I have wonderful memories of a chocolate biscuit type dessert I enjoyed whenever I had hot dinners at school; and we are talking about over 32 years ago since I was standing in line at secondary school (and I still remember it)! I’ve never found a recipe or tried to make this chocolate shortbread biscuit before, but having created this, I think I have nailed it! So much so, my 21 year old daughter called it granny crunch biscuit (which was also her favourite in the school canteen). It just goes to prove there really is nothing new under the sun!
So, I’ve tried this two ways; one with just cocoa powder, and then of course I needed to figure a way of getting a little of our chocolate in there – so a further recipe with chocolate. My preference (you could be forgiven for guessing which) is this version with the chocolate, as it made it a softer, more chocolatey taste. The recipe takes minutes to do, requires no skill, and is absolutely scrumptious. Have a go and enjoy a delicious, all age pleasing chocolate shortbread.
Now being brutally honest and a very practical baker, I only had a 33x23cm rectangular swiss roll tin to hand; so for a smaller quantity recipe I’ve reduced my recipe by a third, to give you a smaller batch. Therefore if you only have a larger tin at home, increase your butter to 375g, your caster sugar to 150g, your flour to 450g and so on, giving you enough chocolate shortbread to fill the larger tin.
MAKES APPROX. 24 PIECES// TIME: 50 MINUTES // EASY
Chocolate Shortbread Ingredients:
- 250g Butter (salted or unsalted)
- 100g Caster Sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
- 300g Plain Flour
- 40g Cocoa Powder
- 90g Classic Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped)
Chocolate Shortbread Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180/160 fan. Line a 22cm square shallow tin and set aside.
- Pop the butter and sugar into a bowl, and beat until very light and fluffy. I have a kitchen aid type machine, and I left this beating with the paddle for about 7 minutes, scraping down as I went. It is so easy to use and means I can be busy with the rest of the ingredients whilst the machine does the work.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl in short bursts so it doesn’t burn, stirring in the last few unmelted chunks at the end. Allow to cool slightly.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder, and tip into the beaten butter and sugar mixture, bringing together with a spoon. Add the melted chocolate, and lightly mix until just combined into a smooth mass. Be careful not to over mix as this will make the shortbread tough.
- Press into the lined tin, and sprinkle over some caster sugar (probably a tablespoon or so), and bake for 25-30 minutes. The shortbread will seem very soft, but don’t worry; it firms up as it cools.
- Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then slice into the piece size and shape you want. At this stage I sprinkle more caster sugar on, simply for the appearance; although I’m not too sure about the healthiness of it, so you can choose not to! Allow to cool fully, and enjoy.