Orange Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

The original recipe came from a magazine, but I doctored it a bit. This recipe incorporates frozen orange juice concentrate, for the added orange flavour that reviewers are missing in other recipes of this type. I think next time I will use orange extract or orange liquor..

• Ready In: 22 mins
• Yields: 60-72 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups  sifted flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup vegetable shortening
• 1  cup sugar
• 3  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2  eggs
• 2  teaspoons  frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1  teaspoon  orange rind, grated
• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

• ORANGE ICING

• 2  cups icing sugar, sifted
• 3  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1  teaspoon  orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1  teaspoon  orange rind, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Combine flour and salt. Beat shortening, sugar and cream cheese until well-mixed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the orange juice concentrate and the rind. Blend in the flour and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake @ 350* for 10-12 minutes, until light brown around the edges. Cool.
4. ICING:.
5. Slowly beat icing sugar into the cream cheese until well blended. Stir in the orange juice and orange rind. Ice the cookies.