Tender Chocolate Shortbread Food

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.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter, egg yolk, vanilla, salt and cloves in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder until combined, then beat in the flour in two batches until combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Gently knead until soft but not sticky. Reflour the surface, if necessary, and roll out the dough until slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. Cut out shapes using 3-inch cookie cutters. Gently gather and reroll the scraps. (If the dough is too soft to work with, refrigerate until firm.) Arrange the cutouts about 2 inches apart on 2 unlined baking sheets.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm, about 20 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually stir in up to 1 more tablespoon milk until the icing is thick but pourable. Spoon the icing into a small resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the icing on the cookies, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let set, about 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Add the vanilla and salt: On low speed, add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
• Chill the dough: Refrigerate the cookie logs for 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheets: About ten minutes before the cookies finish chilling in the refrigerator, arrange two racks in the middle and bottom third of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies: Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set, rotating the pans between racks halfway through. The cookies will go from glossy and wet to dry and matte when baked properly. They will feel slightly soft out of the oven but should barely make an indent when gently tapped with your fingers. If they look shiny or feel too soft, continue baking them until firmed up, about 2 minutes.

TENDER CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Adjust two racks to divide oven into thirds, preheat to 300 degrees.
• You can prepare this dough in a mixer or food processor (or by hand).
• Food Processor Method, using steel blade:.
• Place dry ingredients in processor bowl.
• Cut cold butter into 1/2 slices and drop into bowl.
• Add the vanilla.
• Cover and pulse just until all ingredients hold together.
• Electric Mixer Method (take butter out of fridge 20-30 minutes before mixing):.
• Cream butter in large mixer bowl.
• Add salt, sugar and vanilla and mix.
• Using low speed, add cocoa and flour.
• Make sure to scrape down the sides and beat only until the dough holds together.
• Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead it briefly, if necessary, until it's very smooth. Roll it into a ball and flatten it a bit.
• Roll to an even 1/2" thickness. Use a 1 1/2" round or square floured cookie cutter for a yield of 35-40 cookies. Reroll scraps of dough, if any, and cut more cookies.
• Place cut cookes 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick each cookie in three rows (I line the rows up evenly)with a dinner fork. Fork should go all the way through to the cookie sheet for each row. Pop the sheet in the fridge for a few minutes if your fork sticks too much or if the cookies are losing shape when you prick them.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back once. Be careful - since they're so dark in color it is easy for them to burn without much notice.
• If you use only one sheet, place on higher rack and reduce baking time.
• Place on rack to cool.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-12-1/2-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment, then butter the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Remove the plastic and cut the dough with a sharp knife into approximately 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern into the tops.
• Bake, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Carefully lift the bars off the parchment with a small spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

THE BEST SHORTBREAD COOKIES FOUR WAYS

Steps:

• All of the shortbreads are made in the same manner using an electric mixer. If you're making a shortbread with two kinds of flour, whisk the flours together.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, salt and zest, if using, together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, scraping the bowl as needed. One by one, beat in the yolks, followed by the vanilla.
• Turn off the mixer, add the flour(s) all at once and mix on low speed only until incorporated. If you've got wheat germ, chocolate or flax seeds or nuts, mix in now.
• Scrape the dough out onto the work surface and divide it in two; the dough will be soft and sticky. Put each piece on a sheet of parchment and cajole it into a log that's 6 to 6 1⁄2 inches long, tightening the log with the paper and twisting the ends. Refrigerate the logs for at least 3 hours (overnight is better) or freeze them for 2 hours. (The logs can be frozen for up 2 months; slice when they're still frozen. You might need to add a minute to the oven time.)
• When you're ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Using a chef's knife, cut each log into 1⁄2-inch-thick rounds. Lay them out on the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between them.
• Bake, rotating the cookie sheet after 10 minutes, for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and set. The cookies will still be soft, so leave them on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack and allowing them to cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be packed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for at least 5 days.

NUTTY CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt the 10 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
• On a lightly greased baking sheet bake the nuts for 2-3 minutes. Shake and bake for 2-3 more minutes.
• In the food processor grind the nuts until fine.
• Add the flour and sugar and pulse a few times to mix. Add the 10 tablespoons of butter and pulse again.
• Form the dough into two balls and press each of them into a buttered and floured 8 inch pie pan.
• Cut each of the rounds of dough into 16 slices.
• Bake on the middle oven rack for 20 - 25 minutes, or until pale golden. Let cool on a rack before cutting again and inverting onto a plate.
• While the dough is baking melt together the 1 tablespoon of butter and the chocolate. When the shortbread is finished baking drizzle a little on each slice.

DARK CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Blend butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork until well combined.
• Sift flour and cocoa into butter mixture and blend with fork just until mixture forms a soft dough.
• Divide dough in half and pat out with floured fingertips into 2 rounds (approximately 6 inch) on an ungreased large baking sheet.
• Chill dough, uncovered until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit while dough chills.
• Prick dough all over with fork and bake shortbreads in middle of oven until centers are dry to the touch and edges are slightly darker, about 15 minutes.
• Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes, then cut each shortbread into 8 wedges with a large heavy knife.
• Transfer to rack to cool.
• **Shortbread keeps in an airtight container at room temp for 1 week when layered between sheets of waxed paper.