Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
My sibs and I love food and one of the benefits of this shared passion is between the three of us, we manage to cover a lot of territory. Our interests vary enough that one person will often discover something to share with the other two. We frequently discuss cooking techniques and share recipes and our weekly Zoom meetings always turns to food eventually.
Cookies are probably one of my guys' favorite sweet things to eat. Along with pie. And ice cream...Anyway, my point is that they love cookies but I really only bake them at Christmastime and the rest of the year my focus is more on what to make for dinner. Or bread. I always think about bread. My sister mentioned this recipe and at first I wasn't too interested; shortbread is not one of the cookies that my family clamors for. She insisted that we would like it and my brother agreed; apparently my niece had just baked a batch. So here we go.
Here's our cast!
While I was setting up for the cookies, my cooling sourdough loaf kept getting in the way. Diva.
Cubed butter goes into the mixer with the brown and granulated sugars and vanilla.
The finished texture is airy and well-creamed. It took about 3-5 minutes on medium-high. I scraped down the sides and then added the flour and chocolate chunks.
They deserve a photo of their own. Just because.
Mix just until the flour and chunks are incorporated.
I gathered the dough into a ball. It had a nice texture.
The dough was divided into two chunks and then shaped into logs with the help of plastic wrap. I was a little cautious in the beginning but a little compression, according to the recipe, helps with the density of the finished cookie.
I was much more confident in handling the second log. All those afternoons of shaping Play Doh with Aiden did not go unwasted!
I put the cookie dough logs on a pan and refrigerated them for a bit. I was pretty pleased that I finally managed to divide dough rather evenly! The recipe recommended chilling for at least 2 hours. I think mine was in for about 4 hours because someone wouldn't nap and then Gramma needed to go blow off steam once she left.
Yeah, this kid.
I brushed the dough with a beaten egg and then pressed Turbinado sugar into it. The recipe called for Dermerara but Turbinado is what I had.
Once the log was completely coated, more or less, I sliced it into rounds. The recipe called for 1/4" slices so the first log was cut as recommended.
Because the dough was well-chilled, it was a bit brittle. If any pieces fell off, I just pushed them back in. The cookie sheets were lined with parchment and the slices could be placed fairly close together as they really don't spread during baking.
A flaky sea salt was sprinkled over the tops. I use Maldon.
A close-up of the salt. Some of the pieces are pretty substantial. They create a lovely crunch and a pleasant salty flavor.
The cookies were supposed to bake for about 12 to 15 minutes at 350 until their edges were beginning to brown. Mine didn't start browning until after the 15 minute mark. Because they were so soft, I slid them onto cooling racks, parchment and all. I was kind of worried that they would stay really soft.
But as they cooled, they got firmer and though I wouldn't call them crisp, they had a definite crunch to them. The sugar border certainly helped with that.
The second log could have been refrigerated for up to a week and baked later...bwahahaha! Like that was going to happen! I cut the second log a bit thinner and that definitely helped to speed up the cooking time. This oven makes me nervous sometimes.
The guys absolutely, positively loved them. I put some in containers for Amber, Mel and our mail carrier, Steve, and it's a good thing I did. Of our family's share, there are two left. I definitely ate more than my usual couple of taste bites. I blame my sister...
Five turtle rating and then some!
Here's the promised link:
Alison Roman's Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
Alison's Handy YouTube Video
(I like the way she says "cookie")
Equipment Recommendation:
OXO Stainless Steel Flexible Turner
I didn't use it for this recipe but if you need to get delicate or very thin cookies off the baking sheet, I highly recommend this one!
It's got a wide, flat surface that's easy to gently maneuver under the cookie.
Sideview--look at how thin it is!
And bendy!
Cookies are probably one of my guys' favorite sweet things to eat. Along with pie. And ice cream...Anyway, my point is that they love cookies but I really only bake them at Christmastime and the rest of the year my focus is more on what to make for dinner. Or bread. I always think about bread. My sister mentioned this recipe and at first I wasn't too interested; shortbread is not one of the cookies that my family clamors for. She insisted that we would like it and my brother agreed; apparently my niece had just baked a batch. So here we go.
Here's our cast!
While I was setting up for the cookies, my cooling sourdough loaf kept getting in the way. Diva.
Cubed butter goes into the mixer with the brown and granulated sugars and vanilla.
The finished texture is airy and well-creamed. It took about 3-5 minutes on medium-high. I scraped down the sides and then added the flour and chocolate chunks.
They deserve a photo of their own. Just because.
Mix just until the flour and chunks are incorporated.
I gathered the dough into a ball. It had a nice texture.
The dough was divided into two chunks and then shaped into logs with the help of plastic wrap. I was a little cautious in the beginning but a little compression, according to the recipe, helps with the density of the finished cookie.
I was much more confident in handling the second log. All those afternoons of shaping Play Doh with Aiden did not go unwasted!
I put the cookie dough logs on a pan and refrigerated them for a bit. I was pretty pleased that I finally managed to divide dough rather evenly! The recipe recommended chilling for at least 2 hours. I think mine was in for about 4 hours because someone wouldn't nap and then Gramma needed to go blow off steam once she left.
I brushed the dough with a beaten egg and then pressed Turbinado sugar into it. The recipe called for Dermerara but Turbinado is what I had.
Once the log was completely coated, more or less, I sliced it into rounds. The recipe called for 1/4" slices so the first log was cut as recommended.
Because the dough was well-chilled, it was a bit brittle. If any pieces fell off, I just pushed them back in. The cookie sheets were lined with parchment and the slices could be placed fairly close together as they really don't spread during baking.
A flaky sea salt was sprinkled over the tops. I use Maldon.
A close-up of the salt. Some of the pieces are pretty substantial. They create a lovely crunch and a pleasant salty flavor.
The cookies were supposed to bake for about 12 to 15 minutes at 350 until their edges were beginning to brown. Mine didn't start browning until after the 15 minute mark. Because they were so soft, I slid them onto cooling racks, parchment and all. I was kind of worried that they would stay really soft.
But as they cooled, they got firmer and though I wouldn't call them crisp, they had a definite crunch to them. The sugar border certainly helped with that.
The second log could have been refrigerated for up to a week and baked later...bwahahaha! Like that was going to happen! I cut the second log a bit thinner and that definitely helped to speed up the cooking time. This oven makes me nervous sometimes.
The guys absolutely, positively loved them. I put some in containers for Amber, Mel and our mail carrier, Steve, and it's a good thing I did. Of our family's share, there are two left. I definitely ate more than my usual couple of taste bites. I blame my sister...
Five turtle rating and then some!
Alison Roman's Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
Alison's Handy YouTube Video
(I like the way she says "cookie")
Equipment Recommendation:
OXO Stainless Steel Flexible Turner
I didn't use it for this recipe but if you need to get delicate or very thin cookies off the baking sheet, I highly recommend this one!
It's got a wide, flat surface that's easy to gently maneuver under the cookie.
Sideview--look at how thin it is!
And bendy!
You should listen to your sister more often.
ReplyDeleteI always listen to my sister. I just don't always follow her suggestions...
Delete