Tender Chocolate Shortbread
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 lb cold unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 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.
flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, cold unsalted butter, vanilla
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/tender-chocolate-shortbread-262929 (may not work)