Mocha or Chocolate Shortbread
"The original recipe was for mocha shortbread (from a mini book called Elinor Klivans Cookies) As I was giving some to other people, I used chocolate instead as I thought it would be a safer bet. So I subsituted the instant coffee for good quality cocoa powder. As I was mixing it all by hand I dissolved the cocoa in hot water so it was easier to cream with the butter! The recipe is for shortbread fingers but I also made some xmas shapes. When the shapes came out they had lost the definition so I scraped off some edges with a serated knife to get a better shape. I doubled up the recipe but didn't need to double up the melted chocolate as it was plenty. I think I'll make these next year too!"
photo by Karen Elizabeth
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Yields:
-
30-40 cookies
ingredients
- 7 ounces plain flour
- 1 ounce cornflour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces softened unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules, dissolved in
- 2 teaspoons water
- 5 ounces icing sugar
- 8 ounces good quality chocolate (melted)
directions
- Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F / Gas mark 2.
- Sift flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt together then set aside.
- Cream the butter and the dissolved coffee.
- Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to greaseproof paper and press out into a rectangle about 1cm / 1/2-inch thick.
- Cut into strips about 2 x 6 cm / 3/4 x 2 1/2-inches.
- Lift the strips from the paper and place about 2.5cm / 1-inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 30 minutes (NOTE: To check cooked properly I inserted a tail stick and if it came out clean plus make a little crunch when inserted they were done).
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet and then 10 minutes or so on wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate - chop into 1cm / 1.2-inch pieces then in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot (not boiling water). Stir the chocolate often until all melted and smooth.
- Dip the shortbread ends into the melted chocolate and then remove excess chocolate by dragging over the edge of the bowl.
- Leave on wire racks until the chocolate sets (NOTE: This took quite a while for me so left them covered overnight).
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Reviews
-
Very nice shortbread recipe, a little different from the recipe I usually use, but it worked well. Although I didn't use the water, just mixing the cocoa powder straight in, I got a smooth dough which was very easy to pat into my baking tray. This cooked very well, rose a little then settled and resulted in nice crisp biscuits, definitely a success. I didnt cut into shapes beforehand, just baked and sliced into squares, and I havent yet dipped any in choocolate, since they are just for my DH and although he likes a sweet nibble he didnt want TOO much sweetness! I thought I might still dip some of them later, tho. I made the recipe amount and get 30 nice sized squares. Thank you Karen, good recipe, much enjoyed, made for Spring PAC 2013
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I live with my husband, my son Henry and daughter Heather, in a house near the English countryside and on the way to the sea from London.</p>
