Martha Collison's Festive Baking Recipe to Make Delicious Chocolate Orange Cookies

If you’re looking for a baking recipe that is both festive and unbelievably tasty, look no further. The sumptuous Chocolate Orange flavoured recipe below was created by the celebrated young baker Martha Collison, as seen on TV in a special episode of Festive Kitchen filmed in her lovely Brighton apartment.

Join Martha as she shows us how to bake these festive delights on the programme here, or keep scrolling for the baking recipe. Once you’ve baked your own, let us know how it went and send your photos in so we can see how you did!

Martha Collison has a cup of tea with Emily Martin

Martha and Emily enjoyed a good chat, and the crew enjoyed the end result!

Makes around 30 cookies

Preparation time: 10 minutes + chilling Cooking time: 7-9 minutes

Baking Recipe Ingredients:

100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
125g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Zest of one orange
100g icing sugar

Baking Recipe Steps

1. Cream together the soft butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl using a handheld electric whisk or wooden spoon until they are really light, fluffy and pale in colour. Add the egg and whisk again to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, along with the zest of one orange, and beat until really well combined. The mixture should be thick and hold together well. Place the dough into the fridge to firm up for at least an hour (or freezer for 30 minutes if you’re short of time).

3. Whilst the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 180^oC/160^oC fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with parchment. Decant the icing sugar into a medium sized bowl.

4. Using a teaspoon to scoop and your hands to mould, make small balls from the chilled dough and then roll the balls in the icing sugar, making sure they are completely covered in sugar. Place the rolled balls onto the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each one for them to spread out.

5. Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes until spread out and cracked but still very soft and puffy in the middle. Allow them to cool briefly on the tray – the middles will sink down making the centres beautifully soft. Enjoy slightly warm for the best experience!