Italian Frosted Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , such as Hershey's
• 0.25 cups baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1.5 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large orange , zested
• 0.5 cups vegetable shortening , such as Crisco
• 0.5 cups margarine , such as Parkay
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , or to taste
• 0.25 cups orange juice
• 0.25 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 0.5 cups chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons whole milk , or more as needed
• 1 teaspoon orange juice , or as needed
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar , or more as needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. 2

   Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in orange zest, then mix in vegetable shortening and margarine with your hands until mixture is crumbly.

3. 3

   Beat eggs and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy. Add egg mixture to flour mixture along with 1/4 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup milk; knead in the bowl until dough is thoroughly combined and stiff and it doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.

4. 4

   Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.

5. 5

   Bake cookies in the preheated oven in batches until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.

6. 6

   Make the frosting: Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.

7. 7

   Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place onto racks with waxed paper underneath to catch the drips. Let cookies dry, 8 hours to overnight.