Month: December 2018

Chocolate Espresso Shortbread

| S & A

Quick post!

Just got home for winter break and felt like posting something not too intensive

i.e. I’m too lazy to write a full blog post but I still wanted to share this recipe.

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Enjoy these addictive little cookies!

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO SHORTBREAD

Makes 24-30 cookies

Ingredients

240g all purpose flour

3g espresso/instant coffee powder

15g dutch processed cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

170g unsalted butter, softened

130g powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

75g 72% dark chocolate, chopped finely

Directions

  1. Sift together 240g flour, 3g espresso powder, 15g cocoa, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream together 170g unsalted butter with 130g powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 large egg yolks. Whip together until well incorporated.
  4. Add the flour mixture in two additions, folding between each addition. Fold until just combined – it’s okay if there’s still some flour visible.
  5. Add the chopped chocolate and fold until just combined.
  6. Divide the dough in half. Place half of the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap that’s about 12 in (30 cm) long. Roll the dough into a log, about 1.25-1.5 in. (3-4 cm) in diameter. Wrap the log up in plastic wrap, then twist the open ends of the plastic and tuck under (like wrapping candy). Repeat with the other half of the dough.
  7. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

To bake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Slice the log into 0.25 in (0.75 cm) slices and lie them on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 1-2 inches in between each cookie (I fit 12 to a tray).
  3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.
  4. Allow the shortbread to cool down slightly before enjoying.

Notes:

-I use Guittard dutch processed cocoa, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar vanilla, and good quality, grass fed butter. Since shortbread is so simplistic, it’s best to use quality ingredients to make the best final product.

-Shortbread cookies are supposed to be light, buttery, and crumbly, so be sure not to over-mix the dough! That will encourage the development of gluten (flour & kneading) – we don’t want a tough cookie.

~ S ~