Best Crisp Orange Shortbread Recipes

ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Blend together butter, superfine sugar, zest, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift flour into butter mixture and blend with fork until mixture forms a soft dough.
• Transfer dough to an ungreased large baking sheet and pat into a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. Prick dough all over with fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if using), pressing it gently into dough with your fingertips to adhere. Score dough crosswise with back of a knife into 6 rectangles (do not cut all the way through), then score each rectangle into 2 triangles.
• Bake shortbread in middle of oven until edges are golden but center is pale, 12 to 17 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes, then cut into 12 triangles along scored lines while still warm. Transfer triangles with a long spatula to a rack to cool completely.

CITRUS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the cranberries; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, then roll into logs about 7 inches long. Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove wax paper, and cut the cookie dough into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm but not browned, about 10 minutes.

CRISP SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a bowl with a fork blend together butter and confectioners' sugar until combined well. Sift flour into butter mixture, tossing flours together lightly before combining with butter mixture and stir with fork until flours are incorporated. (Dough will be crumbly.) Press dough evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch metal pie plate.
• With tines of fork decoratively mark edge of dough and with a butter knife score dough into 8 wedges. Prick each wedge in several places with fork. Bake shortbread in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 300°F and continue to bake shortbread 15 minutes more, or until golden.
• Cool shortbread in pie plate on a rack 5 minutes. With a sharp knife cut shortbread into wedges and transfer wedges to rack to cool completely. Shortbread keeps in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.