Orange Liqueur Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Liqueur Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Sift the flour before measuring, then sift again with the baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and blend well. Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture together with the orange liqueur and orange zest. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing well apart. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.
5. For the glaze, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Remove from the heat and beat in the orange liqueur. Coat the undersides of the cool cookies with the glaze, then dip the cookies in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate for a few minutes, until the glaze is firm. As a variation, omit the nuts and pour the glaze in stripes over the tops of the cookies.

Note:
Combining the sophisticated tastes of orange-flavored orange liqueur and orange peel dilutes the sugary sweetness of the traditional cookie.