Chocolate Dipped Orange Cookies

Great for the holidays. Which are over. So whatever.

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel (clementines work too!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12oz chocolate chips (I used bricks of dark chocolate)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Gradually beat in sugar, increase speed to high until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Beat in orange peel and vanilla until blended. Gradually stir in flour mixture until blended. Dough will be crumbly.

Gather dough together and press gently to form a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll them on a flat surface with your fingertips to form 3-inch logs about 1/2 inch thick. Place logs 1-inch apart on greased cookie sheets.

Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Melt chocolate in a double broiler (or just put a metal bowl in a saucepan halfway full of water) over low-medium heat. Dip one end of cookie in chocolate, shaking off excess. Sprinkle pecans over ends (if you're using them).

Place on waxed paper and let stand until chocolate is set, or refrigerate about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 35 cookies.

Not my picture, but they totally looked like this when I made them...