Description
Warm Italian orange chocolate chip shortbread melts with buttery richness and zesty citrus notes. Crisp edges and delicate crumb invite delightful indulgence from first delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1.75 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 5 tsp orange zest (approx. zest from 2 large oranges)
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.25 cup (45 grams) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 0.125 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Whisk flour and salt in a mixing bowl, setting aside for later use.
- Zest Infusion: Massage orange zest into granulated sugar using the back of a spoon until fragrant and slightly moist.
- Creaming: Blend room temperature butter and vanilla extract with the zesty sugar mixture on low speed until smooth and homogeneous.
- Dough Formation: Gently incorporate flour mixture into wet ingredients, mixing until just combined while avoiding overmixing.
- Chocolate Integration: Fold miniature chocolate chips evenly throughout the shortbread dough.
- Chilling: Form the dough into a flat disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes to solidify and intensify flavors.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack positioned in the center.
- Shaping: Roll chilled dough to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, cutting into 2-inch round shapes.
- Pre-Baking Chill: Place cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Baking and Cooling: Bake for 25-28 minutes until bottom edges turn golden amber, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling before serving.
Notes
- Zest Technique: Gently rub orange zest into sugar to release intense citrus oils and maximize flavor depth.
- Butter Temperature: Ensure butter is precisely room temperature for optimal dough consistency and smooth mixing.
- Chilling Importance: Never skip refrigeration, as it prevents cookie spread and concentrates rich butter and orange flavors.
- Baking Precision: Watch edges carefully during baking; golden amber bottom indicates perfect shortbread doneness without overcooking.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Scottish-British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 169
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 3 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg