Chocolate Orange Shortbread Biscuits - Recipe!

 Shortbread is something we always have at Christmas whether I buy it or make it ourselves. It's just one of those things which has became a tradition and a lovely treat for us or to give someone.

Made with only seven ingredients, melted chocolate combined with fresh orange juice is sandwiched between two shortbread biscuits which look beautiful on the table or as a gift! 

Makes 9 shortbread sandwiches.

Ingredients
200g of unsalted butter (room temperature).
100g of caster sugar.
250g of plain flour.
50g of cornflour.
1 orange.
150g of dark or milk chocolate.
Icing sugar for dusting.

Equipment
Large mixing bowl.
Spatula or wooden spoon.
Zester or grater.
Lined baking tray.
Small microwaveable mixing bowl.
Spoon.
75mm round cutter.
Small star cutter.

Method.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) / Gas mark 4.

In the large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with the spatula or wooden spoon.

Add in the flour, cornflour and the zest of the orange and work into the mix by rubbing between your fingertips until a crumb consistency is achieved then bring it together to form a dough.

Turn the dough out and flatten into a rectangle shape. Wrap it in cling film and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

While the dough is chilling make the filling by melting the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second blasts, stirring in intervals. When it is completely melted combine with 75g of fresh juice squeezed from the orange. Set to one side.

Once the dough is chilled remove the cling film and roll the dough out to a 5mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds and place them on the lined baking tray. 

Bring the offcuts together, roll out and continue to cut rounds until all of the dough has been used up.

Cut stars out of the centres of half of the rounds, placing them on the baking tray in between the rounds.

Bake for 12 minutes, then allow the biscuits to cool completely on the tray.

Once cooled, use a spoon to spread the chocolate filling on the base biscuits then sandwich with the star centre top biscuits. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Tips
If you don’t have a round cutter, you can use a tumbler.
If you don’t have a star cutter, you could cut the centres freehand with a knife, use a smaller circle or a different shape cutter or even leave the biscuits whole.
If you want to make the shortbread chocolate flavoured, swap 50g of the plain flour for 50g of cocoa powder.
If you don’t have a sieve, wrap some icing sugar in piece of muslin and shake over the top of the cake to dust it.
You could use the star shaped centres to decorate another festive bake such as a yule log or a Christmas Wreath Bundt Cake.

This recipe comes from the Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes and information on the campaign over on the Fab Flour website.