Hazelnut Orange Shortbread Cookies & A Giveaway!

Remember the nice folks at Oh Nuts! who sent me some samples to try and blog about? Well, they are even nicer than we thought at first – now they want to give some samples to one of you! I will likely be doing some more recipes using their products, but we wanted to get this giveaway in this week. More details on that in a minute, but first – the recipe!

The third bag of nuts contained toasted hazelnuts – a personal favorite, so I wanted to come up with something really special. If you don’t have hazelnuts, any other nuts [or no nuts at all if tht is how you roll] will work very nicely. I still have some macadamias and the Macadamia Lime Bars were so good that I might try a Lime Macadamia Shortbread variation – or Lemon Pecan Shortbread maybe. Today though, we using these crunchy, toasty little gems.nuts

Nothing is easier to make than shortbread. Just a few ingredients, a simple preparation and you have something unbelievably delicious. You can use 2 cups of flour instead of the 1/2 cup of cornstarch, but cornstarch gives you a lighter, crisper texture and I think they even stay fresh longer.

First, in medium sized bowl, mix and set aside
1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon table salt [not kosher]
1/2 cup coarsly chopped toasted hazelnutsingredIn a larger bowl, cream together
2 sticks [1 cup] butter
freshly grated zest of 1 orangesugar_inAdd and cream for about 2 minutes
1/2 cup confectioners [10x] sugar

Add and beat another minute
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and fold together until combined. Don’t over mix here, but make sure everything is well incorporated.dry_inPat out into a flattened square and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to about 3 days.dough_chillRoll out on floured surface to about 1/3 inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes. I used a tiny jam jar for the round shapes and a dough cutter to cut squares.cut_outBake at 350ยบ for about 8 to 10 minutes – they should have just the very tiniest hint of brown – if they get more than that, they will be overdone.coolingCool on racks for an hour or so. They are wonderful just like thissquares500Or, you can melt together 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon orange zest. [I grate this the day before and let it dry out – makes yummy little chewy bits in the glaze] You can melt this in the microwave – do it for 10 seconds and stir well – if not well melted, try another 5 seconds, stir and then maybe another 5 seconds. I can’t give you exact times because all microwaves are different and to me, it is better to be cautious and only heat a little at a time than it is to burn it and have to start over. Dip the cooled cookies and allow to dry completely before storing in a sealed container.w_chocYumplated_choc500

And now to the giveaway. Sam is going to send the winner a pound of nuts, a pound of dried fruit and a pound of candy – winner’s choice! Go to the Oh Nuts! website and look around a little. What would you choose if you won? Come back and tell us in the comments. The winner will be chosen by random draw from all the comments left between now and Friday at 12:00noon EST, winner to be announced Friday afternoon. US addresses only please.

websiteAnd did you enter the calendar magnet giveaway yet today? The winners for Monday and Tuesday are already chosen – if you want to be eligible today, you have to comment again!

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31 Responses to Hazelnut Orange Shortbread Cookies & A Giveaway!

  1. Mental P Mama says:

    Lord have mercy. Mama loves her some shortbread!

  2. asthmagirl says:

    Mmm… shortbread!
    Pecans, dried cherries and jordan almonds!

  3. Trisha says:

    I love shortbread but never make it. If I did I would eat every single piece. And then the chocolate covered ones you make . . . oh – I am drooling!

  4. Trisha says:

    Okay – I checked out the Oh Nuts! site. It certainly has a lot of things to choose from!

    If I won I would love the mixed nuts, any kind of Jordon Almonds, and mixed dried fruit. I just can’t decide on one nut or fruit!

  5. Wonderful World of Weiners says:

    Stop baking and come enter my contest!!

    Hallie :)

  6. TSannie says:

    They look delicious!

    Craisins – I love craisins in salads!

  7. Ashleigh says:

    I just gained 5 lbs reading this.

