These are really different, but delightful. Basil can sometimes be a little tough to find in the winter, so if you’re really pressed, you can use about a 1/3 cup of the stuff in the squeeze tube. It’s not as good, but it will work. I bumped up the tangerine juice and zest a pinch so the orange flavor popped, as well.
Basil Orange Italian Cookies
Tammy Rossitto
“My family teases me because I like to watch Chopped. So they challenged me to make something with tangerines, sweet basil and bittersweet chocolate chips. Makes about 5 dozen. They taste better the next day.”
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp tangerine juice
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp finely grated zest (colored part only) of tangerine|
½ cup fresh sweet basil, washed and dried and finely shredded
1 12oz bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 375º
Cream softened butter with basil, tangerine zest and the sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add tangerine juice, beating well. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat for 2 minutes. Add chocolate chips.
Let mixture rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Use cookie scoop to scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use a tablespoon and spoon rounded spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven. Let rest on cookie sheets for 2 minutes.
Remove to cooling rack and allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.