Yesterday was a grey and snowy day, the kind of day that make you want to stay in your pajamas and make a second pot of coffee day, the perfect kind of day for baking. For me nothing makes the house cozier than the warmth and aroma of something in the oven. A cookie came to mind. One that was sweet, but not too sweet, something decadent but not too sinful. A shortbread with a kiss of chocolate seemed to be the perfect answer.

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Shortbread Cookies w/ Orange Brandy Chocolate

Delicious short bread cookie with a layer of orange chocolate.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 3 Dozen

Author Christoph

Ingredients

Shortbread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Large sanding sugar

Chocolate Layer

• 2 squares bakers unsweetened dark chocolate
• ½ cup dark chocolate melting wafers
• 4-5 drops of Orange Brandy flavoring, LorAnn Oils

Instructions

Shortbread

• In medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flour with the salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl beat the butter until smooth and creamy using an electric mixer. Add the sugar and cream together until smooth . Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated, do not over work dough (over-working the dough will cause the cookies to be tough).
• Flatten the dough into a disk shape and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for about an hour or until firm.
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350° F Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough ¼” inch thick.
• Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter.
• Place on the prepared baking sheets, sprinkle with sanding sugar, and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.)
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned.
• Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate

• Temper the chocolate in the microwave. When the chocolate has become the right consistency, add the orange brandy oil and stir well.

Assemble

• Using your cookie cutter for a pattern, trace the outline on a sheet of wax paper about 2 inches apart with a black marker. Turn sheet over (ink side down) and place on a baking sheet, outlines will show through the wax paper.
• Transfer chocolate into a piping bag with a small tip. Pipe a bead of chocolate about a ¼ of an inch inside the outline of the cutter, and then flood.
• Place cookie directly over the outline and lightly press into the chocolate.
• Place sheet pan in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Chocolate may take several hours to completely harden depending on room temperature.

These sugar cookies are a true winner.  I have used this recipe time and time again for various holiday.  The original recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book published in 1963.  If you ever see this at a garage sale or used book store I would highly recommend you pick it up.  The Cooky Book is a great resource of recipes as well as a fabulous retro experience full of groovy holiday ideas.

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Mary’s Sugar Cookies

Soft and tender sugar cookies perfect for decorating.

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Dozen

Author Christoph

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2-4 teaspoons of water add slowly 1 teaspoon at a time to proper consistency
• 2-3 drops food coloring gel
• 2-3 drops peppermint oil, optional

Instructions

Cookies

• Cream sugar and butter together. Add egg and flavorings, mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together and mix in. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Divide dough in half and roll 3/16″ thick on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutter and bake on parchment paper on baking sheet for 6-8 minutes or until delicately golden.

Icing

• Slowly add water a half a teaspoon at a time to sugar.
• Assemble
• Pipe or spread icing on cookies. Dust with sprinkles or sanding sugar while icing is still wet.
• Allow icing to completely dry for at least 8 hours before storing.

Notes

I use food color gels for different colors. These gels work differently than regular food coloring making it possible to get vibrant colors with just a few drops and without thinning the icing.

For flavoring I use LorAnn Oils. These oils are highly concentrated and come in a multitude of flavors, just a drop or two will do.