Chocolate Orange Cookies

Ingredients:
1 box milk chocolate cake mix (15.25 oz)
2 eggs
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 1/4 C cubed butter, room temperature
2 T milk
2-3 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp orange extract
red and yellow food coloring (optional)
1 1/4 C semisweet chocolate ships

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, add cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil.  Stir until well combined.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on un-greased cookie sheets.  Bake 6-8 minutes, until cookies are puffed and set.  Remove from baking sheets and let cool completely. 

Prepare the orange buttercream filling in a medium bowl by beating 1/2 C of butter until smooth.  Slowly add milk and then powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.  Stir in orange extract.  If desired, add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to turn the frosting orange.  Spread a generous amount of frosting on each cookie.

Melt chocolate chips and the remaining 3/4 C butter in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Mix until smooth.  Let this mixture sit until it firms up a little bit.  Spread over orange frosted cookies.

Makes 36 cookies.

 This book is full of wonderful, delicious, Christmas recipes.  Not only will you find recipes in it, there are 144 ideas for traditions, homemade gifts, and more.  Check out the 12 Days of Christmas HERE and sneak a peek for yourself.  This will make an awesome Christmas gift this year because I know that everyone is going to love it!