Saturday, 16 December 2017

Chocolate Orange Shortbread with Candied Orange Peel

A delicious buttery biscuit, spiked with fragrant orange zest, generously dipped in dark chocolate. Perfect to give as a homemade gift!

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

There's something about baking and Christmas. I wish I could say it was because of the weather, that the snow and dropping mercury drives one in to the kitchen for baking and comfort by the oven but in Australia, this is quite the opposite. It's hotter the devil's bumhole after curry night. I can barely function in this heat. And yet when the tree goes up and the shop fronts put their little animatronic scenes up, I get the hankering for some bakering.


Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel


Mr. Cakes has always been a fan of choc orange. Not to say that he came out of the womb sucking on a Jaffa but for as long as I've known him, he's been a fan of this classic combination. It wasn't a flavour I've previously been inclined to choose. However, in the last few years, I've certainly come around. Maybe I'm a mature person now who likes to munch on a Terry's Chocolate Orange while I'm watching a bit of Miss Marple.

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

I have never had a Terry's Chocolate Orange and I have never seen Miss Marple. Both are awesome, I'm sure.
Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

I have had chocolate orange shortbread with candied orange peel. These smell so good, you can out your Christmas candle back in the cabinet for the afternoon while these are baking. Ain't no party like an olfactory party cos an olfactory party is in your nose...and you know...what other party is in your nose? Cocaine.

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

These cookies have a wonderful orange flavour from both some orange zest and a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice. But because the juice does thin the batter out, the cookies do spread when baked. To counter this, make sure to refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes.

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

I choose to make these in half moon shapes, like orange slices. I tried cutting them before they were put in to the oven, but I found I could get a crisper line on the sliced side if I carefully cut them with a very sharp knife the second they came out of the oven.

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel

You may be tempted to skip making the candied orange peel and who am I to discourage cutting corners. But I must tell you, the candied orange peel not only look darling and take presentation of the cookies to the next level, but they taste divine. And if giving these as gifts, then I'm afraid the candied peel is really not optional. It just looks (and tastes) too good.

Cassie Cakes - Choc Orange Shortbread with candied orange peel


Chocolate Orange Shortbread with Candied Orange Peel

Prep time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Total time:  1 hr 5 mins

Servings: 24 cut-out biscuits

230g butter, softened
120g caster sugar
2T fresh orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges
260g plain flour
80g rice flour
375 dark chocolate

1.      Preheat oven to 150°C and line two cookie sheets with baking paper
2.      In a large bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon until soft then add the sugar and mix thoroughly.
3.      Add orange juice, orange zest then mix.
4.      Sift in both flours and mix to a smooth dough.
5.      Roll out dough to 1cm thickness and cut using a round cookie cutter.
6.      Place on the prepared cookie sheets, at least 2cm apart and place in the fridge to chill for at 30 minutes.
7.      Meanwhile, make the candied orange peel - see below for 
8.      Bake each tray on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes, or until cookies are just cooked.
9.      When the cookies have come straight out of the oven, cut the circles, with a very sharp knife, to form half-moons.
10.  Allow to cool.
11.  Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
12.  Dip each cookie in the melted chocolate and top with a piece of candied orange peel while chocolate is wet and then place on a rack to allow to dry.
13.  Enjoy!
Candied Orange Peel

1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup water
2 oranges
Extra caster sugar for coating peels (1/2 cup to a cup)

1.      Use a vegetable peeler to cut the peel off the oranges in long strips, then use a sharp knife to cut the peel into pieces 3 - 5 cm long.
2.      Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3.      Add the orange peel and cook over a low-medium heat for 20 or so mins until the peel is tender and the syrup thickens.
4.      Transfer the peel and syrup to a small bowl and refrigerate until cool enough to handle.
5.      To sugar the candied orange peel, drain the syrup from the orange peel and toss the peel with the extra caster sugar in a small bowl, then place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper.
6.      Allow to stand until required.               

2 comments:

  1. Are you looking for where to buy hemp oil in Australia? Visit Ricks Hemp Oil store to choose from a premium organic range of hemp seed oil products today!
    cbd oil adelaide
    cannabis oil
    buy cbd oil australia

    ReplyDelete
  2. Are you looking for a way to catch a cheating partner/spouse⁉️

    Do you want to know there where abouts in the past, Now or later in the feature⁉️

    Do you want access to their text, calls, emails and social media activities⁉️

    Then you should contact ⭐PYTHONAX⭐✅✅✅

    ⭐PYTHONAX⭐ is a group of individuals who are talented and expert in computer Programming/Hacking/Operations. We give you services that you can't get else where, our services and discreet and safe. Our clients safety is our first priority, you can always be assured that you will remain anonymous.

    We provide other services like-:
    1️⃣ Protections to your personal devices, in other to prevent yourself from been hacked or attacked by a third party.
    2️⃣ Protections for websites and online serves.
    3️⃣ Credit score upgrades to enable loan services and mortgage payments.
    4️⃣ Recovering money lost to Scam such as-: Cryptocurrency/Forex/Binary Option investments.
    5️⃣ Recovering Money lost to Scam such as-: Buying and Selling scams.
    6️⃣ Recovering money lost to Catfishing and Romance Scams.

    Our services are simple to access your task would be assigned to a particular person, and can be reassigned to someone else if need be. Contacts are made by emails and any other info required would be strictly be the task related.

    You can as well ask for other services not listed above, as long as it gas to do with computer and the internet, we would get the job done.

    ⚠️ Note-: We do not engage with task and jobs that requires us to cause harm to person(s) our job is simple to help individuals with our skills and expertise.

    Use the emails below for contact-:
    Pythonaxhelp@protonmail.com
    Pythonaxservices@protonmail.com





    Pythonax.
    Copyright ©️ 2024
    Only for persons above 18.


    Reply
    Forward

    Add reaction

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger
Design byJasmineJoy