Midnight Orchard Chocolate Dipped Cookies
I’ve always been drawn to prunes for their deep, almost caramelized intensity. They are rich and indulgent, but also so healthy. Paired with warming spices like cardamom and the depth of chocolate, then lifted with flashes of citrus, they create a tension that’s hard to look away from.
Midnight Orchard leans into that tension. It’s a walk through fruit trees after dark, where the air feels thick, the flavors linger longer, and everything carries a hint of something just slightly forbidden.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Cardamom Sablés
- 2/3 cup + 2 tsp sugar a142 g
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar 50 g
- 1 cup + 3 TBSP millet flour 142 g
- 1 cup + 1 TBSP potato starch 170 g
- 1 cup tapioca starch 124 g
- 3 TBSP sweet rice flour 33 g
- 1 tsp salt 7 g
- 2 tsp xanthan gum 6 g
- 2 tsp ground cardamom 4 g
- 1 cup shortening or dairy-free butter 227 g
- Up to 98 g ice water 2 tsp
Spiced California Prune–Orange Pâte de Fruit
- 3 cups diced California Prunes about 3 cups 540 g
- 1 3/4 cups orange juice about 1⅓ cups plus 2 tsp 330 g
- 1 1/3 cups sugar divided, about 1⅓ cups plus 1 TBSP total 280 g
- 1 cup sugar about 1 cup 200 g
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP sugar about ⅓ cup plus 1 TBSP 80 g
- 2 TBSP pectin about 2 scant TBSP 20 g
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper about 10 turns of a pepper mill
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest about 2 tsp 8 g
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar about 2 tsp 10 g
Assembly & Chocolate Coating
- Baked and cooled cardamom sablé cookies about 96 rounds
- Prepared spiced California Prune–orange pâte de fruit slab
- 21 ounces Ghirardelli Dark Coating Wafers about 18 to 21 oz 500-600 g
- Edible luster dust optional
Instructions
Make the Cardamom Sablés
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, powdered sugar, millet flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, salt, xanthan gum, and cardamom. Mix on low speed until evenly combined.
- Add the shortening or dairy-free butter. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand and no large chunks of fat remain.
- With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the ice water. Mix just until the dough begins to come together. The dough should look slightly crumbly but hold together when pressed in your hand. You may not need all of the water.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and gently press it into a flat disk. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flours to hydrate.
- Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top and roll the dough to about ⅛-inch thick.
- Transfer the rolled dough, still between the parchment sheets, to the refrigerator or freezer. Chill until firm, about 15 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment and cut out cookies using a round cutter about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter.
- Transfer the cut cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about ½ inch apart. Gather scraps and reroll up to two times, if needed.
- Freeze the cut cookie dough rounds for at least 60 to 90 minutes, or until firm.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Bake the cookies directly from frozen for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly golden and the bottoms are just beginning to brown.
- Let cool completely on the pan. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Make the Spiced California Prune–Orange Pâte de Fruit
- In a small bowl, mix together the pectin and 80 g sugar. Set aside.
- Line a 9x13-inch pan or quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to create a sling. Very lightly grease the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine California Prunes, orange juice, 200 g sugar, mustard powder, black pepper, coriander, salt, and orange zest.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the prunes are very soft and the mixture looks jammy, about 6 to 9 minutes.
- Remove from heat. While still hot, transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. You can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
- Return the purée to the pot and place over medium heat. While whisking, gradually add the pectin-sugar mixture.
- Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula.
- Cook until the mixture reaches 225°F, about 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture will look glossy, begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pot, and feel heavier as you stir.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in the apple cider vinegar.
- Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread to about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick; 3/16 inch is ideal.
- Let set uncovered at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until firm. The pâte de fruit will continue to firm as it sits. You can loosely wrap it so it does not dry out completely.
Assemble the Sandwich Cookies
- Turn the set pâte de fruit out onto a cutting board.
- Using a round cutter slightly smaller than the cookies, stamp out rounds of pâte de fruit. The filling should sit just inside the edge of each cookie so it does not squeeze out when sandwiched.
- Pair cookies of similar size.
- Turn half of the cookies upside down, flat side up. Place one pâte de fruit round in the center of each.
- Top with the remaining cookies and gently press just until the filling adheres. Do not press too hard.
- Place the assembled sandwich cookies on a parchment-lined tray.
- Freeze for at least 45 to 60 minutes, or until firm. This helps them hold their shape during dipping.
Coat the Cookies
- Place the dark coating wafers in a heatproof bowl and melt according to package instructions. For the double boiler method, place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Melt slowly, stirring until completely smooth.
- The coating should be fluid but not hot.
- Using a fork or dipping tool, place one sandwich cookie into the melted coating.
- Turn to coat completely, then lift and gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl 10 to 15 times to remove excess coating.
- Drag the bottom of the fork lightly against the rim of the bowl to remove additional excess, then let drip for 2 to 3 seconds.
- Carefully place the dipped cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies, stirring the melted coating every few cookies to keep it fluid.
- Rewarm the coating if it begins to cool and thicken. Stir well before resuming dipping.
- Let the cookies set at room temperature until the chocolate is firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Decorate with edible luster dust, if desired.
Notes
Storage
Store finished cookies in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Do not refrigerate, as condensation can form on the chocolate coating.
The baked, unfilled cookies can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Cut, unbaked cookie dough rounds can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Baker’s Notes
For best results, use the gram measurements when possible, especially for the gluten-free flours and starches. The cup measurements are approximate and provided for convenience.
Make sure the pâte de fruit is fully set before cutting rounds. If it feels too soft, let it stand longer at room temperature. The frozen sandwich cookies are much easier to dip and less likely to shift, so don’t skip the final freeze before coating. Use dairy-free dark chocolate coating wafers if you want the finished cookie to be vegan. Note: Kyra recommends using a dairy-free saturated fat such as Spectrum organic shortening, rather than full dairy butter. Dairy butter can interact with millet flour and create a slightly cheesy flavor.
Store finished cookies in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Do not refrigerate, as condensation can form on the chocolate coating.
The baked, unfilled cookies can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Cut, unbaked cookie dough rounds can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Baker’s Notes
For best results, use the gram measurements when possible, especially for the gluten-free flours and starches. The cup measurements are approximate and provided for convenience.
Make sure the pâte de fruit is fully set before cutting rounds. If it feels too soft, let it stand longer at room temperature. The frozen sandwich cookies are much easier to dip and less likely to shift, so don’t skip the final freeze before coating. Use dairy-free dark chocolate coating wafers if you want the finished cookie to be vegan. Note: Kyra recommends using a dairy-free saturated fat such as Spectrum organic shortening, rather than full dairy butter. Dairy butter can interact with millet flour and create a slightly cheesy flavor.