Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread

Sorry for my lack of posts lately, life has been really hectic for us. Work is crazy busy for me and Joshua is in the process of installing a sprinkler system in our yard. Talk about a lot of work! It is still a mess right now, but hopefully we will have a beautiful yard soon. My dad has been a huge help, he picked a good week to visit, ha! Our lilacs are in full bloom and that makes me very happy. There is nothing like the smell of sweet lilacs breezing through the house on a sunny Spring day.

Today I am sharing a recipe for Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread. My dad loves butter, chocolate, and oranges, so I knew this would be a perfect treat to have around. The buttery shortbread was the perfect background for the dark chocolate orange. I think this is the perfect treat for a picnic too. So bake up some shortbread, pack your picnic basket with goodies, and enjoy the Spring sunshine.

Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread

(Printable Recipe)

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

Zest of 2 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

1 cup dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans.

2. Place the sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Rub the zest in with your fingers. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, sugar/orange mix, salt, and vanilla.

3. Chop chocolate. You want the pieces a little smaller than chocolate chips.

4. Beat the flour and the chocolate with the butter mixture, until well combined.

5. Divide the dough in half and press in prepared cake pans. Make sure each pan is even. Smooth the surface and prick the dough with a fork.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Remove and loosen the edges with a knife.

7. Wait five minutes, then carefully place the shortbread out onto a clean work surface, all in one piece.

8. Using a pizza wheel or knife, cut into wedges. Do this while it is still warm so you can cut it. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack.