Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread
Updated December 4, 2023
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
- Total Time
- 50 minutes plus 8 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 cups/383 grams all-purpose flour (see Tip)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 ¼ cups/284 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
½ cup/76 grams roughly chopped candied orange peel
½ cup/76 grams shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Nutritional analysis per serving
12 grams carbs; 17 milligrams cholesterol; 109 calories; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 41 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 6 grams sugar
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
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Step 4
To bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Private Notes
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.
Recipe says 3 cups or 419g of flour. Most sources say 1 cup = 125g, so 3 cups would be 375g. I used 375g and consistency of resulting dough was just right. I could cut in to slices with only very minimal crumbling.
Great cookies. I make these several times a year. I let the dough come to room temperature which makes them easier to cut. I also cut them slightly thicker. Macadamia nuts are a great substitute for the pistachios, which can get lost in the cookies.
I’ve been baked these many times with great success. I use chopped apricots in lieu of the candied orange peel. Also, I vary the fillings: pecans or pistachios, dried cherries or candied ginger, white chocolate chunks or dark. They’re a hit every time.
Amazing cookies! I like variety, so I make the dough with just the chopped chocolate and pistachios. Then I divide the dough into thirds, add 25 g. candied orange peel to one-third, 25 g. dried cherries to the second-third, and 25 g. stem ginger in syrup (drained) to the final third. I press the 3 strips side-by-side in the pan—left, center, and right. After refrigerating, I lift out one strip at a time, slice and bake. Three different combos, each very delicious. Can’t decide on a favorite!