Shortbread Cookies Two Ways (TWD Rewind)

Recently, I've been churning a lot of homemade ice cream. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating ice cream by itself (best standing at the frig, straight out of the carton at 11pm), I always enjoy ice cream with a little crunchy something on the side. Whether it be candied peanuts, granola, or a cookie, I need that texural contrast.

As I was reviewing all the TWD recipes that I missed, this delicious looking Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread recipe caught my eye. As Dorie Greenspan suggested that these cookies are a "good go-along for ice cream", I had to give them a try.

Shortbread is a great recipe get creative with. It is an extremely forgiving dough (as long as you don't overmix), and it's a great base to build on. You can experiment with a wide range of sweet and savory variations. With that in mind, I decided to try a chocolate pistachio version, based on what I had at home. If you are compelled to make these delicious brown sugar- pecan versions, click here to for the Tuesdays With Dorie blogroll to do a search, and you should be able to located a previously posted recipe.
Oh, and before I forget, I think this chocolate pistachio version turned out pretty respectable for a first try! They are not very sweet, and the chocolate pistachio flavor combination is terrific. Texurally, they are crumbly and crunchy, just as a shortbread should be. Scroll to the bottom of this post for my recipe.The best thing about these delicious buttery dreams? They're bite sized! :)

Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread

Ingredients
1 1/4 C AP flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Scharffenberger)
1/4 C cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cinnamon
8 oz unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 C lt brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C finely ground pistachios

Instructions
- sift together the dry ingredients
- beat butter and sugars together in a stand mixer until mixture is very smooth ( about 3 minutes)
- reduce mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough (do not overmix)
- add pistachios and mix only until incorporated
- transfer mixture to a gallon sized ziploc bag. put bag on a flat surface, leaving top open, and roll the dough into a 9" x 10 1/2" rectangle that is 1/4" thick.
- refrigerate for at least 2 hours (i would recommend freezing as well)
- preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line two baking sheets with silpat/parchment
- cut dough into 1" squares, and transfer to baking sheets. prick each square twice with a fork
- bake for 18-20 minutes. cool cookies on a rack.