Thursday, April 6, 2017

Sweeten My Day


Apart from baking bread, I am not a frequent baker. However, sometimes there are days when I feel restless and not quite myself. Those are the days when I think I need to sweeten them up a little bit, and baking seems to be a good way.

I found this recipe for orange chocolate chip shortbread on Pinterest and thought it a good fit for that particular day. I had oranges, but no mini chocolate chips, so I substituted them with regular ones. The dough, when rolled out, is so thick that it easily holds the bigger chips.

Here's what you need:
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
zest of 2 large oranges
 tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup semi-sweet (mini) chocolate chips

Start by combining flour and salt in a small bowl.
Place sugar on a rimmed plate and add the orange zest. Use the back of a spoon to mash zest and sugar together until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Put in a mixer bowl.


Add butter and vanilla, and mix on low for 1 minute.
Add the flour with the salt and mix until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Form dough into a flat disc and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Roll dough out until it has a thickness of about ½ inch.
Use any shape cookie cutter and cut cookies from the dough, putting them on a baking sheet.


Chill for another 10 minutes in the freezer.
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until bottom of cookies are golden brown.


Cool completely and enjoy.








10 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

What a lovely variation on a theme. I make shortbread each year at Christmas for my partner. I have added cinnamon for years and hadn't considered orange zest. I will keep it in mind.
I hope that the sorty into baking restored your equanimity. Hugs.

krishna said...

They are looking so yummy... I would love to have them..

Anonymous said...

Am not that much of a baker either, but your cookies look scrumptious! Am not German, am Dutch, but I did live in Berlin for a year, where my oldest was born. Love your blog, and we do have knitting in common:) When I browsed here, I saw the landscape you were biking at - it looks very much like where I live - which is half an hour East of Jackson:) Who knows we'll get to meet each other sometime - but my German is very rusty:):)
If you like me back, my current blog is at artworkdsfromjeshstg(dot)wordpress(dot)com (because wordpress always gives my previous blog. Have a great weekend!)

Sarah Huizenga said...

These look fabulous! I have given up gluten right now, but I will hang on to the recipe.

windrock studio said...

These look just wonderful, I will give them a try. I like recipes that don't call for so many ingredients :)

Michelle said...

These sound very good and I like the flavor combination. Something I hadn't thought of!

Anonymous said...

The limitations of my kitchen prevent my making these, but wow, they look and sound delicious!

Magic Love Crow said...

Looks so good!! Thank you!!!

Jeanie said...

I love shortbread and when my surgery is done, that may show up in my kitchen! (No butter for now... boo.) It's so pretty -- they look just lovely and I love the ingredient combination!

Sue (this n that) said...

Looking so nice! I can almost smell that beautiful zest. The addition of chocolate chips is perfect :D)