White Chip Orange Cookies

So, before this recipe I have never had any reason to "zest" any kind of fruit. This is just another example of how this project is teaching me things along the way. =) It was kind of frustrating because you have to grate a lot of peel before there's enough of it to fall off the grater. I actually ended up using my fingers on the inside of the grater to pull the zest out (had to be careful not to grate my hand o_o). While the recipe called for 2-3 teaspoons of zest, I didn't actually measure it. I just kept grating until it looked like enough. I had read online beforehand that it's imperative to not grate down to the "pith" of the orange (the white part of the peel), because it's more sour. So I was pretty cautious in my grating, perhaps a little too much so. The cookies turned out great, but I think they could've used just a little more orange zest. Oh, and as far as texture these are amazingly soft cookies, but at the same time they're not incredibly delicate. Very nice.

These were a big hit with my family. ^_^ A couple of them mistook the cookies for white chip macadamia nut, since they're white with white chips, but everyone was intrigued by the orange flavor. I'd give this at least a 4 out of 5. It's definitely different.

Do you know about those "chocolate oranges"? It's a ball of chocolate cut into slices, wrapped in foil to look like an orange. You pick it up and smack it against a table, unwrap it, and the slices that make up the ball fall away from each other. It's usually milk or dark chocolate with orange flavoring, and it's DELICIOUS. So, I can't help but wonder if, instead of white chips, milk or semi-sweet or dark chocolate would be even tastier. I guess I'll just have to try it sometime. =P

Cheers!

~Jesia