Orange Ginger Brownie Cookies

Family is not an important thing, it's everything.
~Michael J. Fox

Six years ago today, my beloved momala passed away. The best way we have honored her life and kept her memory alive is to embrace our little family and celebrate each other as often as possible. She used to say, "If you don't have something to celebrate, celebrate anyway." [Ed. note: Spinal Tap keyboardist Viv Savage also said it well, "Have a good time. All the time." youtu.be/WrhzX3dRRiI]

Our family recently got a little bigger. My little sister Julie brought the new man in her life, Frank, by for a whirlwind visit, our first time meeting him. Seems there couldn't be a more perfect person for Julie than Frank; they share a love of nature, geology, animals and family. Bonus, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and wine (we were excited to try riesling and pinot noir from his own vineyard), which endears him even more to the BF. [Ed. note: We even coexist with his love for the St. Louis Cardinals and ours for the San Francisco Giants.] We feel like he's been here all along.

Unfortunately I ran out of time and could not make cookies for them to take home, but had I been able, these would have been the choice.

My momala would have adored them as well. Chocolate and orange coupled and a hint of fresh ginger and brownie texture. It would have sent her over the edge.

Dorie Greenspan (this is originally adapted from her book Dorie's Cookies) is an excellent source for all things baking. She mentions that this cookie is best on the day it is made, but I have found it stays fresh, moist and chewy for at least 3 days. So it works well for shipping or gift giving.

Number of servings: about 20 cookies
Adapted from: Saveur (Dec/Jan 2017) and Dorie's Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• ¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of ½ orange (¼ teaspoon)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large cold eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼  cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for dredging

Directions 

1. ​In a small bowl, combine the ginger and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, mixing with fingers to coat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and the orange zest. Mix well.
3. Fill a medium saucepan 1 inch high with water and set a medium heatproof bowl over the top (be sure bowl does not touch water). Add the butter and ¾ of the chocolate to the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally with a heatproof flexible spatula, until just melted (do not overheat).
4. Remove the bowl and whisk in the sugar-zest mixture; it will be grainy. One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking energetically after adding each, for 1–2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and ginger mixture, which will be syrupy. Using a spatula, gently stir in the flour. Add the remaining chocolate, stirring to blend. Place plastic wrap directly against surface of the dough and chill for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
5. Set a rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350 °F. If you've refrigerated dough overnight, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put confectioners' sugar in a bowl.
7. Using a medium cookie scoop (1 ½–2 tablespoons) or spoon, scoop out level amounts of dough and briefly shape into a ball using fingers (do not overwork or cookies will not have craggly tops); drop into the bowl of confectioners' sugar and toss to coat well. Transfer to the first baking sheet. Repeat until you have 10 cookies, leaving at least 2 inches between the cookies. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dough.
8. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheet, then bake again until the dough has spread and cracked, sides look set, and centers are a little soft, about 4 minutes more.
9. Remove and let cool for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough and second baking sheet. Cookies are best eaten the day they are made.