Buttery shortbread has a unique, homey charm that satisfies so nicely. The optional topping adds some chocolate to the espresso flavor of the light brown, crisp cookies…. What could be bad? Our food processor method is easy, and no rolling of the dough is required.
Yields twenty-four 2-inch squares
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes
Cooling and cutting time: 10 minutes cooling; 5 minutes to cut
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2¼ cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
⅔ cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet or 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Or, if the pan is heavy, it will be fine bare and unoiled.
Whip the softened butter in the bowl of a food processor for a minute, then add the sugar, salt, dissolved espresso powder, and vanilla. Continue to process for a couple of minutes until the mixture is fluffy. Add the flour all at once and pulse briefly. Using a flexible spatula, scrape down any butter stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor bowl. Pulse until the dough is uniform in consistency, but do not overmix.
Scrape the dough onto the baking sheet or pan and press it into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches and no more than ¼ inch thick. Using your fingertips, push the dough to an even thickness and tidy the edges so they aren’t ragged or thin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the shortbread is just firm and the edges are beginning to darken a bit.
Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow the shortbread to cool for about 10 minutes. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into 24 pieces (4 rows of 6). Don’t wait too long to cut; do it while the shortbread is warm, or it will become too brittle to cut nicely. Separate the pieces and place them on a rack to cool completely.
If you’d like a topping, melt the chocolate in a small pan or a microwave. Stir well. Spoon a little dollop onto each cooled cookie.
Store the shortbread in an airtight container.
Enjoy shortbread with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and you may feel positively “Jane Austenish.” Or serve them for high tea along with Kip’s Favorite Scones and/or Radish and Herbed Chèvre Spread on crustless bread.