Espresso Shortbread

Name: Espresso Shortbread
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: Makes 36 small cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar; 1 cup plus 5 Tablespoons (158 g) all-purpose flour; 3 Tablespoons (23 g) cornstarch; 2 Tablespoons (12 g) espresso powder; 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt; 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract; Optional: ~1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted, to drizzle over the cookies

Chris Gan @ChrissyAlpha

I haven’t met a shortbread cookie that I didn’t like. This version combines two of my favorite things: cookies and coffee! ☕️ These cookies are relatively quick and easy to make, but feel elegant and special because of the mild espresso flavor and drizzled chocolate.
Modified from a recipe on The Food Network.
#Holiday #Teatime #Winter #Gift #Dessert

Chris Gan @ChrissyAlpha

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Ingredients

~20 minutes

Makes 36 small cookies

12 Tablespoons (170 g)unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g)sugar
1 cupplus 5 Tablespoons (158 g) all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons (23 g)cornstarch
2 Tablespoons (12 g)espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 g)salt
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml)vanilla extract
Optional: ~1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted, to drizzle over the cookies

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Steps

~20 minutes

1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°F).
Prepare a 9x9” baking pan 23x23 cm) by lining it with aluminum foil, then greasing it lightly (I used baking spray).
Since I don’t own a 9x9” pan, I improvised by folding the aluminum foil to form a square of those dimensions and bolstering it with additional foil.
2

Cream the room-temperature butter for about a minute.
3

Add the white sugar a little at a time to the butter and cream on medium-high speed. I used three additions of the sugar, scraping the bowl before each addition. I creamed the butter for about 6 minutes until the color had lightened and the texture was fluffy.
4

Meanwhile, combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
5

Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture and cream again for 45 seconds.
6

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir on the lowest speed just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
7

Dump the dough into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the dough evenly.
(I poked some holes into the dough with a fork, but this wasn’t necessary. The holes closed over while baking)
8

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until very slightly browned. The shortbread will appear to have set.
Allow the shortbread to cool for 15 minutes, then score the top with a sharp knife to make squares of the desired size.
9

After scoring, remove the shortbread from the pan and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes before fully cutting into squares.
10

If desired, melt some chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then drizzle onto the shortbread as shown. The shortbread is great without any chocolate, though!
11

Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.