May I introduce you to dad’s favorite square. One bring and this easy to make dessert scored “smash” status.
With years of squares in hand, I take liberties with topping ingredients. While walking the wood steps to dad’s, I sometimes squirm wondering “will he like my newest concoction?”
Most recent:
Classic shortbread ~ dark chocolate ~ flake coconut ~ honey roasted sliced almonds ~ fresh blackberries
This intermingle reigned mightiest our teeth ever did sink, but dad’s picky, so would he? Could he?
Lulled by glacial fresh berries cascading dark chocolate then swayed by the tropic of coconut and sweet butter crunch of honey almond and shortbread — yep, we got him!
May I remind, this is the same dad who “doesn’t like or eat coconut.” I spy flake upon snow white flake. Do you?
Easy Incredible Shortbread
Whip room temperature butter and powdered sugar into a light airy oblivion!
Add flour and salt, then beat until crumbly.
Press the dough into a parchment lined 9″ pan.
Bake until golden, about 30-40 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Melting Chocolate
– two ways –
Double Boiler
Add one-inch water to double boiler or medium pot. Set over medium heat fitted with a medium bowl. Once warmed, add chopped chocolate or chips to the bowl. Melt chocolate, while stirring every so often.
Microwave
Add chopped chocolate or chips to a microwave safe bowl. Start with 1 minute on high, then for 20 second bursts, stirring after each interval. Ready is when chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir the rest of the way until melted and a lifted spoon streams chocolate.
Pour over cooled shortbread. I find tipping side to side easiest to even the chocolate across the bottom.
Sprinkle with coconut and sliced almonds.
Strategically – place blackberries inside the square you’ll be cutting. Okay, this is up to you but there are certain things that just aren’t as cut friendly or don’t present well cut. Soooo, if cut in sixteen, add between two to three “random” blackberries in each of the sixteen squares =D
Share summer!
Interchange Ideas
Toblerone, cranberries, slivered almonds
Chocolate, dates, pecans
Dark chocolate, blueberries, hazelnuts, coconut
Salted chocolate, raisins, walnuts
Blackout chocolate, fresh strawberries, pistachios
Dad loves white chocolate, so we make him variations with white.
When kids, he used to buy us those Nestle white bars.
Remember those?
Chocolate Blackberry Shortbread
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cups or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 10½ ounces or 3/4 bag chocolate - chopped or chips
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut - toasted or not, your choice - both good!
- 1/4 cup honey roasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 9" square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium/medium/high, cream butter and powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Add flour and salt and combine until crumbly.
- With your hands, a tart tamper, or the bottom of a dry measuring cup, press the dough into the 9-inch square pan.
- Bake until golden, 30-40 minutes. Because ovens vary, begin checking five minutes prior to earliest finish time. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile and if wanting toasted coconut - On a piece of aluminum foil spread shredded or hunks of coconut then place directly on the toaster oven rack. Set to medium toast. Coconut's quick to brown, so keep a watchful eye. Once the coconut is golden, remove from the oven. If left on the foil, the coconut will continue to cook, so transfer to a plate or bowl to cool.
- Once cool, melt chocolate one of two ways:Double BoilerAdd one-inch water to double boiler or medium pot. Set over medium heat fitted with a medium bowl. Once warmed, add chopped chocolate or chips to the bowl. Melt chocolate, while stirring every so often.MicrowaveAdd chopped chocolate or chips to a microwave safe bowl. Start with 1 minute on high, then for 20 second bursts, stirring after each interval. Ready is when chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir the rest of the way until melted and a lifted spoon streams chocolate.
- Pour chocolate in the middle of the baked shortbread. Hold each side of the pan and move the chocolate side to side until even across the shortbread. Place blackberries in the middle of each "imagined" square, then sprinkle with coconut and honey roasted almond slices.
- Continue to cool on a wire rack. Serve room temperature, or place in refrigerator until cold. Cut into squares. Share the magic!
Notes
- combinations are endless with this dessert: the original - Toblerone, cranberry, any nut. I usually use dark chocolate, hazelnuts/pecans/walnuts/almonds and dried blueberries/dates/figs/raisins and coconut. During the holidays, we've used chocolate bars with toffee, salt, etc. but drift back to plain good quality dark chocolate.
- I happen to have some Trader Joe's honey roasted sliced almonds in the cabinet, so included them instead of plain roasted nuts this time. They added sweet/salty to the berries : )
- squares best store airtight in the refrigerator or freezer. They seem to last forever in the freezer. We take a couple out when ready to eat and leave on the counter for 5-10 minutes.
