These Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies are so buttery and loaded with dark chocolate chunks and orange zest. Just slice and bake!
Do y’all remember those foil-wrapped chocolate oranges they used to sell? They had individual segments just like an orange, but they were made of cheap chocolate and what was almost certainly artificial orange flavoring. I loved them so much, probably just for the novelty of pulling the segments apart.
In an effort to recreate that nostalgic flavor (and use up the last of the winter citrus), I created these show-stopping chocolate orange shortbread cookies. And I succeeded. These remind me so much of the chocolate oranges of yesteryear, but they’re so much better because they use real oranges and high-quality dark chocolate.
What you’ll need to make these cookies:
This is a simple shortbread dough with a few additions. All you’ll need to make these babies are:
- The holy trifecta of shortbread: Butter, flour and sugar. I used both brown sugar and granulated sugar to give the cookies a deeper flavor and help them retain a nice chew once they cool.
- Oranges. I used two medium oranges for this recipe, and it really is best with peak-season citrus. We’re using both the zest and the juice here. The orange flavor should shine through!
- Vanilla extract and sea salt, for extra flavor.
- Dark chocolate. The highest-quality chocolate you have access to! You can try this recipe with milk chocolate as well, but I think the bitterness of dark chocolate plays so nicely with the brightness of the orange.
Tips for the perfect chocolate orange shortbread cookies:
While this is a simple recipe, there are a few places it can go wrong. Make sure you follow these tips to get perfect cookies every time:
- Chill, chill, and chill some more. This dough needs to be cooooold when it goes into the oven. Like, straight out the freezer cold. If it takes you a while to slice up the cookies and get them onto the baking sheet, put them back in the freezer to firm up again. If they’re not cold enough, they will spread into flat little butter puddles.
- Bake in batches and chill in between. I recommend baking these in two batches. While the first batch is in the oven, place the second batch (unbaked) into the fridge or freezer to stay nice and cold. Transfer them to the baking sheet right before they go into the oven.
- Cut with a sawing motion. We’re really packing these cookies full of chocolate chunks. To keep your cookies together and get a nice shape, slice the dough using a serrated knife and a sawing motion. Don’t force your way through the chocolate chunks; use gentle pressure and the natural motion of the knife to cut through them.
- Freeze extra dough to bake for later! This dough keeps well in the freezer for up to a month. Just roll it into a log, wrap in plastic, and store in a freezer bag or airtight container. When you’re ready to bake, just slice and place on the tray as you would normally. You can also double this recipe and store extra dough in the freezer for future immediate cookie emergencies.
More things to bake:
Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Healthier Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below, then share a photo and tag me on Instagram!
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
These Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies are so buttery and loaded with dark chocolate chunks and orange zest. Just slice and bake!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour chilling time
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: About 22 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, from about two medium oranges
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from about one medium orange
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped and divided
Instructions
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, both sugars, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the mixture comes together and there are no more large chunks of butter visible.
- Add the dry ingredients: To the butter-sugar mixture, add the flour and salt. Beat on low speed until the dough is just starting to come together — at this stage, it will still look a little dry and crumbly. Add the orange juice and about two-thirds of the chopped chocolate, and beat until the dough is just combined and the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout.
- Shape and chill the dough: Lay a sheet of plastic wrap out on the counter and dump out the dough onto it. Using the plastic wrap to help you, start shaping the dough into a log. Roll it into a log that’s about 12 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, patting in the ends to flatten them. Wrap the dough log in the plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer to chill for at least one hour or overnight.
- Slice and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the dough is thoroughly chilled, take it out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Using a serrated knife and a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion, slice the log into ½-inch rounds. Place the cookies about two inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Dip in chocolate: Place the remaining chopped chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Dip the cooled cookies halfway into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, then place the cookies back onto the cooling rack until the chocolate sets. Garnish with a sprinkle of orange zest if you’re feeling ~fancy~, or eat as-is.
Made this recipe? Leave a comment!