Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

 

Holiday baking season has come and gone (or maybe you're reading this and it's the holidays yet again) and I have new-to-me cookies to share, yay!  This time it's Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Shortbread, mm mmm.

So I was recently-ish in Scotland and oh my word, what a country.  I am ready to pack up and move there like oh say tomorrow.  Ok, today.  Now?   Now.

While I was there, Debs, who works for Glenfarclas Distillery, got to play tour guide for my friend and I and man, that was oh my goodness fun.  She's an outstanding person.

If you're ever in Scotland, go to Glenfarclas and hopefully you'll bump into Debs.  What I'm actually saying is go.  Even if you're not a whisky drinker like me.

She kindly took us over to the Walker's Shortbread factory store in Aberlour, Speyside and heck yeah we bought too many packages of cookies.  As one should.

Shortbread.  Right from the source.  In the country of origin.  Iiii know.  Lucky lucky lucky.

Generally, I'd assert it's tough to compete with real Scottish shortbread from Scotland.  I'm not gonna pretend I'm some sort of shortbread wizard here either. 

I realize too these Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies are a shortbread tangent, like a fifth cousin twice removed however that family tree stuff works, but these are good.

Better than good, they're delicious. 

So in a way, I feel kinda bad for having been in Scotland then sharing a tangential Americanized recipe but mmm, recipes grow, evolve, change and adapt.  So I can't feel too bad especially when I've got three of these stuffed in my face.

Yeah.  They're good.

I will attempt the true Scottish version for sure though so hang tight for that.

A word about the chocolate.  I loathe saying this because I find it so patronizing if you will, or what's the word....maybe snobby?, exclusionary?...but get a decent bar of chocolate, whatever fits in your budget.  If this equates to inexpensive, no worries, it's still perfectly great because you get cookies.

Don't go overboard spendy though, no need. 

See, I am not one to make people feel bad about what price point of ingredients works for them.  I find it obnoxious to do so.  Baking is for everyone.  The Baking Party Doors are open and welcoming.  Everyone should enjoy it regardless of price.  I am dead serious.

You can use chips here, or even chunks.  Just give them a quick chop because you want those fine little chocolate slivers and crumbs mixed throughout.  They make the cookies extra pretty but they also spread that chocolate love around.

The chunks that I had on hand were fruitier than I anticipated which would not be my own personal preference.  That resulted in Mike, who said he did like these Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies, to say though that he prefers my regular Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I get it.  So maybe taste the chocolate you plan to use ahead of time (mmm so hard of a request I know) to make sure it's got a flavor you'll enjoy in the cookies.

I will say too these cookies seem a little less shortbread-y than what we all think of when it comes to shortbread but again, these are a tangential Americanized version that are still delicious.

Right, ok, let's get going.

Do note first and foremost, these require a two hour chill before baking so plan accordingly.

Like most cookie recipes, start by blending up the butter with the sugars.

Adding the vanilla of course.

Then per usual, add the flour.

The chopped chocolate is next and here you can toss it in the mixer* but stir it very briefly then do a few stirs by hand with a non-stick spatula.*  Don't want to crush up the chocolate too much.

Have ready two pieces of plastic wrap, scoop the dough out of the mixer, divide it in half onto each piece of wrap, then roll the dough into logs using the wrap to help you.

These logs should be about an inch and three quarters in diameter.  Flatten the ends by lightly tapping the logs perpendicularly on the counter.

Don't worry so much about the length of the log, go for the diameter.

Ok, now chill!  Yes you and the dough.  See ya shortly.

All righty, after the dough has chilled and everyone's relaxed, time to finish and bake. 

Whip up an egg white and toss the coarse sugar on a plate or in a dish.  I know this is going to seem weird but next you brush the logs with the egg white.  Roll the logs in the sugar, pressing a bit to get that sugar stuck in there.

You could try rolling the logs without the egg white, pressing a little harder, as the egg white pretty much just acts like a glue here, has very little other purpose.

Slice the logs into half inch circles and if they fall apart a bit as you slice, squish things back together.  A warm serrated knife* makes this easier.

At this point you can freeze the slices, wrapped tightly, and bake at will.  Or bake now.

Let's bake now.  Spread out some parchment paper* or a silicone baking mat* on a cookie sheet* and lay out those slices.  They don't spread but give them a bit of space for air to move.

Not the tidiest layout, heh heh, but they bake up exactly like this.

Bake them until they look a bit dried, definitely set, a tad puffy, very lightly golden mostly on the edges.

Cool.  Wait.  I know. 

Eat.

 

Yum.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies, everyone!

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*The mixers, non-stick baking spatulas, serrated knives, parchment paper, silicone baking mats, and cookie sheets are Amazon affiliate links.  Happy baking, thanks!  Please see the "info" tab for more, well, info.