Chocolate, orange and almond shortbreads
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Easy
- CUTS INTO 18 PIECES
Ingredients
- 100g, plus 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plain flour
- 85g cornflour
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 50g candied orange peel, diced (see cook's notes below)
- 75g whole almonds with skins, halved
- 125g dark chocolate with orange, cut into 1cm chunks
Method
- STEP 1
Line a 20cm x 30cm tin with baking paper and heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Put 100g of sugar, all the butter, orange zest and vanilla in a big mixing bowl. Cream together with a wooden spoon, or briefly with an electric whisk – just until the mixture is smooth. Sift over the flours and salt, and use the electric whisk to beat together until very large crumbs of soft dough form – again, don’t over-mix once the butter and flours are blended.
- STEP 2
Scatter the candied peel, almonds and dark chocolate chunks into the bowl, and use your hands to toss through the crumbs of shortbread dough. Tip everything into the prepared tin and gently press down to flatten. Poke all over with a fork to help it cook evenly.
- STEP 3
Bake the shortbread on a middle shelf for 40-50 minutes or until the top is beginning to turn golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 tbsp of sugar, then cut into squares with a sharp knife. Leave to cool completely in the tin before breaking up the squares to eat.
