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Hi Bold Bakers!
One of my favorite classic flavor combinations is dark chocolate and orange. During the holidays, there’s something really nice about making a few things with nostalgic flavors like my Irish Christmas Cake (also known as a fruitcake) or classic pies like my Perfect Apple Pie, but you also have to cover the cookie category — and that’s where these come in!
Think orange scented buttery cookies dipped in melted dark chocolate. And they look every bit as good as they taste, making these dark chocolate and orange cookies great for gifting.
Why does dark chocolate and orange work so well together?
If you’ve never had orange and chocolate together before, you are in for a serious treat!
Dark chocolate often has a naturally fruity note to it which somehow makes the orange taste more “orange.” Thanks to orange juice and zest, these shortbread cookies are spiked with citrus flavor. After baking the orange shortbreads, each cookie is then dipped in melted, good quality, dark chocolate. The finished cookies are buttery, zesty, and chocolatey. What more could you want out of one cookie!
How to slice shortbread cookies

The first step to making the cookies is making the slice and bake orange shortbread. I love to make this kind of cookie when entertaining during the holidays because they can be made in advance and require almost no time to bake off. Instead of shaping the cookie dough into balls like a typical cookie, this dough is rolled into a log and then wrapped in cling wrap. After setting up in the fridge or freezer, I slice the cookie in 1/2 inch discs.
I love how they come out perfectly even every time.
This makes the finished cookie like like they were made my Santa’s elves themselves!
How to dip cookies in chocolate

After the orange shortbreads are baked, they get their dark chocolate finish. I do this by simply melting the chocolate in the microwave, but you can do this over a double boiler if you prefer.
After my chocolate is shiny and smooth, I dip 1/2 of each cooled cookie, then allow it to set in a wire rack. If for some reason you don’t like dark chocolate feel free to use milk chocolate, but again I think the combo of dark chocolate and orange go together like peanut butter and jelly. If your chocolate doesn’t set up after 30 minutes to an hour, pop them in the fridge to firm up. Once the chocolate is set, it’s time to eat!
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