French Chocolate Shortbread / Filled w/ Chocolate Ganache
Tender buttery filled cookies dusted with cocoa powder for chocolate fanatics only.
Ing Cookies: 2 oz bittersweet chocolate 70% cocoa coarse-chp 1 c flour ¼ c cocoa powder ⅛ tsp b/soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ c unsalted butter ½ c sugar 1 lge egg yolk ½ tsp vanilla pinch salt Filling: 5 ½ oz dark chocolate fine-chp ⅓ c 35% h/cream 1 tbl unsalted butter pinch salt cocoa powder for dusting
Method: Melt chocolate gently over a saucepan of simmering water or micro. Cool slightly. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend evenly. Cream butter and sugar light and fluffy. Mix in yolk and vanilla. Stir through melted chocolate. Fold in flour mixture to just incorporate. Form into an 11-12-inch log and wrap in saean. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Slice chilled log into 16 equal portions. Roll into smooth balls and place on sheetpan 2" apart. Use your thumb, wooden spoon handle or ¼ tsp measuring spoon to indent; move it around inside the well to make room for lots of filling. If the dough cracks, press and patch w/ fingers.
Chill dough balls 20 min. Bake 350 deg 10-12 min, then transfer trays to a wire rack and lightly press down on the centers again with a ¼ teaspoon to reinforce indents. Let cool completely on trays (cookies are delicate when warm).
Filling: Heat cream w/ butter then pour over chocolate. Add salt. Cover/let stand 2 min then stir in concentric circles starting in center and working to the edges to create a smooth, glossy emulsion. Spoon into cooled cookie indents and let set. Dust w/ cocoa powder.
