Salted butter & chocolate chunk shortbread (or, the cookies that broke the Internet)

I’m never one to pass on the latest foodie trend, especially baking ones. I’m often late to the party, as witnessed here, here, and here, but I make it eventually, so I was really intrigued to read about the latest cookie craze making the rounds, this salted butter & chocolate chunk shortbread. The recipe is from Alison Roman’s latest cookbook ‘Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes.’ Alison, who was the former senior food editor at Bon Appetit magazine and Buzzfeed, says that she has always found chocolate chip cookies deeply flawed, so decided to take her favourite parts and create something else entirely.

This is not the traditional shortbread that kiwi’s are used to. There’s no cornflour for starters, but there’s still that lovely buttery taste which is only enhanced by the addition of salt. And who can say no to chocolate chunks? It is also very quick to make, just a quick whiz in the mixer. As it freezes so well, it’s also ideal to keep in the freezer for emergencies.

Ingredients

255g salted butter, cut into cubes (I used the Lewis Road Creamery butter with sea salt crystals, amazing!)
110g raw sugar
60g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
325g flour
170g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
1 large egg, beaten (this is for the egg wash, it doesn’t go into the dough)
Demerara sugar, for rolling
flaky sea salt

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until super light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate, and beat until just combined.
Divide the dough in half, then place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic to wrap the dough, then form the dough into a log shape. Rolling it on the bench will help to smooth it out. Each half should form a log about 2-2¼” in diameter. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.
Brush the outside of the logs with beaten egg and then roll them in the Demerara sugar (this gives them a deliciously crispy edge.)
Slice each log into ½” thick rounds. Arrange on the prepared baking trays, about 1″ apart (they won’t spread too much) and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Notes

• Recipe – Alison Roman.
• If you don’t have salted butter, just add ¾ teaspoon salt to the flour.
• The dough can be made 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap in plastic and chill or freeze for up to 1 month.
• Store cookies for up to 5 days.

© Once Upon An Egg. All images and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use my images without permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.