Dark Chocolate Orange Lacey Cookies

I have been dreaming about these cookies ever since I made this last year at Christmas time. To me they just taste like Christmas. Almonds, orange zest, dark chocolate - they are perfect! You can make these several different ways, but I prefer them with chocolate sandwiched between them. (Who wouldn't?) Apparently they are a Trader Joe's knock-off. I've never had the Trader Joe's version but these are delicious! They are extremely thin, with crisp edges and slightly chewy middles. They are extremely addicting, so beware! I can't wait to make them again this weekend!

Dark Chocolate Orange Lacey Cookies
There is a waiting period after you mix these up before you bake them, so plan accordingly!

1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. butter
1 T. vanilla
2 T. milk
1/4 c. honey
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. almonds, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 heaping tsp. orange zest
1/2 c. dark chocolate (for dipping - or any chocolate you like)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, and honey and cook over medium to medium high heat until you reach a boil, stirring continuously. Once in reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute and then remove from the heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, almonds, cinnamon and orange zest. Add this mixture slowly to the wet mixture until fully incorporated. Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes until cool enough to handle. If it is too stiff to work with when you return, reheat it slightly over low heat.

Drop teaspoon-sized balls onto your baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches of space between each because they will spread a lot. Let them cook for 6-8 minutes. If you want them crunchier like toffee leave them in longer. Remove when the centers are bubbling and they are a golden brown color. Let cool on the tray for 3-5 minutes before removing them.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave or in a double-boiler. Add a teaspoon or so of chocolate in between two cookies and sandwich them together. You can also wrap them into a tube shape while they're stills lightly warm and dip them in chocolate or just leave them plain. If your chocolate isn't hardening, you can put them in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Source: My Jerusalem Kitchen