Peep Stripe Chocolate Orange Shortbread

Introducing our delicious Peep Stripe Shortbread Biscuits with yummy Chocolate Orange flavour!

These cute biscuits are as fun to make as they are delicious to eat. With a perfect balance of rich cocoa and zesty orange flavours, layered into vibrant stripes, they’re a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. Topped with adorable Herdy ‘Peep’ decorations, they’re ideal for bringing a bit of fun to your teatime spread. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to bake some smiles!

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
250g plain flour
120g cornflour
¼ tsp sea salt
30g cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp orange extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten
180g royal icing

Makes: 9
Total Time: 1 hour (plus chilling)
Difficulty: Medium

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mixing the Dough:
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar with a wooden spoon until soft and fluffy. Gradually mix in the plain flour, cornflour, and sea salt until a soft dough forms. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly into two bowls.

2. Flavouring the Dough:
Knead the sifted cocoa powder into one half of the dough until evenly combined. In the other half, knead in the orange extract for a zesty twist.

3. Shaping the Dough Layers:
Roll out each piece of dough to about 6mm thick. Using a ruler for precision, cut each piece of dough into 8cm x 10cm rectangles. Aim for 4–5 pieces from each batch. Place the rectangles on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes.

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4. Building the Stripes:
Lightly brush the top of each rectangle with egg white (apart from the very top). Stack alternating coloured layers of dough to create a striped block. Cover the stack loosely with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.

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5. Slicing and Baking:
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan) or gas mark 6. Slice the chilled dough block into 1cm thick slices. Trim the edges for neat, even biscuits and space them apart on a lined baking tray. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

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6. Making the Herdy Decorations:
Roll out the royal icing to about 6mm thick. Using the larger Herdy Cookie Cutter, cut out the tops of the head shapes to form adorable "Peep" decorations (including the ears and eyes). Mix a tablespoon of icing sugar with a few drops of water to create a glue-like paste, then use it to stick your icing Herdys onto the cooled biscuits.