Pistachio Shortbread

Not the perfect shape the flavour is amazing!

This beautiful recipe comes from Jules at Bonnibakery. As a Scottish baker she certainly knows her shortbreads. Be warned once you start to eat them it is hard to stop. You can also make the dough three days before needed and leave rolled in the fridge till required. Not sure how they freeze as they have never made it that far but I am sure they would freeze the same as any shortbread. I would leave step 12 to before serving.

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Ingredients

• 227g butter (room temperature)

• 100g white Sugar

• 250g plain Flour

• 120g Pistachios shelled

• 115g Dark Chocolate (Bloc, not melts or choc bits)

  
  

Instructions

1. Put the room-temperature butter in a mixing bowl and beat it lightly with a wooden spoon to soften some more.

2. Add the sugar and beat together with the butter. You can use an electric mixer if you want, but it's not necessary. Just beat until combined and no more, we don't want to incorporate any air here.

3. Add the flour and mix until it starts to form clumps and looks like large chunky breadcrumbs then use your hands to bring it together into a smooth dough.

4. Crush the pistachios using a rolling pin and add ⅔ of them into the shortbread dough. Reserve the other third of them to sprinkle on top later.

5. Use your hands to knead the pistachios into the dough so they are evenly dispersed. Don't overwork the dough.

6. Shape the shortbread dough into a log shape, the size of the biscuits you want and place in plastic wrap and twirl the edges like a Christmas cracker to seal it in. Roll it on your work surface to smooth out the edges and make it rounder.

7. Chill the dough log in the fridge for one hour or until it feels very firm to the touch.

8. Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170°C and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.

9. Remove the shortbread dough from the fridge and unwrap it from the plastic wrap. Use a sharp knife to slice it into rounds about ½ an inch thick. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet with enough room to spread.

10. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

11. Once the shortbread has cooled, chop up your dark chocolate and melt it in the microwave in 30-second increments until totally melted.

12. Dip the shortbread cookies into the chocolate to about halfway, then lay them on a sheet of baking paper. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pistachios on top and let them set.

Optional: You can also sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on there if desired.