Cayenne Veracruz Orange White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Spice. Citrus. Creamy sweetness. This cookie doesn’t whisper — it sings.

Inspired by jcoco’s award-winning Veracruz Orange bar, baker and flavor alchemist Alyssa Phan (@gentlebakes) created a cookie that’s citrus-bright, chili-warm, and utterly craveable. Zesty orange and silky white chocolate chunks meet a subtle cayenne kick, turning every bite into a thrilling twist on tradition.

Cayenne Veracruz Orange White Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 60g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp Morton’s coarse kosher salt (use ½ tsp if using Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
• 165g all-purpose flour
• 220g jcoco’s Cayenne Veracruz Orange white chocolate (about 8 bars)
• Flaky salt, for finishing
  

How To Make White Chocolate Orange Cookies

1. Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping frequently, until the butter solids are deep golden brown and the butter smells nutty and toasted. Remove from heat, and scrape the butter and all the browned bits into a large bowl. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
3. While that cools, chop the white chocolate. Reserve the largest shards of chocolate to top the cookies with.
4. To the browned butter, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine.
5. Add the egg and whisk until mixture has both thickened and lightened in color, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
7. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix well to ensure everything is well combined before adding flour.
8. Add flour, and fold with a rubber spatula until there are just a few streaks of flour remaining.
9. Add the chopped white chocolate, and fold just until the chocolate is distributed throughout and there are no streaks of flour left.
   
   
   
10. Scoop out 2½ tablespoon-sized balls of dough, about 70g each, onto the prepared baking sheets. Evenly space out 6 balls of dough on each pan. Press the tops with the remaining pieces of white chocolate. 
    
11. Bake the cookies on the upper and lower racks until the edges of the cookies have set and the centers no longer look wet, about 13 minutes, switching racks and rotating pans front to back after 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, and rap the pans against the countertop to ensure rippled, wrinkly edges around the cookies.
12. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with flaky salt while hot. Allow cookies to set and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
    

Get the full printable recipe here.

Photos by: Alyssa Phan