Black and Orange Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies

Black and orange are definitely the primary colors of Halloween celebrations, although you’ll see colors like red (blood), purple and green (zombies and monsters) work their way into the color palate of the holiday, as well. I tend to think that you can never go wrong with basic black and orange because one glance instantly makes you think of Halloween. I recently spotted some Halloween edition Tollhouse Morsels in the baking aisle when I was out running errands and couldn’t help but pick up a bag. The chocolate chips were black/dark brown and bright orange – very festive for Halloween and an easy way to dress up a non-Halloween recipe for the holiday.

The cookie recipe I used is a very straightforward chocolate chip cookie recipe that is very buttery and bakes up to have a crisp edge and chewy center. I like to add a little bit of quick cooking oatmeal (regular rolled oats and even instant oatmeal will work, as well) because it adds a little bit of texture to the cookies and gives them a little more depth of flavor. The orange chocolate chips were a colored variation of white baking chips, which aren’t really made with chocolate. They’re actually vanilla-flavored mock chocolate, made with vegetable oil, and very commonly found in white “chocolate” chips. I was glad to find that they weren’t orange flavored, since the vanilla blended into my cookies much better. The dark chocolate chips were semisweet, and had enough cocoa flavor to ensure that the finished cookies weren’t too sweet even with all those orange chips inside. I also threw in a generous amount of cacao nibs for extra chocolate flavor and texture.

If you don’t have black and orange chocolate chips, don’t worry. You can give your cookies a black and orange tint by picking up a container of Halloween sprinkles (which should be in every baking aisle this time of year) and stirring in a few tablespoonfuls of those alongside regular chocolate chips. The sprinkles will give you just enough orange inside the cookies for a nice Halloween effect. And you can always sprinkle a few over the top for good measure.

Black and Orange Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cacao nibs
1 2/3 cup (12 oz) black and orange chocolate chips
OR 1 2/3 cup regular chocolate chips + 2 tbsp black and orange sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Once all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, stir in the cacao nibs and chocolate chips (and black and orange sprinkles, if using).
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spread.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.