Ri C BAKES
Ri's Recommendations
- I always split the ingredients in half, separating them into two bowls: each bowl gets its own filling and is dipped in a different chocolate! My favorite combinations are cranberries with dark chocolate and pistachios with white chocolate.
- Keep the butter COLD! I take mine right out of the fridge when I'm ready to add it to the dough. It creates a little more work in the kneading process, but prevents the dough from becoming too sticky. And...DO NOT skip refrigerating the dough before rolling it out and baking!
Ingredients
2½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup cold butter
Optional: â…” cups finely chopped fillers (Ri's Rec: cranberries, pistachios, or walnuts)
Optional: 2 cups melting chocolate (Ri's Rec: dark or white Ghirardelli melting wafers)
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°
Step 2
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and any chopped fillers.
Step 3
Cut cold sticks of butter into small cube. Toss butter cubes into the flour mixture, pressing and mixing by hand until the mixture has fine crumbles. Continue to knead by hand until dough forms.
Step 4
Mold dough into a ball and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least 15 minutes.
Step 5
Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until it's about ½ inch thick. Cut out shortbread cookies (baker's choice for the shape!) and place on a lined baking sheet.
Step 6
Bake 14-18 minutes, depending on thickness. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking pan, then cool completely off the pan.
Step 7: Optional
Melt chocolate wafers in a small saucepan on the stove. Dip cooled shortbreads into the chocolate (baker's choice for how much/how little chocolate goes on!). Set the chocolate-covered shortbreads in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before serving.