Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate
Crisp, buttery shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with finely chopped toasted pecans- egg free and perfect for holiday baking.
There’s something wonderfully timeless about classic orange shortbread cookies, especially when brightened with fresh, in season, citrus and finished with a glossy dipping of dark chocolate and toasted, warm pecans. These shortbread cookies are crisp, fragrant and marvelously simple: the kind of cookie you can make on a quiet December afternoon and serve all season. Naturally egg-free, using pantry staples and baked perfectly round in the oven. A sprinkle of chopped pecans and flakey salt adds a bit of texture and crunch to the buttery cookie. Perfect for snacking, sharing or for entertaining. Fill your holiday cookie box with these beauties.
Why this recipe works:
- Egg- free and foolproof- Classic shortbread relies on simple butter, flour and sugar creating a tender, lightly crisp cookie without eggs.
- Fresh orange peel: I love adding in seasonal elements and bright citrus boosts the flavor without overpowering the buttery goodness.
- Dark chocolate dip: Each cookie suddenly becomes elegant with a striking bit of dark chocolate which pairs perfectly with citrus.
- Toasted pecans for texture: I add finely chopped pecans that have been lightly toasted and shards of flakey sea salt for crunch that makes these cookies feel special without overcomplicating the recipe.
- Perfect for holiday gifting and sharing: Shortbread travels well, keeps its shape, stays fresh for days and freezes beautifully.
Ingredients for Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate Cookies:
- unsalted butter
- all purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- table salt
- flakey sea salt- I love Maldon’s
- 1 large orange
- vanilla bean paste- Our favorite brand is Wild Montana Foods
- pecan halves
- dark chocolate or semi -sweet chocolate for melting
Equipment you’ll need for this recipe:
- food processor
- stand mixer- this makes the recipe SO much easier. I use a KitchenAide stand mixer with a paddle attachment
- parchment paper- buy my favorite brand here
- cookie sheets
- vegetable peeler
- sharp knife
- wire rack
- silicon spatulas
- heat proof bowl for melting the chocolate
- cookie sheets and rimmed trays or baking sheets
How to Make these Shortbread Cookies:
Place the orange peel, avoid having any pith ( white material inside the orange peel) in the bowl of the food processor, Pulse a few times. Add in the sugar and pulse until fully combined and fragrant.
Add butter and orange-sugar mixture to a stand mixer and combine until smooth and slightly fluffy. Add in the vanilla bean paste, flour and salt (on low speed). Remove from the bowl of the mixer, divide into two sections and roll into logs, wrap tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill at least two hours. The dough for these Orange Shortbread Cookies slice cleanly once fully chilled. Slice the chilled dough into 1/2 inch rounds and bake at 350 for 12 minutes until just barely golden brown on the edges. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the cookies are cool, lightly toast your pecans then chop well. Melt the dark chocolate, dip the cookies into half of the chocolate, sprinkle with chopped, roasted pecans and flakey sea salt. Cool completely on parchment paper.
Tips for a Successful Bake:
- Read this recipe throughly first!
- Chill the shortbread at least 2 hours. Overnight is fine. You can even freeze this dough.
- Make certain you preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Chocolate matters- I have a friend who worked for Dove Chocolates over 18 years and she recommends using Vahlrona, Caullebaut or Guitard chocolate with 65% cacao. See her chocolate recipes HERE. You can also use Ghirardelli double dark. I used Lilly’s dark chocolate in my testing which is sugar free.
- Finely chop those pecans so they stick to the chocolate.
- A food processor is so important to incorporate the orange peel into the sugar. If you do not have one, use your fingers to massage the orange zest into the sugar until all the oils release.
- Once you have dipped the Orange Shortbread Cookies in the dark chocolate, let them rest on a parchment lined tray. Otherwise, they might stick to the sheet tray.
How to Store Shortbread Cookies:
- Place the finished cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze the cookie dough, unbaked in log form. Wrap well in wax paper, then wrap again tightly in plastic. This dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer. No need to thaw before baking. Just bake a few minutes longer.
