Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread
I love coffee. For my close friends and family, this is a well known fact. I will drink it black, with or without cream and sugar, and in all forms: Drip, Espresso, Latte, Mocha, the list is endless. Anything coffee flavored joins this list of my caffeine indulged taste buds. This shortbread included.
I have been wanting to make Smitten Kitchen's espresso-chocolate shortbread for ages. This recipe has popped up on countless baking blogs, and is a well-known favorite in the foodgawker world in particular. Finally, I had the time, patience (you have to refrigerate the dough before baking), and powder sugar to do it.
This recipe is downright, one of my favorites. Every bite is flakey and melts in your mouth. The flavors of a slightly creamy, chocolate, and hint of coffee cultivate into an addicting bite. This recipe makes a lot of these delectable treats. If you're like me, you'll give them away, because of two reasons: 1. I couldn't restrain myself from eating them all (I ate five before giving the rest away...), and 2. I had to share treats with my fellow coffee/baked good lovers. This recipe is fairly easy, and utterly delicious. Enjoy!
Espresso Chocolate-Chip Shortbread
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields: 42 delicious square cookies
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Steps:
1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool.
2. working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on medium speed for about three minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
3. Beat in vanilla and cooled espresso.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don't work the dough too much once the flour is incorporated.
5. Fold in chocolate with a sturdy spatula.
6. Using the spatula, transfer the dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9x10 1/2 inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough as to prevent creases. When you get to the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing all of the air out, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
7. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 323 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Once refrigerated, turn the plastic bag onto a cutting board and slit it open. Remove plastic, and discard the bag. Using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares.
9. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale-they shouldn't take much color. Transfer cookies to cooling rack.
What I Did Differently:
1. I used regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips, and they were delicious (however, if you do have the option to chop up chocolate, you will therefore receive even more chocolate flavor throughout the cookie).
2. I believe I used at least 1 stick of regular salted butter.
3. When I refrigerated my dough, the dough molded slightly to my shelf which is not quite flat, so be careful and aware of where you place the dough to refrigerate.
