white chocolate cran orange cookies-part one- FAIL!

When I was selling Homemade Gourmet one of my very favorite mixes was a cookie mix. It was a seasonal item that you could only get at Christmas time, which totally baffled me because I could eat those things year round without any problems. They had white chocolate chips and Craisins in it, but what put them over the top was the orange flavoring in the dough itself. The first time I ever tasted that dough, I was in heaven. I had a hard time actually baking the cookies, which were still excellent, by the way.

However the loss of my ability to purchase one of those mixes resulted in my need to create my own recipe. For the most part I just adapted my mom's Chocolate chip cookie recipe. My problem was needing to find a suitable orange flavoring. I ended up using orange oil as opposed to an orange extract, because the oil is just so much more potent. Just a teaspoon is all you need. I found this little bottle at AJ's Fine Foods, or I think you can get some at Williams-Sonoma. (my all-time favorite kitchen store.)

So yesterday I decided to make some up, cause I hadn't made any for awhile, and then we could give some away for FHE that night. I mixed up the batter, and when I went to add the orange oil, I remember thinking it smelled a little off, but as it had been quite awhile (like a year) I couldn't remember what it was supposed to smell like, so I added it anyway.

Good thing for me I tasted the dough itself before adding the Craisins and white chocolate chips. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid, so I made John try some too. (He hates it when I do this, but I don't trust myself.) The verdict was that the oil had indeed gone bad. I checked for an expiration date, and couldn't find one. I had taken notes in another cookbook the first time I experimented with the recipe, and I wrote down the date of my first attempt, but all I wrote was 5/16. 5/16! How does that help me?! 5/16/07? 5/16/06? 5/16/05? I can't remember?!? I don't think it was last May though.

Unfortunately at this time I had to leave to take Madison to tutoring. I had rinsed my mouth out with water, but the rancid flavor continued to get worse. I had no gum or mints in my purse, and I was getting pretty desperate, so at one time I actually licked my shirt sleeve trying to wipe the flavor off my taste buds, but now my mouth tasted like rancid orange flavored dryer sheets. Blech.

After dropping off Madison I drove straight to AJ's to get some more oil, and I got gum too. I debated getting one of their very tempting pastries, but I knew John was home cooking dinner, and I didn't want to spoil my appetite so I was good. I also picked up some macadamia nuts to add to the cookies just for fun.

To tell you the truth though, I was a little conflicted about buying more orange oil. I was kind of feeling betrayed by it. I eventually decided it was my own fault, I shouldn't blame the ingredients, I need to learn to trust my own nose, and if the oil doesn't smell like FRESH oranges, DON'T USE IT!!

And I just need to use the oil more often. I brainstormed other ways to use it- orange-blueberry muffins. Chocolate Orange Fudge cake. I think Williams-Sonoma had a drop or two in water simmering in a pot on the stove which would probably smell really good with cinnamon sticks and cloves.

So the cookies never got made. Maybe later today.