1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest (from about 2 n
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter,softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
(not unsweetened) , chopped
Preheat oven to 325 F. In a bowl whisk together flour, zest, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter, juice, and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy and beat in flour mixture until a dough is just formed. Pat dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes, or until firm.
On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 13- by 12-inch rectangle (about 1/3 inch thick). Cut out cookies with a
3-1/2 to 4-inch heart-shaped cutter dipped in flour and arrange l inch
apart on baking sheets. Using dough scraps, roll and cut out more cookies in same manner. Bake shortbread in batches in middle of oven 10 – 15 minutes, or until pale golden, and cool completely on baking sheets on racks. Carefully transfer cookies to a platter.
In a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Pour warm chocolat onto a plate and dip in half of top side of each cookie, transferring cookies, chocolate sides up, to a wax-paper-lined tray.
Chill cookies until chocolate is hardened. Cookies keep chilled, in an airtight container, 4 days. About l2 cookies. Yum!