Step 1

Whisk egg and sugar together in a medium bowl until the batter has become lighter in color and the sugar is dissolved. Then add the vegetable oil, orange zest, orange juice, orange extract, and mix well.

Step 2

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt (½ scant teaspoon, not more), and spices in a bowl until well combined, then stir the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture. Using a spoon or a whisker, mix everything until most of the flour is incorporated, then using your hands gently bring the dough together inside the bowl into a smooth ball. No need to transfer the dough onto a work surface.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175 °C and place the oven rack in the middle position. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4

Gently roll each portion of dough between your hands into a smooth round ball (about 1.5 inches in diameter/each ball should be about 26 grams/0.9 oz each). Make sure they all have the same sizes, and place them onto the baking sheets leaving a couple of inches around each cookie. Flatten them with your fingers.

Step 5

Bake them for about 13-15 minutes until they are barely golden brown on the edges and still soft (in my oven the baking time is 13 minutes). Transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6

Melt the chocolate on the stove*. Fill a medium saucepan with 3cm/1inch of water, place over a medium heat and bring to a very gentle simmer. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan so that it fits snuggly but doesn’t touch the water. Add chocolate to the bowl, then leave to melt for a few minutes. Stir regularly, until smooth and glossy, turn the heart off, then transfer the bowl from the stove to a work surface.

Step 7

Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate halfway and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or drizzle the chocolate over if you wish. If you use sprinkles, you want to sprinkle the cookies straightaway while the chocolate decoration is still soft. Place cookies in the refrigerator for a few minutes until chocolate hardens. Ready!