    Shame on you. :)

  8. Daryl says:

    My comment got eaten by Blogger

    Truffle Crunch, pistaschios, and be still my heart, bulk pumpkin seeds ..

    and a few dozen of each of the cookies you’ve baked.

    :-Daryl

  9. TheAngelForever says:

    Oh my goodness those cookies look fabulous!

    I would pick: Roasted unsalted cashews, dried Papaya, and
    Swiss Petite Assorted Fruits (my favorite candy and so hard to find).

    Thanks for the opportunity :)

  10. Flea says:

    They were looking really good – and then you topped them with melted heaven! I am so NOT going to bake these! My hips are already screaming at me for the holiday fun I’ve been having. They look divine, Dlyn! The shortbread, not my hips.

  11. Country Girl says:

    Ding dang diddly, girl. I just found a recipe that I can make and use for the holidays.

    You rock!!

    And at the nut place, I’d choose the Christmas nut assortment. I’d choose 3 of them. Or six.

  12. quitecontrary1977 says:

    I love their website! What variety!
    I’d choose the walnuts, fruit leather and kiwi!

    quitecontrary1977@hotmail.com
    http://nowenteringmomville.blogspot.com

  13. Cynthia says:

    Oh boy!!!

    I would choose cashews, dried apricots and cotton candy jelly bellies!!

    YUM YUM

  14. CM says:

    I would choose the Toffee Almonds. Mmmmm
    And I sure would love to taste those shortbread cookies!

  15. Deb says:

    Oh, my goodness gracious…I could eat the entire batch!

  16. Janis says:

    Oh, now why did you have to go and do that? Don’t you know how weak I am? They look delicious…along with everyone else you make. Keep up the good work, my friend!

  17. Laura ~Peach~ says:

    any thing toffee screams at me and nuts oh my to have to decide… and dried apricots and plums… oh my … sigh i feel the pounds creaping up just looking at all the wonderful things you make and things they have at oh nuts… PICK ME :D

  18. Candace says:

    Hmmm… the nuts would be easy, Pecans. Fruit would have to be mixed fruit, I like them all. Candy? That is wholly unfair to expect me to pick one. If I must, Truffle Cup with Nut. They need an assortment option.

  19. Egghead says:

    I love shortbread and those with chocolate on them look divine!

  20. Ness says:

    Their site is to die for!

    I would be thrilled with the Macadamia nuts to make your Macadamia/Lime recipe.

  21. Daisy says:

    Mmmm. I love hazelnuts in all forms, even as a coffee flavor. Especially as a coffee flavor! But the Christmas jordan almonds look so yummy I’d probably buy those first.

  22. Debbie says:

    Oh your cookies look so good!!! I am going to make those. I love shortbread.

    Cashew nuts, mixed fruit and Jordan almonds

    Merry Christmas!

    God Bless~
    Debbie

  23. Karen says:

    yummy!! You make it look easy.

  24. Pearl says:

    oh they look so wonderful! my mom adores shortbread and hazelnuts, so i think i’ll try out those recipes! thank you for sharing :)

  25. CM says:

    I also would like the Dark Chocolate covered Almonds

  26. Lori says:

    Chocolate and hazelnuts! Oh, yum! I think I will hit ‘printscreen’ and eat the paper!

  27. Mokona says:

    Ooh, that shortbread recipe sounds delicious!

    And the OhNuts website is too tempting! I would pick either the Chocolate Covered Pretzels w/ Rainbow Seeds (so festive looking!) or the Toffee Almonds… they both sound so tasty!

  28. AG says:

    I’d take any nut really. Pecan’s are just a favorite!

    And any dried fruit as well. Great hiking food!

  29. Shari@Whisk: a food blog says:

    I love the flavor combination in your shortbread!

  30. valerie2350 says:

    mmmmmpistachios :)

  31. melpy says:

    These were delicious. I don’t have cookie cutters so I rolled the dough into a log and sliced and baked.

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