Blood Orange Shortbread Cookies

These easy-to-make buttery cookies pack a tangy punch from the use of blood orange juice, zest, and whole fruit pieces!

I look forward to citrus season with eager anticipation every year. Winter is dark, but we have jewel-toned fruit friends to cheer us up! I have great love for all varieties of citrus, but in honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to highlight this garnet-red beauty, the blood orange.

I’ve been baking with blood oranges for a few years, and while I always enjoy the results, I’ve found that I usually wish there was a bit more blood orange flavor. So when it came time to create the recipe for these Blood Orange Shortbread Cookies, I decided to use the starring fruit in three ways. There’s juice and zest in the shortbread cookie base, juice in the sweet and creamy icing, but I went one step further by including actual small segments of blood orange on top! The addition of the fresh fruit gives a juicy bite to each crumbly, buttery piece of shortbread, and really ensures the true essence of this cookie is orange. That said, you’ll want to eat these within a day or two to ensure freshness!

You’ll notice I also used pink lemons here; I love a good tart punch alongside the sweeter, more mild blood orange, and I couldn’t resist an opportunity to use two shades of pink. You can easily omit the lemons and just use oranges. You could also use Meyer lemons, tangerines, limes, or whatever citrus fruit you prefer! Get creative; these cookies are easy to put together and even easier to eat.

The shortbread cookie base recipe has been adapted from the book Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans.

Blood Orange Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Makes one 9 inch x 13 inch pan

Ingredients

For the shortbread:

One whole blood orange, or one half blood orange and one half Meyer or pink lemon

1 3/4 cups (255 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar

1 cup (226 grams), two sticks, butter, softened at room temperature for 10 minutes

1 tablespoon (6 grams) blood orange zest

2 tablespoons (11 grams) blood orange juice

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons (11 grams) blood orange juice

1/2 cup (62 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon (15 grams) heavy cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Begin by preparing the orange pieces (and lemon if using) by slicing the fruit into halves. Place the flat side down on the cutting board, and use a sharp knife to cut away skin and pith, carving along the curve of the fruit until no white pith remains. Slice the orange crosswise into 1/8th inch thick rounds, then use your hands or knife to separate the sections into small, jewel-like triangles as pictured above. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 4-5 minutes. Add blood orange juice and zest and beat until combined.

5. Pause mixing to scrape down sides of mixer, and add flour mixture. Turn mixer onto low speed until a smooth dough forms. Dough will be very soft.

6. Press dough into parchment-lined pan, making sure to reach all corners and create as even a surface as possible. Scatter orange (and lemon if using) segments over the top of the dough, and lightly press down into the dough.

7. Bake shortbread until golden brown on the edges and fully cooked and lightly browned on top, about 30-35 minutes.

8. Cool shortbread in pan. Once cool, run an offset spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen shortbread, then gently slide onto a cutting board. Set aside while you prepare the glaze.

9. For the glaze, mix together orange juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream until desired consistency is achieved.

10. Drizzle glaze over shortbread, then cut as desired into squares, diamonds, or rectangles. Some pieces may break; that’s okay! These are meant to be rustic.

Best served the day they are made, but can be kept in an airtight container for another day.

Looking for another way to use citrus? Try this Lemon Thyme Caramel!