Chocolate. Orange. Ginger. Wow, I am smitten already. Landing on this recipe was a stroke of good fortune.

Gingersnaps are not new to me, but I was still not prepared for the intense blast of punchy flavour and texture that these deliver. I cannot fathom a more congenial combination in a cookie than this one, a bittersweet chocolate base speckled with rich nuggets of dark chocolate, the zing of peppery fresh ginger, bursts of tangy orange flavour and the added bonus of little bits of candied ginger for extra oomph. Then, there is the perfection of the texture, chewy and crisp at the same time, a hint of toothy resistance in the bite yielding to moist tackiness in the centre.

How does this happen? Secret ingredient: Marmalade. Who knew you could toss it into a gingersnap and get this sparkling result? I further bolstered the orange flavour with some pure orange oil. Married with the chocolate, this is a cookie to swoon over. Also, ground ginger can only do so much in the flavour department. The fresh ginger in these cookies takes the ginger concept and really lets it rip, as well as enhancing the moistness and tenderness ratio. Molasses is another essential element in a gingersnap, lending its sensuous, sweet depth and irresistible caramel-like qualities.

All told, you are in for a major jolt of delight, happiness in your hot little hands. Here is the game plan:

Chocolate Orange Gingersnaps

2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 tsp. baking soda; 2 tsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, in pieces; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup molasses; 1/4 cup orange marmalade; 1 heaping tbsp. peeled and freshly grated fresh ginger; 1 large egg; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 - 3 drops of pure orange oil; 5 tbsp. finely chopped candied ginger; 2 tbsp. cocoa nibs (optional); 5 tbsp. bittersweet chocolate, chopped small; 1/2 cup extra granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough in.

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on low speed until well blended. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and blend again. Add molasses, marmalade and grated ginger and mix to blend. Add egg, vanilla and orange oil and mix. Batter may look curdled, but that's OK. Stop and scrape sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Batter will be thick.

Add candied ginger, chopped chocolate and (optional) cocoa nibs. Mix only until evenly distributed. Refrigerate the batter overnight, covered with plastic wrap, for the best results.

When ready to bake, pour the extra cup of sugar into a shallow bowl or plate. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Using two teaspoons, plop balls of dough into the sugar and roll into a neater ball, coated with sugar completely. Place balls of sugared dough at least 3-inches apart on your baking sheets and bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. Remove cookies from the oven just when they puff up the most, about 11-12 minutes, and let them cool completely in the pan. Makes about 50 small cookies.

Let me say a few words about cocoa nibs. They are available in gourmet shops and are on the pricey side, so make sure you understand what they are before you spend the big bucks. Cocoa nibs are the edible part of the cocoa plant, a hard, almost nut-like shell that is very bittersweet and brittle, with a crackly texture and deep, unsweetened cocoa taste. They are quite bitter on their own but when encased in a sweet cookie, your mouth will marvel at the intoxicating pure essence of chocolate. If you are unsure or unwilling to use them, simply leave them out. I did. I would love to use them for special occassions but not having them at all times will not stop me from making these cookies (at all times!).

At first I thought, I would would have liked this cookie to be a bit thicker, a more handsome handful, but this thin version certainly has its charm. With an almost lacey design, it is large and festive and beautifully toned. I am giving up on my idea of a perfect orb and loving the quirky form and personality at play here.

Succumb to sweetness with our support:

The fennel/orange pairing is a noble one, and I relied on it last night for my little dinner party, especially given the presence of some spice in my side dishes. My fennel and orange salad offered a crisp, refreshing palate cleanser between tangy bites of marmalade/Dijon roasted chicken, potatoes with jalapenos and sauteed asparagus with chile garlic paste and sesame oil. This time, though, my fennel salad had a small surprise, a rose toned dressing derived from the gastrique-like reduction of cranberry juice and red wine vinegar. The thick, syrupy reduction adds a gorgeous depth to a salad that has its own sweet elements in the form of fresh orange morsels. I further emphasized the cranberry notes by simmering some dried cranberries in the gastrique and tossed them into the salad for some fun.

A gastrique is a reduction of wine, sugar and fruit into a thick syrup. I riffed on this theme by substituting juice and vinegar and letting this mixture boil down to its essence. After a brief cooling, I whisked in some Dijon mustard for bite, a little stream of extra-virgin olive oil, minced shallot, a pinch of poppy seeds and salt and pepper. The licorice-scent of fennel was the right foil for the tart lushness of plumped up dried cranberries adrift in the gastrique. Onward to the details:

Orange, Olive and Fennel Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Adapted from www.cookingbooks.com

1 large navel orange, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds; 1 large fennel bulb, cored, trimmed and thinly sliced (vertically); 1/2 cup brine-cured black olives; a few thin slices of Spanish onion; feathery fennel fronds can be used as a garnish.

