Orange Chocolate Shortbread
Yields: 48 cookies
What is more festive than chocolate paired with orange? The orange zest and the nutmeg give us all the warm holiday feels, and using the Anita’s Organic 60/40 Baker’s Blend flour gives this shortbread more complex and wholesome flavour than using white flour alone.
For the Orange sugar
200 g granulated sugar
zest of 1 orange, peeled into thin strips (just the orange part, not the bitter white strips)
For the cookies
500 g Anita’s Organic 60/40 Baker’s Blend Flour (or All Purpose)
454 g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Chocolate dip
8 oz dark, or semi sweet chocolate, cut in small pieces
Sugar Decoration
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling
To make the orange sugar
Add the sugar and the zest to the bowl of a food processor and combine until finely ground. The sugar should be moist with a pale orange tint.
To make the cookies
Add the flour, butter, salt, and nutmeg to the orange sugar mixture in the food processor. Pulse to combine, then run machine for a minute, or until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out and work crumbly parts together with your hands and form a ball. Divide in half and form 2 logs of dough, 12 inches long each, wrap in beeswax, and refrigerate for two hours, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with reusable parchment alternative.
Remove dough logs from fridge and cut into 1/2 inch slices, then place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until turning slightly golden on the very edges, but still pale on top.
Place cookies on a rack and let cool completely before decorating.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in the microwave for 15 sec bursts, stir well in between. Continue until melted.
Decorating
Here is a very fancy looking way to decorate cookies, quickly and simply!
Melt chocolate, dip cookie 1/3 of the way in, scrape the excess off the bottom, place on cooling rack to set.
*If you are making different flavoured cookies, you can do this with not only melted chocolate, but glazes, icings, anything dip-able!
To create a distinct line for the powdered sugar, use a bench scraper, or another flat kitchen tool that can be held in one hand, hold that horizontally above the cookie at the angle you want to create, and sprinkle the powdered sugar with a sieve.
*Try mixing it up and using this method with sprinkles, cocoa powder, cinnamon sugar, or anything sift-able!
Finely slice the zest of an orange (being careful to avoid any of the bitter white part below the skin), place in the melted chocolate before it sets completely.
*The garnish possibilities are endless! Try topping with other citrus zest peeled, or zested, sprinkles, crushed candy cane, etc!
