Shortbreads are simple. It is their simplicity that makes them so lovely. Well, that and the obscene amounts of butter.
This is not a chocolate sugar cookie, which I make often and love. This is a melt in your mouth, crumbly, moist in the center, lush chocolate indulgence. It is not to be decorated with royal icing cuteness (which is cool, too), but to be had with tea, or maybe a glass of wine. It is an unapologetically pinky in the air kind of cookie. It is also ridiculously easy to make.
This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s: From my Home to Yours. It is full of the most amazing things in the world. Really. I sleep with it under my pillow. Or, at least I would if it were not so bulky.
Chocolate Shortbread
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s: From my Home to Yours.
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt in a medium bowl.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar, and beat until satiny. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three additions, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix, and just bring the dough to a crumby state.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until everything is well incorporated and comes together. Divide the dough in two equal parts. Roll each half into a log, about 2 inches in diameter. Take care to thoroughly squish your log together, so you don’t get a hole in the center. (If you end up with a hollow spot, don’t worry. The shortbreads will taste the same, jut not look as pretty.) Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (Dough will keep in the fridge for four days or in the freezer for about two months.)
Preheat the oven to 350° F, and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Slice your logs into ½ inch thick rounds, and bake for about 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are a little firm to the touch.
Makes at least 2 dozen cookies.
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