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Blood Orange Shortbread

If you would like to make a special treat for your sweetheart, but don’t want to get wrapped up in the kitchen all day, this blood orange shortbread is the perfect choice for an easy and classic dessert. The buttery cookies melt in the mouth, while the blood orange glaze adds a tart and vibrant decoration.

Classic shortbread is a 3-2-1 ratio of flour, butter and granulated sugar. For this recipe I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar because it produces a more delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Powdered sugar is not as dense as granulated sugar, so the ratio in this recipe is a 2-1-1 by volume. However, I do recommend using a scale to weigh the ingredients for this recipe (and all baked goods), to ensure precise measurements and consist results every time.

Shortbread gets its name due to the crumb of the cookie being “short” as in close together. The opposite of short would be a stretchy, “long” crumb found in something like sourdough bread. I like to think that it’s also called short because it’s so fast to whip up a batch.

While shortbread is one of the easiest desserts to make, there are a few guidelines to follow for perfect cookies every time.

  • Sift the flour before mixing to remove lumps and to give the shortbread a lighter texture.
  • Avoid over-creaming the butter with the sugar, which can add air to the dough and cause the surface to crack. 
  • Avoid over-mixing the dough which can result in a tough, dense shortbread. 
  • Chill the dough thoroughly before baking so that the butter spreads evenly and the shortbread keeps its shape. 
  • Poke holes in the shortbread to prevent any trapped air from forming air pockets while baking. 
  • Don’t be afraid to add flavor. While simple shortbread is a crowd pleaser, have a little fun by adding citrus zest, extracts or spices. Glaze the shortbread and garnish with dried fruits, chocolate or sprinkles.

About the Farm

Hildebrand Farms – Junction City, Kansas

When it comes to making shortbread, high quality butter is the most important ingredient. Since 1930, Hilderbrand Farms has been producing dairy products and crafting small batch butter, using only one ingredient, cream. They currently grow 95% of the feed for their cows and still package all of their products in the same glass bottles that they started using in the 30’s. The farm is now operated by the fourth generation of Hilderbrands and they consider all of their 140 cows to be part of the family.

Blood Orange Shortbread
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Blood Orange Shortbread

Recipe by Nadine MossCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12 – 18

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Melt in the mouth shortbread cookies decorated with a tart and vibrant blood orange glaze.

Ingredients

  • Shortbread

  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon blood orange zest 

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar 

  • 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • Blood Orange Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups (195 g) powdered sugar

  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon blood orange juice

  • Pinch kosher salt

  • Optional garnishes: Orange zest, sprinkles, dehydrated raspberries

Directions

  • Shortbread
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest until just combined. Sift together the flour and the salt and add to the bowl. Mix again until combined. Scrape the edges of the bowl and the paddle and then mix again.
  • Grease a 9 or 10 inch tart or cake pan. Press the dough into the pan until it’s one even layer. Using a fork, press holes into the dough across the entire surface. Cover and chill until firm.
  • While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake until the top of the dough is no longer glossy and is fully set. The edges should just barely start to turn golden, while the rest of the cookie has no browning at all.
  • Let the shortbread cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Let cool completely while mixing the glaze.
  • Blood Orange Glaze
  • To make the glaze, juice a blood orange and then strain to remove the pulp and seeds.
  • Sift powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and add the salt. Measure the blood orange juice and whisk into the sugar.
  • Pour the glaze over the shortbread and spread. Garnish with desired topping (orange zest, dried fruits, sprinkles, etc). Let the icing dry until firm before slicing the shortbread.
  • Store in an airtight container and enjoy for up to a week, or freeze.
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