Description
Buttery shortbread cookies packed with dark chocolate chips and fresh orange zest, coated in crunchy turbinado sugar and finished with flaky sea salt.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or orange extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tsp fresh orange zest, plus extra for garnish
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
- 1 cup turbinado (raw) sugar, for rolling
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale.
- Mix in the vanilla extract or orange extract just until combined, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the spooned and leveled all-purpose flour, mixing just until the dough begins to form.
- Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest until evenly distributed.
- Divide the dough in half. Place each portion on plastic wrap, shape into a tight circular log about 2 inches in diameter, and wrap securely.
- Refrigerate the dough logs for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap one chilled dough log, lightly brush the outer surface with beaten egg wash, and roll the log in turbinado sugar until completely coated.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the sugar-coated log into 1/2-inch thick slices.
- Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the bottom edges are lightly golden brown while the centers remain soft.
- Let the cookies rest on the hot baking pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt and additional fresh orange zest.
- If needed, gently swirl a large round cookie cutter or wide glass mug around each hot cookie to reshape the edges into perfect rounds.
- For stronger citrus flavor, use orange extract or add an extra teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest to the butter mixture.
- If the dough warms and becomes difficult to slice, return the wrapped log to the freezer for 10–15 minutes before continuing.
Notes
Keep the dough cold for clean slices and well-defined shortbread cookies. Chill the shaped logs for at least 2 hours or overnight, and use the cookie cutter trick while the cookies are hot if you want perfectly round edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg