Orange Chocolate Chip Shortbread

The flavor burst of one of those smashable throwable dropable chocolate oranges (you know the ones we mean?), packed into a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie. Mmhmm... that's what this is.

The recipe for these citrus twisted cookies comes from Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Cookie Book (edited by Lois White, 2007).

The original recipe calls for raspberry chocolate chips, which would be quite the flavor combination. We didn't have any on hand, but we'll be sure to try that next time.

Orange and (Raspberry?) Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Makes 24 cookies.

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Orange glaze (recipe follows)

• In medium mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar and orange peel, until completely combined. Beat in flour until crumbly.
• Stir in chocolate chips, pressing the dough together until smooth. If the dough is just too crumbly to pat together, try putting it in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Pat dough into a rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 25 - 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 325 F. Bake until bottom is just beginning to brown and the centre of the cookie is set.
• Place cookie sheet on wire rack to cool.
• Spread glaze over cooled shortbread. Let the glaze stand for about 30 minutes, until set. Cut lengthwise, then crosswise, making 24 rectangles.

Chocolate chips and crumbly batter.

The consistency threw us off at first.

Add a tiny, tiny bit of milk if it's just too crumbly.

Press the dough together into a giant cookie!

Orange Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 tablespoon orange juice

• Stir together powdered sugar, butter, and orange juice.
• If necessary, stir in extra juice, one teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Once the glaze sets, cut into rectangles.