Chocolate Nut Shortbread

Does this bowl mug of hot chocolate look like it is missing something to you?  I'll give you a hint, its actually a strawberry flavoured white chocolate hot chocolate, so it isn't missing any chocolate!

Maybe this picture will give you another clue?

Oh yeah!  Hot Chocolate in this house is no longer complete without a slab slice of shortbread.  This is a recipe that I actually book marked for last month's We Should Cocoa challenge, but what can I say, the Chocolate and Caramel Brownies were too much to resist!

This was a very simple recipe to put together and makes a lovely buttery, crumbly shortbread.  Perfect for the side of a cuppa!

Chocolate Nut Shortbread
115g unsalted butter, room temperature
50g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
130g plain flour
2 tbsp corn flour
Large pinch of salt
80g toasted and chopped mixed nuts
50g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 190C with the rack in the middle of the oven. Have ready a 21cm (ish) square baking pan that is either buttered or lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the plain flour, corn flour and salt and then stir through the chocolate chips.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Transfer the dough into the baking pan and pat down. Gently press the chopped nuts into the dough and gently score cutting lines into the raw dough, this makes it easier to cut once baked.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes approx 8 shortbread fingers
Joy Of Baking [dot] com