Cookies, Sweet Snacks

Chocolate-dipped Chocolate Shortbread,
dressed up for Valentine’s Day

Ingredients
for the cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons espresso powder
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt

for the decoration
2 cups semi sweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
sprinkles, color of your choice (optional)

Directions
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla, then beat in the cocoa and espresso powder on low speed. Beat in the flour and salt; the dough will be very soft. Fold in the chopped chocolate with rubber spatula. Gather into a ball as best you can and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

Roll the dough onto a lightly floured work surface to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies as close together as possible. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 14 minutes, or until firm. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Re-roll the scraps, and stamp out more cookies, chilling the scraps between batches if necessary.

Once the cookies are cool, prepare your chocolate for decorating. In a metal bowl over a small pot of simmering water, melt chocolate, vegetable shortening and cream until smooth. Dip cookies into the chocolate and sprinkle immediately with decorations. Place on waxed paper until set.

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