I make these cookies each year at Christmas. They are a favorite of family and friends. This recipe makes approximately 120 cookies.
Preparation Time
60 mins
Cooking Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Calories
78 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2
Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir orange zest into flour mixture. Mix vegetable shortening and margarine into dry ingredients, using your hands, until mixture is crumbly.
Step 3
Beat eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy; add egg mixture, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup milk to flour mixture and knead dough in the bowl until thoroughly combined and dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Dough will be stiff. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.
Step 4
Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
Step 5
Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
Step 6
Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.
Step 7
Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place frosted cookies on racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let cookies dry overnight.
Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
¼ cup orange juice
½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
¼ cup baking powder
1 large orange, zested
¼ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
3 tablespoons whole milk, or more as needed
½ cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco®)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Hershey's®)
