Honestly, you don’t need to make any other cookie — these slice and bake chocolate orange shortbread cookies should be your go-to, now and forevermore. Made with salted butter, citrus zest and chunks of semisweet chocolate in a buttery shortbread dough, I dare you — DARE YOU — to eat just one at a time.
You guys, I know I say this a lot, but when it comes to these cookies? I think we can just stop here. I’ve reached full cookie potential with these BBs.
Because when you combine the flavors of sea salt, chocolate, orange and a buttery shortbread cookie, it’s the closest thing to dessert perfection, in my book. And we have one person to thank for it all.
The Story Behind ‘The Cookies’
That person is Alison Roman whom, if you have any connection to the food world, you’ve probably heard of before. She’s the star behind the cookbook Dining In, and she’s also the person who invented The Cookies — which is what started me down this tasty road of cookie tinkering until I developed my own riff on her famous treat. And so, here we are.
If you’ve never heard of The Cookies, just Google it and you’ll instantly be bombarded with scroll after scroll of recipes and photos of Roman’s game-changing dessert. It’s her take on the chocolate chip cookie — a classic that she says is “deeply flawed” — with a shortbread base, decadent chocolate chunks and the intriguing use of salted butter (she says it gives the cookie a better depth of flavor, and I have to agree).
How to Make Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ever since I heard of these cookies, I knew I had to make them. But here’s the thing — for whatever reason, I was attracted to the idea of adding a citrus flair to the cookies. Maybe it’s because I’ve done the chocolate-orange thing before and it’s kind of AMAZING, so I knew it could only be an upgrade here. In any case, I went that route, and I have zero regrets. I also like to think it sets this recipe apart from the legions of others out there.
So here’s the situation: You start with a salted butter-based shortbread dough (yes, please go out and buy salted butter just for this recipe — you won’t be sorry, I promise times infinity). You stir in the chocolate chunks (use a bar of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate here and chop it up into larger, coarse pieces. No thin shards of chocolate or, heaven forbid, chocolate chips allowed). Add in a couple tablespoons of fresh orange zest, roll the dough into logs, let them chill until really set, then slice and bake.
And if that wasn’t enough, let’s go ahead and dip them in chocolate and top them with sea salt and more orange zest, shall we? WE SHALL.
Tips for the Best Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread can sometimes be a finicky dough to work with, since it’s lacking in eggs for added binding. Nevertheless, it becomes less tricky with practice, and with these tips you’ll be on your way to cookie bliss in no time:
1. Be sure to incorporate the ingredients completely. Scrape the sides of the bowl after adding in each ingredient so everything gets mixed together evenly.
2. Don’t skimp on chilling the dough! Two hours minimum is absolutely necessary for these cookies to bake right.
3. Make sure to use a very sharp serrated knife to cut the log into slices, and use a gentle sawing motion when you hit a large chunk of chocolate. If the dough crumbles slightly after slicing, just gently press it back together into a round before baking and it should come together in the oven.
All right, my friends — it’s time for you to make The Cookies, GVD-style. I hope you love them as much as I do (because, like, I really, really do).
Slice and Bake Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons salted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
- Zest of 1 medium orange, about 2 tablespoons
- Flaky sea salt and more orange zest, for topping (optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugars and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl, then stir in flour on low speed until just combined. Stir in 6 ounces chocolate chunks and 2 tablespoons orange zest until just incorporated.
- Divide dough in half. Place each half on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold over plastic wrap to cover dough, then use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a log about 2-2 1/4 inches in diameter. Wrap dough in plastic wrap to cover completely and chill at least 2 hours until firm (can be chilled up to 1 week).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Uncover one log and, using a sharp serrated knife, gently slice log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (use a sawing motion to cut through chocolate chunks). Place cut side-up on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
- Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with second log of dough.
- Melt remaining 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in microwave or in a double boiler according to package directions. Dip one end of each fully cooled cookie into melted chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off, then place cookie on cooling rack. Sprinkle with more sea salt and orange zest, if desired. Chill dipped cookies in fridge 30 minutes until chocolate is set.
- Store cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Has the butter amount in the recipe been updated? In multiple comments you mention a cup of butter and a little more. Now it says 10 tblsp which is one stick and 2 tblsp. Definitely not enough after looking at similar recipes that all call for at least 1 cup or 2 sticks.
Hi Angel, I am the new owner and I haven’t testing this recipe personally, however, I am a pastry chef and I have a very similar recipe on my other site that pre-dates Alison Roman’s recipe. My recipe also calls for 1 cup of butter for the same amount of sugar and flour. I am inclined to agree that 10 tbsp is not correct. I do not have any record of the recipe being changed. I scrolled waaaay back in the comments and I found conflicting responses by Stephanie particularly when people were asking for metric measurements. Honestly, all I can do at this point is test the recipe as written and adjust it myself. I would be inclined to say that you should match the measurements in Alison Roman’s recipe, which would be 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter. ~Lindsey
I made these last Christmas and had no issues. Today making them again for a friend’s birthday cuz she liked them so much, the dough is just sand. I went over the ingredients and got everything right, checked the measurements and cubed up a little extra butter and mixed w/ my hands. It’s better but I can’t see the fridge is going to keep it from crumbling when I slice them later. A bit crushed and no idea what I did wrong here. Butter was chilled, 10 tblsp.. double checked I didn’t add too much flour. I honestly am baffled.
Hi Angel, I didn’t read this comment before I replied to your other one, but I am inclined now to think that the measurements did change. I will update it to match Alison Romans until I test it myself.
These Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies look absolutely delicious! I love the combination of chocolate and citrus flavors. I can’t wait to try this recipe and impress my friends during our next get-together. Thanks for sharing!
Hey there! You’re very welcome, happy baking! ~gvd team
I just made these Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies, and they are absolutely divine! The combination of chocolate and orange is perfectly balanced. I love how easy the recipe was to follow too. Can’t wait to share these with my family—they won’t last long! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I made these for Christmas. By far, they were the fanciest! I used half the chocolate and more zest. And to save time, instead of dipping in chocolate, I drizzled the chocolate on top and then added more zest. And they kept very well for a week and the orange flavor was more pronounced as they aged. These are a new favorite!
Hi Linda! We’re so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and rate/comment, it really means a lot. ~gvd team
The cookies taste good, but I think this recipe needs a revisit! There’s simply too much butter in it because my cookies would not stop spreading! I chilled my dough for 4 days, tried turning the temp of the oven down, and no matter what I would still be trying to mold them back to their original shape because they spread and gained feet. I should have read the other comments before baking these to know that I should have skipped some of the butter since so many other people seemed to have the same issue.
These cookies are amazing! Hands down my favorite cookie. I love the combination of the salt, chocolate and orange. I’ve made these a handful of times and they are always a favorite.
Hi Shan! We’re happy to hear these are a hit! Well done and happy baking! ~gvd team