Chocolate Orange Cookies

by Suzanne
(USA)

makes about three dozen

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
Zest of one navel orange
1 T of Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (you can substitute 1 t orange oil or orange extract)
1 ¾ cup flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
½ cup of grated bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli is my favorite)

Optional-melted chocolate chips for decorating, gold dragees

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest and Grand Marnier, beat. Add salt, baking powder, beat. Add flour and chocolate, mix until combined.

Chill dough several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Roll dough on a floured surface ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

When cookies are cool, pipe melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate to decorate. Add dragees or sprinkles as desired. ( I use gold dragees- very pretty) To melt the chocolate- place chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% cocoa is the best) in a quart size freezer zip lock bag. Then place in the microwave 20 seconds at a time, removing the bag and squishing the chips around, returning to the microwave as need until the chips are melted. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag to pie the chocolate. Then place the dragees or sprinkles, as desired. Let cool completely.

These cookies freeze well. Place in cookies or freezer containers with layered waxed paper.