Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread Hearts

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!