Orange-Chocolate Chippers

Not your typical chocolate chip cookie. These have cream cheese creamed right into the dough alongside the shortening, giving them a soft, almost cakey texture with a subtle tang. Fresh orange zest runs through every bite, and when it hits those pockets of melted semi-sweet chocolate, you get a flavor combination that’s hard to stop eating.

Creaming the shortening, cream cheese, and both sugars together until fluffy is where the texture gets built. The cream cheese adds moisture and fat that keeps these cookies tender days after baking. The orange peel goes in with the eggs and vanilla so it distributes evenly through the dough.

Drop them by the teaspoon with plenty of space between. These spread as they bake, and crowded cookies fuse into one giant sheet.

Pro Tips

• Soften the cream cheese fully before creaming. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the dough that never smooth out.
• Use freshly grated orange zest, not dried peel. Fresh zest has the essential oils that give the cookies their bright citrus punch.
• Pull them at exactly 10 minutes. These cookies firm up as they cool, so slightly underdone in the oven means perfectly soft on the plate.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter, creamier chip that plays well with the orange.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking for a sweet-salty contrast.
• Add dried cranberries alongside the chocolate chips for a holiday-worthy cookie.