It may be a tad bit early, but I’m feeling all festive and ready for Christmas! From delicious recipes perfect for Xmas parties or gatherings, desserts great for your Christmas day pud or quick and simple gift idea, I hope to have your Christmas solved in one delicious bite! Todays recipe is for these insanely delicious chocolate chip shortbread biscuits dipped in chocolate orange. These biscuits should be on Christmas baking list this year, they’re unbelievably simple to make are very hard to resist eating the whole batch in one go and will they definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!
For me, it’s the epitome of Christmas in a (few) tasty mouthfuls. Lusciously smooth and deliciously aromatic chocolate with hints of fresh orange flavour. This time last year I shared the recipe for Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, which ever since posting have become one of my most viewed recipes to date. So seeing how popular that recipe was I knew I needed to share another this year.
But when I was thinking of recipes I thought of a very traditional biscuit we enjoy at this time of year. It’s a family tradition in our house to eat shortbread at Christmas and I love any type of shortbread. Plus let’s not forget to mention that shortbread is also a great choice if you’re like me and are always late-night baking over Christmas or love to give your friends an edible gift! The recipe is very straightforward recipe filled with chocolate chips and with orange zest, then simply dipped into melted chocolate orange.
(Makes 18-20 Shortbread Biscuits)
Ingredients:
200g of unsalted butter
100g of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp of vanilla bean paste
300g of plain flour, sifted
Zest from 1 medium orange
100g of dark or milk chocolate chips
200g chocolate orange or milk/dark chocolate, melted and cool very slightly
Method:
1. Make the shortbread: Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a large bowl until fluffy and pale in colour. Then add fold in the flour and mix until completely incorporated. Finish by folding in the chocolate chips. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
2. Once chilled, take out and lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough out about 5mm thickness. Then using your favourite cookie cutter (I went medium fluted biscuit cutter, but Christmas tree’s or snowmen cutters look super cute!) cut out rounds/shapes from the dough and place on a lined large baking tray.
3. Bake at 160 degrees C Fan for 15-20 minutes or until just starting to colour slightly at the sides. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transport onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
4. Dipping into chocolate: Dip each half into the melted chocolate enough to fully cover it. Or alternatively drizzled each biscuit with the chocolate. Leave to set, then serve and enjoy! These shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Enjoy!
They look sooo good! I love chocolate orange and pretty sure these wouldn’t last 2 days in our house either!
Thank you Jacqui! They really didn’t last at all, only a few left! Definitely a good sign! 😀
Chocolate and orange is such a great flavor combo! Perfect for the holidays!!
Thanks Chris! It’s a great flavour combo- too delicious!
These look amazing! I made orange marmalade sandwich cookies a few months ago and they lasted about five minutes before my husband at ALL of them. I’m sure I am going to have similar success in keeping these around, but I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks so much Jess! Orange marmalade cookies sound amazing too, definitely will give those a go soon! 😀
What a creative recipe, Jessica! I love that you dipped these shortbread cookies in chocolate and flavored them with orange zest. Looks delicious!
Thanks Gayle! The dipped chocolate adds extra indulgence! Glad you like the recipe!
Jess I think I must to do this recipe! It’s so good! Mariage between chocolate & orange is one I love it! They are gor-ge-ous !! Happy weekend !
How it was cooking with the “masterchef”?? Here,in France there is an programme who is for the “patissier” le meuilleur patissier, I can see you Inside 😉
Merci beaucoup Eva! You really must try this, definitely! You will love it so much!
Really sweet, love the idea of the programme le meuilleur patissier- presume it’s similar to the Great British Bake Off here in the UK? 😀
Bon weekend! 😀 x
Ooh chocolate and orange sound awesome together and shortbread is my fave during the holidays! So much yum 🙂
Thanks so much Medha! This combo is awesome and very delicious! 😀
Chocolate and orange is such a great combination… looks delicious! ! loving it!!
Thank you so much Arpita! 😀
I love the chocolate orange combination! Definitely trying these 🙂
Great! Hope you enjoy Mira! 😀
Oh Jess is never to early for Christmas cookies! Look fabulous!
Thanks so much Margherita!
I love Terry’s chocolate orange, I look forward to it every Christmas! We’ve never had any left for baking, but I may need to get one specifically for that this year because that’s a great idea! These cookies sound divine!
Thanks Stacey! It’s definitely my favourite chocolate any time of year too!! We never tend to have any left over either- too good. Glad you like the recipe!
Another lovely post Jessica! These looks super yummy! 🙂
Thank you Heidie! 😀
My pleasure 🙂
Those cookies are beautiful Jessica.
Thanks so much Suzanne!
I love the chocolate orange combination, and these cookies are so pretty and festive! 🙂
Thanks Marcie! The flavours are great when combined! 😀
A shortbread cookie is always a must for me when I make cookie baskets for my friends and family and I’m really loving this one… it’s different but traditional… if that makes sense. They look deeeeelicious. 🙂
Thanks so much Tina! Homemade shortbread is always a great present at Christmas and fun to make too! Love that these are different, my little twist on the classic! 😀
It’s never too early for Christmas cookies, especially when they’re so pretty, and so easy! Seriously … why even wait for Christmas!?!? Just lovely, and even more irresistible once they’re dipped in chocolate! Pinning for sure! 😀 ~Shelley
Thanks so much Shelley! I know right, it’s never too early!! I could definitely eat these all year round! 😀
There can never be enough cookies! Especially when they look this awesome. Your chocolate dipped version looks amazing, too. If you need an extra taste-tester, just let me know! Pinned!
Thanks David! Haha! Glad you like the recipe! 😀
Loveeeeeeeeee shortbread! these look incredible Jessica! Pinned.
Thanks so much Manali! 😀
Yum, it never too early to start your x’mas baking 😀 What lovely treats!
Haha, thank you so much! 😀
It is never too early!! Love these shortbread cookies 🙂
Thanks so much Zainab! 😀
I love these shortbread Jessica as you know! It’s never too early for Christmas! 😀
Thanks so much Lorraine! 😀
I love those chocolate oranges!! I used to get one in my stocking every year when I was a kid!! These cookies look great, I bet that chocolate orange flavor is amazing!!
Thanks so much Jess! 😀
Yum! Love these, looks like a delicious shortbread twist 🙂
Thank you Denise! 😀
I love this chocolate chip shortbread by itself but with the chocolate orange they sound magical!! Love that combination especially for Christmas! ps- never too early for Christmas cookies
Thanks so much Lindsey! 😀
Shortbread is one of my favorite cookies this time of year and I LOVE how fun and different these look! Also, anything dipped in chocolate is an automatic WINNER in my book. 😀 Love these, Jess!
Thanks so much Sarah! So pleased you like the recipe! 😀
I do love shortbread cookies! Yours seems very dicots, Jes! Love the the photo!
Thank you!
I have never been the biggest fan of Gingerbread, but your photos make me want to reconsider! What a great idea to throw into a holiday goodie tin with a couple other treats. Your instagram photos are always so inviting!
I would love it if you checked out my blog – http://www.livingtoat.com/ – currently I’ve got a great recipe up for chocolate mint squares
Thank you so much for your compliments! Glad you enjoy my blog, recipes and my instagram page! 😀 Will take a look at your blog now! 😀
I love the idea of melting a chocolate orange to dip the biscuits in!! I’m definitely going to be making these ASAP.
Thanks so much Tash! Pleased you’re going to try the recipe, hope you enjoy! 😀
Chocolate and orange is just the best combination!
Thank you so much!