Chocolate Dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread Food

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until the butter and sugar are combined so you don't whip a lot of air into it. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.
• Scoop out 1-ounce pieces of dough (about a tablespoon), roll each one into a ball, then roll it into a 2 1/2-inch-long log. Place the logs 2 inches apart on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies start to brown around the edges and spring back when lightly touched. Set aside to cool on the pans.
• For the coating, place the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture vigorously and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted.
• Drag half of the rounded top of each cookie through the chocolate and place it, chocolate side up, on a piece of parchment paper. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle on the pecans. Repeat with all the cookies. Set aside for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to firm.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and salt for about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla.
• Reduce speed and add flour in 3 additions, beating just until blended. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
• Transfer dough to an ungreased 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
• Press dough evenly on bottom of pan with your fingers.
• Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes; do not underbake.
• Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Cut shortbread in pan, lengthwise and crosswise into quarters, then lengthwise into 32 rectangles.
• Let cool in pan.
• Melt remaining chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth.
• Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; place on wax paper.
• Let stand until chocolate is set.
• (Cookies may be made up to 4 days ahead and stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature.).

CHOCOLATE DIPPED BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar, salt, and, if desired, pumpkin pie spice, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. Use your hands to bring dough together in a ball.
• Pat or roll dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut the 8 inch side of the dough into eight 1-inch strips (do not separate strips). Cut each strip lengthwise into six 2-inch sections (do not separate rectangles). After cutting, there should be 24 rectangles measuring 1x2-inches. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut the rectangles in half to make 48 smaller cookies. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and crisp. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine Ghirardelli® 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips and shortening. Microwave on medium power (50 percent) for 1 minute. Remove and stir. If chocolate is not melted, return to microwave and repeat heating step, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid scorching. Stir until smooth. Dip cookies in melted chocolate; let excess drip back into the bowl. Placed dipped cookies on waxed paper; let stand until set. Enjoy immediately, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with spoon. Stir in flour. (If dough is crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened.)
• Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into small shapes by hand or use cookie cutters. Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170C (fan forced) about 185/190C for conventional.
• Cream butter and caster sugar together until fluffy.
• Toss in the flour, baking powder and vanilla essence and mix till combined.
• Place spoonfulls of mixture onto a lined baking tray and lightly press with a fork to flatten a little if you like.
• Bake in oven fir 15 to 20 minutes (my friend set hers for 12 minutes and kept a check from then - her oven tends to be hot - and reconed they were perfect at 16 to 18 minutes - won't disagree with her on that).
• Allow to cool and then drizzle over with the melted chocolate of choice.