recipe will give you this perfect cookies. ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(24-26 cookies)
3/4 cup (170g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 organic orange, zest
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup (60g) pecans, chopped
5.3 oz. (150g) semi-sweet chocolate, melted
some flaky sea salt
(24-26 Cookies)
170g weiche Butter
100g brauner Zucker
1 Ei (M)
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
260g Mehl (Type 550)
1/2 TL Zimt
1/4 TL Salz
1 Bio-Orange, Abrieb
1 EL Milch
60g Pekannüsse, fein gehackt
150g Zartbitterschokolade, geschmolzen
einige Meersalzflocken
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the vanilla extract and mix in. Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt and add to the bowl. Mix until just combined. Add the orange zest, milk and chopped pecans and mix until combined. Shape the dough into two logs, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Slice the dough logs into thick slices (about 12 per log) and place on the prepared baking sheet with enough space in between. Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes until firm and only slightly browned. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Dip the cookies on one side into the chocolate (or drizzle them with the chocolate). Place them on a piece of baking parchment and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Let dry completely. Store in a box that closes well in a cool place.
1. Die Butter und den Zucker in eine große Schüssel geben und hell und luftig aufschlagen. Das Ei dazugeben und unterrühren. Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und ebenfalls gut unterrühren. Das Mehl mit dem Zimt und Salz vermischen und dann zur Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren. Orangenschalenabrieb, Milch und gehackte Pekannüsse dazugeben und alles zu einem Teig verrühren/kneten. Den Teig in zwei Rollen formen und dann in Klarsichtfolie einwickeln. Über Nacht in den Kühlschrank legen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen. Die Teilrollen in dicke Scheiben schneiden (etwa 12 pro Rolle) und mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das Blech setzen. Die Cookies für etwa 12-14 Minuten backen – die Cookies sollten an den Rändern fest und leicht gebräunt sein. Aus dem Ofen nehmen, kurz auf dem Blech abkühlen lassen, dann auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen.
3. Die Schokolade in einer hitzebeständigen Schüssel über einem Topf mit köchelndem Wasser schmelzen. Die Cookies auf einer Seite in die Schokolade tauchen (oder mit der Schokolade beträufeln) und dann auf ein Stück Backpapier legen und mit Meersalzflocken bestreuen. Die Cookies komplett trocknen lassen und dann in einer Blechdose an einem kühlen Ort lagern.
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Orange Pecan Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:14
- Total Time: 08:00
- Yield: 24
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious orange pecan cookies with chocolate coating – the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie collection! Don’t believe us? Bake ’em! ;P
Ingredients
3/4 cup (170g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 organic orange, zest
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup (60g) pecans, chopped
5.3 oz. (150g) semi-sweet chocolate, melted
some flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the vanilla extract and mix in. Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt and add to the bowl. Mix until just combined. Add the orange zest, milk and chopped pecans and mix until combined. Shape the dough into two logs, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Slice the dough logs into thick slices (about 12 per log) and place on the prepared baking sheet with enough space in between. Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes until firm and only slightly browned. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Dip the cookies on one side into the chocolate (or drizzle them with the chocolate). Place them on a piece of baking parchment and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Let dry completely. Store in a box that closes well in a cool place.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
Your site is new to me. I found it because I was looking for a chocolate spitzbubem recipe. I’m going to try yours this week.
This recipe looks good too. However, I wish you would say whether cookies are crispy (and stay crispy) , whether they are soft immediately after baking, or whether they get softer after a day or more.
It would be a helpful thing to know so I can plan how far ahead to bake them.
Hi,
the crispiness or softness of the cookies depends on how you store them.
They are crispy when fresh out of the oven but get slightly softer over time. If you let them sit at room temperature on our counter they stay crisp and dry out.
Cheers