Chocolate-Dipped Orange Cookies

As I stated before, Anthony likes those chocolate oranges. So I decided to use this as inspiration for his present this year. I also decided that this would be one of the recipes from my physical copies since orange and chocolate are both popular ingredients. I finally settled on one from one of the Taste of Home mini magazines that you can get at the cash register.

Chocolate-Dipped Orange Cookies (Taste of Home Christmas Cookies, on shelves until December 24, 2012, pg. 57-58)

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. grated orange peel (I just used orange extract)
• 1 tsp. orange extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. dark chocolate candy coating (or chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange peel and extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
2. Divide dough into 36 pieces; shape each into a 2 1/2 in. rope (I didn't do the "equal 36 pieces" part. I just pulled pieces of dough and rolled them into "ropes" that I made sure were each 2 1/2 inches long. Ended up making way more than 36 cookies). Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip ends of cookies in coating; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with almonds. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

I'm not sure what happened. Because according to the picture that accompanied the recipe, the cookies are supposed to be closer to looking like Milano cookies. Not the cookie fingers I made. I think Anthony still enjoyed them though.