Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Pistachios + Red Gold Sea Salt
I'm pretty sure the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is on TV as I write this. That's right. I'm writing about cookies in my flannel pajamas, without any makeup, my hair piled on top of my head (still not dry from my super fast shower this afternoon during nap time), and my black lab just burped at me from her perch on the sofa. I don't think I need to elaborate on how different my life is from that of a VS model.
What I will say is this: I would bet good money that none of them know how to make killer shortbread. At least I've got one up on them.
Seriously though. This shortbread turned out beautifully. It is light and airy with a perfect balance of buttery sweetness and a hint of salt. Many recipes call for cornstarch to help make the texture a little lighter than it would be using only flour, but I decided to take it a step further. Based on what I've learned about potato starch through Asian cooking, I decided to try it out in this shortbread recipe. Typically, I find potato starch has a more delicate, crisp result (very similar to a potato chip texture, actually). Cornstarch can get a little heavy for my liking and sometimes leaves a sandy feeling in my mouth. I don't want any of that in my shortbread!
As if shortbread wasn't rich and decadent enough on its own, I decided to dip it in dark chocolate ganache and pistachios. A little sprinkle of red gold Hawaiian sea salt and the cookies were absolutely perfect. This shortbread is festive enough for a Christmas cookie exchange and simple enough to make for a coffee date with friends (although I'd recommend making it the day before). The red gold Hawaiian sea salt is not exactly necessary, but it adds a nice smokey, salty flavor that contrasts nicely with the rich chocolate.
To shape the cookies, I used a method from Cook's Illustrated Baking (if you don't already own that book, you should get on it). If you're not into this shape, feel free to change it up.
If it's all the same to you, I'm going to keep not watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion whatever show and eat another cookie.
Cheers to that!
Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Pistachios & Red Gold Sea Salt
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 7 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup toasted, chopped pistachios
- red gold Hawaiian sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a 9 inch cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, potato starch, sugar (reserve 1 tablespoon for sprinkling later) and salt together in a large bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives. When the mixture resembles wet sand, transfer it to the prepared 9 inch cake pan.
- Firmly press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
- Gently turn the dough onto the baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cut a circle in the center of the dough with a metal cookie cutter about 2 or 3 inches in diameter.
- Remove the circle of dough from the center and leave the cookie cutter in its place.
- Use a wooden skewer to etch lines into the dough creating 16 wedges.
- Return the shortbread to the oven for another 40 minutes.
- When the shortbread has finished cooking, sprinkle it with the remaining sugar and cut it using the lines you drew earlier as a guide. Transfer to a cooling rack and bring to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache by heating the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to steam. Remove from the heat.
- Stir the chocolate into the cream until it melts completely and the mixture is smooth.
- Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment and set aside.
- Dip each shortbread wedge first into the ganache, then sprinkle with pistachios and a pinch of the red gold salt.
- Place the wedges on the prepared cooling rack and allow the chocolate harden. It won't be like a chocolate shell, but it should be firm enough that it doesn't drip.