Cranberry Vinaigrette: 1 cup cranberry juice; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1/4 cup dried cranberries; 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots; 1/4 cup extra-virign olive oil; 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard; 1 tsp. poppy seeds; 1 tbsp. honey; salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cranberry juice into a saucepan and add the wine vinegar, shallots and cranberries. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Take the gastrique off the heat and let cool. Whisk in olive oil, mustard, poppy seeds, honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put the oranges, fennel and onion on a serving platter and sprinkle with the olives. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with chopped fennel fronds.

What does this salad go with? Fennel and orange salads are much admired and eaten in Italy, Morocco and the Middle East, a fresh, cool contrast to many foods from these regions. I especially like fennel and grilled fish, especially fish prepared with lemon and garlic. I picture the fennel salad also as a lovely addition to a meze table of assorted finger foods and dips, hummous, pita bread, dolmades, falafel, spinach pies, little lamb chops. It is great with roasted chicken and works wonders at settling down the burn of spicy food.

More cool, crisp salads to cleanse your palate are easily yours:

Blood Orange Marmalade

A dazzling array of citrus fruits are in the stores and my thoughts naturally turn towards incorporating them into my life. I favour delivery systems that emphasize the zesty tang as well as the sweetness of tangerines, blood oranges, Seville oranges, mandarins, grapefruits and lemons, so was instantly drawn to a velvety marmalade after reading David Lebovitz's rendition on his blog. One point of departure: he uses Seville oranges and I had blood oranges. No matter. Where his product pulsated with an almost neon papaya hue, mine sang a more ruby-toned song.

Marmalade is marvellous with toast but please don't stop there. You can combine it with Dijon mustard and brush it on chicken breasts before grilling them, spoon it into a vinaigrette for a fruit-centric marinade, smear it on a scone, or dab a splotch on a wee wedge of creamy brie. Marmalade dishes out the sunshine during the winter months when we so need a dose, some bright merrimement in a jar for those cold mornings when tea offers warmth and sweet things make you smile. You can use Seville or blood oranges in the following recipe.

Seville Orange Marmalade - Photo courtesy of www.davidlebovitz.com

Seville Orange Marmalade from www.davidlebovitz.com

6 Seville oranges
1 navel orange
10 cups (2.5 liters) water
pinch of salt
8 cups (1.6 kg) sugar
1 tablespoon Scotch (optional)

1. Wash oranges and wipe them dry. Cut each Seville orange in half, crosswise around the equator. Set a non-reactive mesh strainer over a bowl and squeeze the orange halves to remove the seeds, assisting with your fingers to remove any stubborn ones tucked deep within.

2. Tie the seeds up in cheesecloth or muslin very securely.

3. Cut each rind into 3 pieces and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the rinds into slices or cubes as thin as possible. Each piece shouldn’t be too large (no more than a centimeter, or 1/3-inch in length.) Cut the navel orange into similar-sized pieces.

4. In a large (10-12 quart/liter) stockpot, add the orange slices, seed pouch, water, and salt, as well as the juice from the Seville oranges from step #1. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until the peels are translucent, about 20 to 30 minutes.

(At this point, sometimes I’ll remove it from the heat after cooking them and let the mixture stand overnight, to help the seeds release any additional pectin.)

5. Stir the sugar into the mixture and bring the mixture to a full boil again, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally while cooking to make sure it does not burn on the bottom. Midway during cooking, remove the seed pouch and discard.

6. Continue cooking until it has reached the jelling point, about 220F degrees, if using a candy thermometer. To test the marmalade, turn off the heat and put a small amount on a plate that has been chilled in the freezer and briefly return it to the freezer. Check it in a few minutes; it should be slightly jelled and will wrinkle just a bit when you slide your finger through it. If not, continue to cook until it is.

7. Remove from heat, then stir in the Scotch (if using), and ladle the mixture into clean jars. Sometimes I bury a piece of vanilla bean in each jar. (Which is a great way to recycle previously-used or dried-out vanilla beans.)

Yields 2 litres.

Store in the fridge for a few weeks, freeze or can.

Pucker up with more citrusy sensations: