Chocolate Shortbread Hearts Food

SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream 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 roll 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-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts on an ungreased sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Note: The edges of the shortbread are ever so slightly sharper if you chill the cookies before baking them. I cut out the cookies days ahead and bake them the day I serve them.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in yolk, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Once chilled, remove plastic wrap and sandwich dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out into a 1/2-inch-thick slab. Leaving dough between the parchment, place it on a baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
• Heat oven to 325 degrees, and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Pull dough from refrigerator, and remove parchment from dough. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible. Transfer them to the prepared cookie sheets. Reroll the dough scraps and repeat.
• Bake cookies for 18 to 23 minutes, until puffed and set, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a heatproof measuring cup, melt chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between.
• Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into measuring cup. Place back on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle chocolate with crushed raspberries, if using. Let cool until chocolate is set, then store in an airtight container.

SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 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-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts 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.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add flour, sugar, and cocoa; mix just until combined. (Chill dough in the refrigerator 10 minutes if it is too soft to handle.)
• Pat dough into an 8-inch round cake pan; press edges down with the tines of a floured fork. Bake until firm, 30 minutes. Immediately score into eight wedges; cool completely. Turn out of pan; break wedges apart. Decorate with icing.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S SHORTBREAD HEARTS - INA GARTEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment (I use a standard Kitchen Aid hand mixer with regular blades), cream together the Butter and 1 Cup of the 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 dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter (I roll the dough between two sheets of flour-dusted waxed paper -- no sticking!).
• Place the hearts on an ungreased sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar (I line the baking sheets with parchment paper).
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (time will vary based on the size/shape/thickness of your cookie dough), until the edges begin to brown.
• Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Leave plain or dip in or paint with melted chocolate or Royal Icing.
• A NOTE FROM INA: The edges of the shortbread are ever so slightly sharper if you chill the cookies before baking them. I cut out the cookies days ahead and bake them the day I serve them.
• For me, I loosely wrap each baked cookie in bakery-type waxed 'tissue' paper and store them in the fridge in a tightly sealed Tupperware-type container -- they will keep for weeks this way and still taste great!

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Mix flour and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
• Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla extract; mix well. Mix in flour mixture gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, until incorporated; dough will resemble damp sand.
• Press dough firmly into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cut into 1x2-inch rectangles. Prick each rectangle a few times lightly with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top looks dry and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before lifting out of the pan.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour and cocoa, followed by the chocolate chips - you'll probably need to mix it together with your hands at this stage. Halve the dough and roll each piece into a log about 5cm thick. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hr or for several days. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice logs into 1cm-thick rounds, transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 10-12 mins. Cool on the tray.

SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water and extract until mixture forms a ball. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a lightly floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. , Bake at 325° for 13-16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Dip one side of cookies in candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, then add vanilla & mix well.
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar & cocoa, then add to creamed mixture, beating about 3 minutes or until dough holds together.
• Pat the dough into a 9-inch by 4-inch rectangle, then cut into 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch strips.
• Place strips 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Prick each strip several times with a fork.
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until set.
• Set sheets on wire rack(s) to cool for 5 minutes, then remove shortbreat to wire rack(s) to cool completely.

EMILY'S FAMOUS CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, flour and salt until well blended. Cut in the butter until lumps are no larger than peas. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until a stiff dough forms. It may take a minute to come together.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. If the dough is too sticky, chill for a little bit. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the surface appears dry. Allow cookies to cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. When cookies are completely cool, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir frequently until smooth. Dip cookies or drizzle with the chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, zest, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter, juice, and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy and beat in flour mixture until a dough is just formed. Pat dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes, or until firm.
• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll dough into a 13- by 12-inch rectangle (about 1/3 inch thick). Cut out cookies with a
• 3 1/2- to 4-inch heart-shaped cutter dipped in flour and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Using dough scraps, roll and cut out more cookies in same manner. Bake shortbread in batches in middle of oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until pale golden, and cool completely on baking sheets on racks. Carefully transfer cookies to a platter.
• In a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Pour warm chocolate onto a plate and dip in half of top side of each cookie, transferring cookies, chocolate sides up, to a wax-paper-lined tray. Chill cookies until chocolate is hardened. Cookies keep, chilled, in a airtight container 4 days.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. On slow speed, beat in flour and salt until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/16-to-1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees with a rack in the center. Press the tines of a fork into each cookie to make designs. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 18 minutes. (Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.)
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Stir in the oil. Dip half or one third of each cookie into the chocolate mixture. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to dry, or place them on a piece of parchment paper in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve.