Chocolate Salt Butter Shortbread
The high fat content in this dough makes for very rich cookies. It’s great when you want to add crunch to a creamy dessert like panna cotta. Or you might break the cookies into pieces and make a parfait with fruit and whipped cream. I make these as round cookies, too, brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with sugar and coarse salt before baking. Follow the method below, using a round cutter; don’t weight round cookies with a Silpat.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about twenty-four 2 1/2-inch square
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the butter into pieces and put it in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat at medium-high speed until fluffy.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy. Keep whisking as you pour in the sugar. Whisk until light and fluffy. Add to the butter and beat until combined.
Step 3
Put the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine. Sift into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed only until blended.
Step 4
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a brick. The dough will be very soft. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate one package for at least 1 hour before rolling. Freeze the other for up to 2 months.
Step 5
Roll the pastry between two sheets of parchment into a 12-inch square. The pastry should be 1/16 inch thick. Slide onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 6
Cut the pastry into 12 2 1/2-inch squares and separate them on the parchment, giving them room to spread. Refrigerate while you heat the oven.
Step 7
Heat the oven to 375°F or 350°F on convection.
Step 8
Lay a Silpat (top-side down) on the pastry to weight it. Bake until the pastry is cooked, about 12 minutes, longer if you’re not using convection. Let cool.
