double chocolate gingerbread shortbread

I have had shortbread on the brain for weeks.  So I added cocoa and gingerbread spices to my original recipe.  I rolled them out and cut them into rectangles, like crackers.  They are  also crispy like crackers, with a nice kick from the spice.  I dipped them in chocolate to make them a little richer and complex.  They’d be great in the afternoon with a strong cup of joe.

double chocolate gingerbread shortbread

ingredients

• 1 & 3/4 c. flour
• 5 tbl. cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

Sift flour, cocoa powder, spices and salt into a bowl.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add vanilla extract.  Turn mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture, mixing until well combined.  Form dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  Place racks in oven in top and bottom third positions.  Preheat oven to 325°.  Roll out dough on well floured surface with a floured rolling pin until 1/4″ thick.(I made crispy wafers.  For softer shortbread, roll to 1/2″).  Use a knife to cut lines vertically through dough, 1.5 inches part.  Cut horizontal lines in dough 1″ apart.  Prick each cookie a few times with the tines of a fork.  Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.  Re-roll scraps to make more cookies.  Bake two sheets at a time, one on each rack.  Bake for 9 minutes, then switch positions of the cookie sheets.  Bake another 9 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove cookies from sheet, place on wire rack and allow to cool completely.

  When cookies are cool, fill a pan with water and place a wire rack over the top of the pan.  Put chopped chocolate in a bowl, and place over simmering water to melt, stirring occasionally(be careful not to let any water to get into the chocolate.  This will cause your chocolate to harden.)  When chocolate is melted, remove bowl from pan.  Dip each cookie in chocolate halfway on a diagonal and place back on wire racks to dry.

2 batches made, 115 cookies, 260 to go.