Salted Chocolate Cinnamon Shortbread

if i had to name my favorite cookie it would have to be ~ hands down ~ shortbread. it's easy to make, is the perfect texture, can be flavored with anything and is loaded down with butter; i mean....hellllohhhh!!! and lately, i've been wanting to sink my teeth in to one of these gorgeous little morsels and i was really wanting the flavors of chocolate and cinnamon on my tongue, so.... i prowled around on pinterest for recipes and came up with a basic recipe that worked out well. one thing to note, flour to butter ratio for shortbread is 1:1. too much butter and your cookies will spread like crazy which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not a shortbread thing. so if, like me, you decide to experiment with adding more butter than needed, don't be disappointed - the resulting crispy, buttery wafers are perfect for ice cream sandwiches and everyone who eats them will think you're a genius! it's true.

Salted Chocolate Cinnamon Shortbread
loosely adapted from ovenhaven of epicurean escapism

2 cups unbleached flour (plus more for your work surface)
1⁄2 cup raw cocoa powder
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp coarse ground pink salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
zest from one medium-sized orange
raw turbinado sugar and coarse ground pink salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Cream together butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon and orange zest.
3. Add the flour and cocoa powder on low speed until combined and the dough holds together.
4. Put the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, form it into a ball, and slightly flatten.
5. Coat both sides of the dough with flour and roll it out to about 1⁄2-inch thickness. Cut the dough into desired shapes. Generously sprinkle the surface with raw sugar and coarse salt.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

and, oh my goodness, eat a couple of these babies before everyone else gets to them. salty, sweet and just the right amount of chocolatey deliciousness. plus...your house will smell amazing when they're baking!