Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Complexity: average
Quantity: 36 pcs.

Light, buttery, and soft, shortbread cookies are the foundation of holiday baking, made with just a few basic ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract. Ina Garten's crumbly "Day and Night" cookies are made even more delicious with a melted chocolate glaze. Serve these beauties with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk for a simple dessert or a delicious afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

• 340 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• 3.5 cups premium wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 170-200 g of chopped good quality semi-sweet chocolate

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

vanilla extract, premium flour, semi-sweet chocolate

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Preheat oven to 180C.
Step 2
• In the bowl of an electric mixer using the shortcrust pastry attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add the vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and salt, then fold them into the butter-sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured work surface and form into a flat disk, 2.5 cm thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes; the dough should be firm but still pliable.
Step 3
• Roll out the dough to a 1 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut with a 7.5 x 2.5 cm rectangular cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool at room temperature.
Step 4
• Once the cookies have cooled, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place 85g of chocolate in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust the microwave timer; check the time with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue heating in 30-second increments until all the chocolate has melted. Add the remaining chocolate and let stand at room temperature, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. If there are still some unmelted chocolate chunks after 5 minutes, microwave the chocolate in 5-second increments, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Stir vigorously to cool the chocolate slightly; this will make it shinier.
Step 5
• Drizzle or dip each cookie in chocolate to coat. Place the cookies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.
  
  Cook's tip: If you don't have a 3x1" cookie cutter, you can cut the cookies into rectangles using a wavy pastry wheel or a butter knife.

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