- Chill baked shortbread in the fridge for up to one week.
Variations to this recipe:
- Milk chocolate dip with crushed peppermint candy canes.
- White chocolate dip with crushed pretzels- omit the flakey sea salt.
- Substitute lemon peel for the orange peel and serve uncoated.
- Add in 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 tsp ground ginger for a bit of spice.
- Dip in milk chocolate and add salted chopped pistachios.
- Dip in Pistachio cream.
- Or just enjoy plain!
Frequently asked Questions:
The Orange Shortbread Cookies should be baked straight from the fridge at 350 degrees. Either the dough became warm or the oven temperature was off. An oven thermometer is a great tool to have for baking success.
Place the wax paper covered dough into a paper towel cardboard roll with a cut all the way downtime center. Roll the dough back and forth several times until the cookies are perfectly round. Chill immediately. You can also gently swirl a baked cookie that is still hot inside a glass, rim down over the cookie, to help smooth out any rough edges.
Orange peel is just the outer most part of the orange. It has absolutely no white- or pith on it. The pith is very bitter and can affect the taste of your cookies. Use a zester or vegetable peeler to remove the thin layer of peel.
YES! Be sure to just barely toast them ( if over done they will be bitter) and chop finely.
Yes- wrap tightly in wax paper and then plastic wrap and freeze up to three months.
If you like this recipe, try my other holiday cookies:
- Chocolate Christmas Crackers
- No Bake Traditional Rum Balls
- Chewy Cocoa Molasses Cookies
- Lemon Coconut Wedding Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
- Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate
Equipment
- 1 cookie sheet
- 5 sheets parchment paper
- 2 rimmed baking sheets or trays
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 zester or vegetable peeler
- 1 silicon spatula
- 1 spatula
- 1 heat proof bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large orange- peel removed Do not use the white pith
- 1 ½ tsps vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 8 sticks
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
For the chocolate coating
- 8- 10 oz. dark chocolate- melting chocolate
- 1 cups pecan halves
- 1 tsp flakey sea salt
Instructions
To make the orange sugar
- Remove the outer peel of the orange using a zester or vegetable peeler taking care not to remove the white pith which tastes very bitter. Place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times until the orange is finely grated. Save the orange flesh for another use.
- Add in the sugar and pulse several times until the orange peel is fully incorporated. The sugar should be slightly oily, smell very fragrant and be slightly pale orange in color. Place the orange sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment .
For the orange shortbread cookie dough
- To the stand mixer and the orange sugar, add in the vanilla bean paste and butter. Mix on medium low until the butter is fluffy and the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Slowly add in the flour and salt. Mix on low until the flour in well incorporated, stopping to scrape downtime sides frequently. This is a large amount of flour and will take several minutes to fully mix into the butter mixture.
- Turns the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. Roll the dough into logs and wrap in parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To bake the orange shortbread cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment .
- Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into 1/2 inch slices and place 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Do not over crowd the cookies. Let the cookie sheet cool in between batches so the cookies do not melt out.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are very lightly golden browned. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 2-3 minutes, then cool completely for 20 minutes or more on a wire rack.
For the dark chocolate coating
- Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets by lining them with a clean sheet of parchment paper. Once the cookies are completely cooled, place the pecan halves in a dry skillet and toast on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove immediately to a large cutting board. Let the pecans cool about 5 minutes, then chop finely. Sprinkle the pecans with the flakey sea salt. Have the pecans close by ready to coat the chocolate once melted.
- Place the dark chocolate pieces, chop into shards if in whole bars, and place in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Take care to not let the water touch the bowl. Stir with a silicone spatula until the chocolate is melted. Place the bowl of melted chocolate on a towel to protect your counters. You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave proof bowl on medium low heat in 30 seconds increments.
- Dip one end of the cookie halfway (or less) into the melted dark chocolate then sprinkle with the finely chopped salted pecans. Place on a rimmed cookie or baking sheet lined with clean parchment paper. Cool completely before enjoying or sharing .
Notes
Nutrition
