Chocolate Glazed Shortbread Fingers Recipes

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preparebasic shortbread. Form dough into a disk; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight). Roll out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1-by-3-inch rectangles; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake on a cookie sheet until firm and just starting to color, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make glaze: Coarsely chop semisweet chocolate; melt in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of hot but not boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in safflower oil (for gloss). Remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes. Dip 1/3 of each cookie into chocolate glaze, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 10 minutes. Cookies can be stored, in single layers between waxed or parchment paper, in airtight containers at room temperature for 1 week.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE FOR SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Place half the chocolate in top of double boiler, or in a bowl, over a pan of hot but not boiling water. Stir chocolate with a wooden spoon until it is melted. Gradually add remaining half of chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat. Whisk the sugar syrup into the melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Keep the glaze warm by setting over a pot of warm water. The glaze will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator; it can be rewarmed in a hot-water bath before drizzling.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 12-by-8-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until combined.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and superfine sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add flour mixture, and beat on medium speed until just combined.
• Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread dough in prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer or refrigerator until dough is firm, about 15 minutes. Prick dough all over with a fork; bake until just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. While still hot, use a large knife to cut shortbread into 4-by-1-inch pieces. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cool completely in the pan. Shortbread can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with spoon. Stir in flour. (If dough is crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened.)
• Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into small shapes by hand or use cookie cutters. Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and salt for about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla.
• Reduce speed and add flour in 3 additions, beating just until blended. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
• Transfer dough to an ungreased 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
• Press dough evenly on bottom of pan with your fingers.
• Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes; do not underbake.
• Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Cut shortbread in pan, lengthwise and crosswise into quarters, then lengthwise into 32 rectangles.
• Let cool in pan.
• Melt remaining chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth.
• Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; place on wax paper.
• Let stand until chocolate is set.
• (Cookies may be made up to 4 days ahead and stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature.).

GILDED CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Beat in the cocoa, vanilla and salt, mix until smooth. On low speed, gradually mix in the flour until fully incorporated. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Prepare a clean, dry work surface by dusting with the remaining confectioners' sugar.
• Roll chilled dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutters. Place cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a small stiff brush or flat pastry brush, lightly dust the tops of the cookies with the 24-karat gold dust. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until firm. Be careful not to overbake; you cannot tell by looking because of the dark color of the dough. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk for about 5 mins until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until fully incorporated.
• Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder, and fold into the mixture using a spatula until combined (the dough should have a tacky consistency). Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle. If all the mixture doesn't fit, do it in 2 batches.
• Pipe 10cm long, 1.5cm wide fingers onto the baking sheets, making sure there are 3cm spaces between each finger. Bake for 8-10 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through the cooking time, until pale golden and cooked through. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few mins, then transfer to wire racks.
• Melt the chocolate separately over a pan of gently simmering water (making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring every 15 secs or so. Dip 1 end of the shortbread fingers into the bowl of milk chocolate and the other end in the white chocolate. Leave to set on baking parchment before serving.

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED MOCHA FANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Sift flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients and beat just until dough clumps together. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared tart pan.
• Bake shortbread until firm around edges and baked through but slightly soft in center, about 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Gently remove pan sides. Using large sharp knife, cut warm shortbread into 16 wedges. Cool completely on pan bottom on rack.
• Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Let stand until glaze begins to thicken but is still pourable, about 10 minutes. Place shortbread wedges on rack set over large baking sheet. Spoon glaze over shortbread, allowing some of glaze to run down sides and spreading over sides with small spatula. Chill just until chocolate is firm, about 45 minutes.
• If desired, press tip of small sharp knife into gold leaf; gently peel off 1/2-inch free-form pieces. Using knife as aid, carefully press gold leaf pieces onto cookies. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)