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Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread

Updated Dec. 5, 2023

Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Total Time
50 minutes plus 8 hours’ chilling
Rating
4(2,079)
Comments
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This buttery shortbread showcases the classic combination of candied orange and dark chocolate. The cookie ages very nicely and is even better in the days after it is baked. The cookie dough will feel crumbly when it’s removed from the mixing bowl but pressing the dough into the baking pan and allowing the dough to hydrate over the course of a few hours will help it come together.

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Ingredients

Yield:48 cookies
  • 3cups/383 grams all-purpose flour (see Tip)
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • cups/284 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
  • 1large egg yolk
  • ½cup/76 grams roughly chopped candied orange peel
  • ½cup/76 grams shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 4ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (48 servings)

109 calories; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 41 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, as needed. Add egg yolk and blend until combined.

  2. Step 2

    Add flour mixture and mix on low until combined. If there are dried bits of flour left around the bowl, use a rubber spatula to incorporate. Add orange peel, pistachios and chopped chocolate and fold in with a rubber spatula. (The dough will be crumbly. If necessary, use the electric mixer to add the mix-ins, or work them in with your hands until fully incorporated.)

  3. Step 3

    To form the cookies, line an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and leave a generous amount of overhang on all sides. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press very firmly to flatten in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough 8 hours or overnight before baking.

  4. Step 4

    To bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  5. Step 5

    Using the plastic wrap overhang, remove the dough from the pan and cut the square into three equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle crosswise into roughly ⅓-inch-thick slices (about 48 cookies total) and lay them flat on the prepared baking sheets, about ¾-inch apart. (If the dough crumbles when slicing, simply push the mixture together to reform the cookie.) Bake until lightly golden on the bottom but still blonde on the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from the oven, allow cookies to cool on the sheets. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Tip
  • If using volume measurements, using a spoon, fluff and scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then scrape with a straight edge to level. This will help prevent adding too much flour, which can yield overly crumbly dough.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,079 user ratings
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Comments

For those not fond of candied orange peel, dried dark cherries would make a good substitution.

I think she means you should line the 8x8 pan with plastic wrap--with enough overhang to cover the dough once it's in the pan. I believe there is a mistake in Step 5 where it says, "Using the parchment overhang, remove the dough from the pan"--I think that's supposed to be "Using the plastic wrap overhang." The sheet pans are lined with parchment paper, because the cookies are actually baked on those.

Please recommend candied orange peel that doesn't taste like a chemical concoction.

Chop up the nuts/orange peel/chocolate, more than you think you should, to help the crumbling-when-cut problem.

Great shortbreads. I’ve made these around ten times. To minimize crumbling, just let the dough come to room temperature before slicing. Even if there is some separation, the dough comes back together very easily.

Raw or dry-roasted pistachios? Any opinions? Thanks

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