Crunchy Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
A Biscuit Recipe for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Afternoon Tea
Nov 4, 2009
About two to three months before Christmas, decorations, cards and gifts start creeping onto store shelves. For many years Shortbread biscuits have been a mainstay Christmas treat, normally exported from Scotland and sold in tins up and down the UK.
There is no reason why it has to be limited to a once a year treat but given the high butter content you may not want to indulge too often. Shortbread is very easy to make either in its plain form, or in variations that incorporate lemon zest, chocolate chips or in this case, orange. Alternatively, you can try using a handful of finely chopped cranberries or cherries, which would both go well with the citrus flavour.
This version adds a hint of orange to the delicious buttery crumbliness as well as a drizzle of chocolate on top. Rich but tasty!
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
- 1 1/2 cups (1 stick) Butter at room temperature
- Juice of half an orange
- 100g (3.5 oz) Dark or milk cooking chocolate
Shortbread Cookie Method
- Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and orange peel.
- Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Work the dough with your hands.
- Squeeze a quarter of the orange into the mixture and then the remainder if required (you want the dough to be smooth, not sticky).
- Keep working the dough with your hands until it holds together.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick onto a work surface. You shouldn’t need to put any flour down.
- Cut out with cutters or the top of a glass or cup if you don’t have any cutters handy!
- Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets or greaseproof paper and bake at 350°F / 170°C for 20 minutes until very slightly browned.
- Leave cookies to cool.
Work the dough well. The mixture is extremely crumbly to begin with but does start to hold together after a while. Refrigerating the dough for a short time will make it easier to roll out and handle. Do make sure that it’s smooth and holds together in a solid ball before chilling.
Chocolate Topping
- Heat up some water in a large pan.
- Break up chocolate slab and melt in a glass or metal bowl over the water.
- Drizzle over the cookies or alternatively sprinkle the cookies with sugar after they come out of the oven.
The cookies will keep for about a week in an airtight container.
Other shortbread recipes:
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe
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