Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread With Sprouted Kitchen

Bake these to make for your lover on Valentines Day, or make a big batch to share with the whole family. These moorish delights are sure to be everyones favorite.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sticks 227g./ ½ lb. salted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)

• 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

• 3.5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped small

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300’. Grease two 8” square pans (I have a 5x11 baking dish and made slightly thicker ones in this with success). Line it with parchment for a more dependable removal.

 In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined, but not airy. Add the flour, hazelnuts, chocolate and mix again until just combined. The mixture will look pretty dry. Add a tiny splash of water if it needs help to just hold.

 Divide the dough in half and transfer it to the prepared pans. Poke it all over with a fork to vent.

Bake the shortbread for 30-35 minutes until just golden on the edges.

 Let it cool for a moment, then transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Cut the dough in rectangles and transfer them to a cooling rack. They are delicate. Dip the ends in chocolate and cool to set if you’d like.

Cookies will store in a covered container for 3-5 days, or wrapped and frozen.

TIPS

Let’s say you don’t like chocolate and hazelnut. You could use some minced rosemary and lemon zest for something a little more savory. Maybe halve the vanilla in that case. Maybe a mocha flavor with instant coffee and chocolate. You could leave them plain vanilla with no add ins for the purists in your life.

 This calls for two, 9” square pans. You could bake them in 8" cake rounds to get shortbread wedges but I think they look cute in little fingers like so.