Chocolate Shortbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt, extra-fine if possible
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. For thin, crisp shortbread, grease two 8″ square pans. For thicker shortbread, grease one 9″ square pan.
2. To avoid over-creaming, we recommend that you stir the dough by hand. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the butter, salt, and sugar until well blended.
3. Add the cocoa, vanilla, baking powder, and flour, and mix until you have a smooth, slightly stiff batter.
4. Press the dough into your prepared pan(s) and prick all over with a fork. This will keep the shortbread from developing bubbles under the crust.
5. Bake the shortbread in two pans for 35 to 40 minutes; the single 9″ pan will take about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
6. Invert the pan(s) over a clean sheet of parchment and turn out the shortbread. While still warm, cut each square into 12 pieces. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 12 to 24 pieces, depending on thickness.