For this month's online order freebie, we've partnered with our good friends at Guittard Chocolate (who also sent a few bars to the office that have mysteriously disappeared!)
This is a recipe from Amy Guittard's Guittard Chocolate Cookbook they've decided to share with us!
SALTED CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD
My friend Ben harvests sea salt on the Oregon coast. He traipses knee-deep out into the chilly Pacific Ocean to gather buckets of water and then he carries the salt water home, where time and heat will work their slow magic. The result? Beautifully intricate flakes of sea salt. As with anything you cook or bake, using good ingredients is crucial, even if that ingredient has just a small role in the final product.
Everything from the cacao beans we purchase down to the fleur de sel sprinkled on top of these cookies are top quality, which is what makes this recipe so good. The Cocoa Rouge adds richness to this shortbread, and the buttery yet crunchy texture can satisfy a craving at any time of day.
11⁄4 cups [150 g] all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup [35 g] Guittard Cocoa Rouge (Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder)
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
¾ cup [170 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup [50 g] granulated sugar
½ cup [100 g] firmly packed dark brown sugar
3⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
Fleur de sel for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until combined. Roll the dough into 11⁄2in [4cm] balls and set them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 in [2.5 cm] between the balls. Use the bottom of a flat cup to slightly flatten each ball, and then sprinkle the balls with fleur de sel.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are cracked. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
MAKES TWENTY-EIGHT 2IN [5CM] COOKIES