Now Baking: Chocolate Cashew Shortbread Wedges
What's not to love about an all-cookie cookbook? Sally McKenney, of popular blog Sally's Baking Addiction, has a new collection of her favorite recipes out that will revolutionize your holiday baking season. Looking for something out of the ordinary (and totally extraordinary?) This chocolate drizzled cashew shortbread will give you a run for your money!
I made similar shortbread wedges during the holidays last year. They're easy, with absolutely no dough chilling required. All you need are an electric mixer, a couple of round cake pans, and some basic ingredients. Think of these as cookie pizza wedges — with chocolate on top!
Now Baking: Chocolate Cashew Shortbread Wedges
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
2.17
hours
Servings
24
cookies
Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups chopped salted cashews
- 4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
- coarse sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang around the edge of each to easily lift out the shortbread. (I encourage using parchment so that you can easily remove the shortbread and not cut it while it’s in the pan.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, and flour, and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed as the mixture combines. Add 1 cup of the cashews, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top of the wedges. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until the dough comes together.
- Press half of the dough evenly into each of the prepared cake pans. Make sure the dough is compact in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the shortbread from the pans by lifting the overhanging parchment paper. Cut the shortbread in each pan into 12 wedges. You want to make sure to do this while the shortbread is still warm. Allow to cool completely on the parchment.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Drizzle over the cooled shortbread wedges and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup chopped cashews and sea salt. Allow the chocolate to set completely, about 20 minutes.
- Shortbread will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.