Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Here are Chocolate Shortbread Cookies...

(Based on the Basic Shortbread Recipe I found.)

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Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 C super-fine (baker's) sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lg egg yolk
1 lg whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water
2 ½ C flour
½ C unsweetened cocoa powder
Decorative sugar

Directions:
Combine flour with cocoa powder and mix thoroughly; set aside. Cream butter, sugar and salt at high speed. Add yolk, beat another minute, add whole egg, beat again another minute.  Add vanilla and water and beat again.  Add flour mixture, beat on low until dough has been mixed thoroughly and starts to cling to the paddle.  Remove, divide in half.  Roll half the dough into a log, about 1½ in diameter, repeat with remaining dough.  Wrap each log in plastic and place in freezer.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm. (Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.)

When logs are firm, take out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little while oven heats up.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice dough into ½- to ¾-in thick pieces and place slices onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle a little decorative sugar on top.

Bake for 20-21 minutes; do not overbake to the point where the edges start to brown or else cookies will end up hard and tough.

Yields approximately 40-50 cookies, depending on thickness of slices.

For other variations on the basic cookie recipe, see also the Lemon Shortbread and Almond Shortbread versions.

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GBAdams
12/27/2011