Shortbread meets chocolate chip cookies with a sweet crust and a salty topping in this glorious recipe by Alison Roman. I have been making these quite a bit and have finally gotten the recipe documented to share with all of you. Please give yourself time to prep and chill the dough for about 2 hours.
The recipe calls for parchment, but I used my Silpat and they worked beautifully.
Please note the dough may crumble and crack when you cut it into rounds. Do not fret! This is all good in the hood. Just push the dough back together.
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium24
servings30
minutes2
hours15
minutesIngredients
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (2 1/4 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 oz. semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (but not too fine, you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
1 large egg, beaten
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen, for sprinkling
Directions
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla on medium high until it’s super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
- Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape, rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form two logs 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the Demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
- Slice each log into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. (They won’t spread much). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.
