CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

This chocolate shortbread has a beautiful velvety crumb and is perfect for morning or afternoon tea. You can make the shortbreads any shape you like. They look wonderful piled in a glass jar as a gift over the Christmas season, or for your home pantry.

Makes 24

340 g (12 oz) unsalted butter

400 g (14 oz/2²/₃ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

60 g (2¼ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder

10 g (¼ oz) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

130 g (4½ oz) pure icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped

Remove the butter from the refrigerator 20 minutes before using.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.

Put the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until pale. Add the dry ingredients and use a spoon to mix through. Add the chocolate and mix through.

Press the mixture onto the baking tray. It should be 2 cm (¾ inch) thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Bake the shortbread mixture for 30–35 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Allow to cool completely in the tin, before cutting to your desired shape using a very sharp serrated knife. (We find cutting the shortbread when it is cool allows you to keep straighter lines.)

These shortbreads will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.