SHORTBREAD COOKIES (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

SHORTBREAD COOKIES (BAREFOOT CONTESSA) image

Yield 20 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 7

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate,
finely chopped

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and- sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt 1/2 chocolate in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring afterwards each time. Add the remaining chocolate let sit at room temperature, stirring often, until smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled. Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.