Steps for the Cookies

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a bowl with a hand spatula, work the softened butter with the sugar, use the K beater at low speed, then add the eggs, the grated orange zest and vanilla, work it all to form a cream.
  Gradually add the sifted flour together with the baking powder, leaving 30 grams aside, quickly work everything until the liquids are well absorbed.
  Pour the dough onto a pastry board and divide it in half, in one half add the 30 grams of flour set aside, work again until a good soft but dry dough is formed.
  In the other half add the 30 grams of unsweetened cocoa and work again for a few minutes until the dough is compact and homogeneous.
  Let the separated doughs rest in the fridge covered with cling film for about 20 – 30 minutes.

• Take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured pastry board, using the rolling pin, either smooth or carved, to a thickness of about 5 mm.
  
  With a Christmas-themed cookie cutter, choose the sizes, cut shapes from the dough, making sure to have an even number, for those to be filled and paired, because two will be needed for each cookie.
  For half of the shapes, make a central hole using a piping nozzle or a cap or another smaller cutter.
  
  Place the cookie shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  For the horseshoes, roll strands with your hands, then curve and shape them.
  
  Do the same with the cocoa dough, depending on the shapes you want to make.
  Create stars, gingerbread men, Christmas trees, or small oval cones modeled by hand and carved on the surface with a knife.

  

• Bake the cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F, ensuring not to let them darken too much.
  The baking time also depends on your oven’s power, so keep an eye on them.
  Once baked, take them out of the oven, let them cool on a wire rack and then sprinkle powdered sugar on the cookies with holes.

  

• With a teaspoon or a piping bag, spread a little jam or marmalade in the center of the whole cookies, alternating flavors, place the shape with the hole on top, and press gently to adhere well.
  Continue in the same way until all the cookies that need to be paired are filled.

  

• In two different small bowls, melt the white and dark chocolate, dip the ends of the horseshoes, place them on a tray with parchment paper to cool, dip the entire surface or a part of the cookies and decorate with grain or colored sprinkles as shown in the picture.

• 
•