Ever-so-Versatile Chocolate Shortbread

Dip it in chocolate, sandwich with jam, sprinkle with bits of candy cane or even eat them plain.

I feel like I’ve not been entirely upfront with you. Here I’ve been sharing cookie recipes with you coming up on 3 years solid and have never given you my most-favorite basic chocolate cookie recipe.

What my brown sugar cookie is to vanilla, so is this to chocolate. These are deeply chocolate in flavor and tender. Sometimes I cut out heart shapes and leave them plain. Because I cannot resist a jammy cookie, I often sandwich two together with raspberry or apricot jam. I’ll then often dip half in chocolate to attempt to recreate my favorite cookie of my childhood from a Madison Avenue bakery called Ellen’s that was just around the corner from my grandmother’s.

Daugh comes home from college soon, and she will want them her way: cut into stars, half dipped in semisweet chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes.

If you’re wondering how to impress folks at the annual cookie swap, make some of these. Not that any of us need and desire validation from the outside world to think we are worthy. Right?!?!?!

Um, hi. Um, right? I mean, what do you think?

Notes:

• These cookies are a tad fussy in the way that roll out cookies can be. You can roll hunks of the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper until the dough is about 1/4” thick and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before cutting and baking, or, you can roll out hunks of the dough on a lightly floured board, cut the shapes, place them on parchment lined cooking sheets and then refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

• If you are going to dip jam sandwich cookies, let the cookies set for a few hours before dipping or the two halves may slide apart.

• Store the cookies in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between each layer of cookies.

Chocolate Shortbread

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Ever-so-Versatile Chocolate Shortbread

Yield: 3 dozen cookies (using a 2-inch cookie cutter)

What You’ll Need:

3/4 cup (4 ounces/120 grams) bittersweet chocolate (chips will do), melted and cooled

2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I used Diamond)

1 cup (226 grams) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:

• Seedless raspberry jam, or good-quality apricot jam

• 2 cups (or so) semisweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate chips

• crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

What You’ll Do:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. With a stand- or hand-mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beaters on occasion.

3. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until the mixture is uniform. Add the flour and salt in two additions, scraping the bowl between each addition. Ja, sure I’m a little obsessive about the scraping down bit, but I don’t want you to have a streak of chocolate or pile of flour at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Divide the dough in half, wrap each in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. When ready to bake: Heat the oven to 350° F/180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. On a lightly floured pastry board or clean counter, roll the dough 3/8” to 1/4” thick and cut with cookie cutters. (See notes for alternate method of rolling out dough.) Place the cookies on the prepared sheets 1 1/2” apart and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until the cookies are just firm to the touch. If you touch the cookie with your finger you shouldn’t leave an indent.

7. Cool on rack. When completely cool, you can sandwich them together with jam and dip them in melted chocolate, or dip them in chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies, or leave them simple and plain.

8. Store in an airtight container in a cool place where you don’t walk by them all the time and feel tempted to try one, just to see how the flavors are developing. Um.

Is there a cookie you find irresistible?

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