Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies

Ever since I was young, my parents would buy me a Chocolate Orange at Christmas. It’s the only time of year you can really find them. And I always loved them. These cookies remind me of that chocolate orange. The orange zest in the dough gives the cookie a subtle orange flavor that just seems to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.

I have made these cookies several times. Most recently I made them for my neighbor’s birthday, and I got a lot of compliments. What I really like about them is that they are a little different from your standard chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter cookies, etc.

So how do we make these cookies? We need to start by making the dough. Once we make the dough, we need to let it chill in the fridge for a while, so we don’t need to preheat the oven yet.

First, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until it’s light and fluffy. Then, slowly add in the flour, mixing between each addition. Then, stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of orange zest. For this recipe, you only need about 1 medium-sized orange. From that orange, you should be able to get enough zest for both the dough and the garnish.

Once your dough is made, divide it in half. Then roll each half of the dough into a log shape, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs of dough in plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Chilling the dough will prevent it from spreading too much in the oven. This way, we can end with thick, even cookies that we can easily dip in the chocolate.

After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet. Remove the dough from the fridge, and slice the logs into rounds about a ½-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool fully.

Once the cookies have fully cooled, melt the remaining cup of chocolate chips in the microwave until it’s smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate, and place on a piece of wax paper to set. Before the chocolate sets, garnish with more orange zest and sea salt. Allow the cookies to sit until the chocolate is fully set. You can also put the cookies in the fridge if you’d like them to set more quickly.