Category: Desserts

For the shortbread base:

• 175g flour
• 90g rice flour
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 85g granulated sugar
• 175g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

For the peanuts:

• 150g shelled unsalted peanuts

For the peanut butter:

• ½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp honey
• 1-2 tsp peanut oil

For the salted caramel:

• 90ml heavy cream
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 30g corn syrup
• 185g granulated sugar
• 100g salted butter, at room temperature, diced

For the chocolate topping:

• 250g dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids)

Equipment:

• Food processor
• 10 or 12 bar (each about 3cm x 7cm) oven-proof, silicone, rectangular mold tray (suitable for food)
• Baking sheet
• Sugar thermometer
• pastry bag and wide tip
• double boiler (or microwave oven)

Make the shortbread:

1. Put the plain flour, rice flour, salt and sugar into the food processor bowl and ‘pulse’ a few times until combined. Add the butter and vanilla paste and blitz until the mixture just comes together. Turn out onto a large sheet of baking paper and gently knead into a ball.
2. Shape the dough into a brick, place another sheet of baking paper on top and roll the dough into a rectangle 1cm thick and at least the size of your rectangular mold. Using a large, sharp knife and a ruler, cut neat bar shapes and gently press them into the base of the molds (use any leftovers to make shortbread biscuits)
3. Prick each bar a couple

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• 1/2 c (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 c oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 c raisins

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
5. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack.

Yield: 4 dozen

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• 113 g (one stick or 8 tbsp or 4 oz) butter, plus more for the pan
• 113 g (4 oz) unsweetened chocolate
• 300 g sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 127 g all-purpose flour
• 10 g cocoa (2 tbsp) (not Dutch-processed)

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350° F.
2. Line bottom and sides of an 8″ square metal baking pan with buttered parchment, leaving 2-inch overhang for easy removal after baking.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat; cool slightly.
4. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla.
5. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
6. Add the flour and cocoa; beat until incorporated and smooth, 30 – 60 seconds.
7. Scrape batter into pan; bake ~35 minutes. Toothpick test.
8. Cool on rack until safe to handle. Invert pan onto another rack and peel off the parchment.
9. Flip right side up, cool completely on rack.

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• 1 c sugar (200 g)
• 7 g molasses
• 1/2 c peanut butter (135 g)
• 1/4 c shortening (50 g)
• 1/4 c butter (57 g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 c flour (156 g)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Cream the sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl.
2. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
4. Cover and refrigerate two hours or until firm.
5. Heat oven to 375º.
6. Shape into 1 1/4″ balls (30 g), place 3″ apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Flatten criss-cross pattern with a fork dipped in flour.
8. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown.
9. Cool 5 minutes remove from cookie sheet.
10. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: About 20 cookies

Variation: For Peanut Butter Blossoms, roll dough balls in granulated sugar (mixed with a tiny amount of red and green sanding sugar), and do not flatten before baking. As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, gently press an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. The kisses must all be unwrapped in advance, and they must be inserted immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, before the cookie begins to harden.

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• 312 g sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 96 g shortening
• 2 eggs
• 440 g flour
• 2 t cream of tartar (6.75 g)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt

Coating:

• 1/4 c sugar (50g)
• 2 t cinnamon (5g)

Coating will have about 21 grams extra.

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Cream 312 grams sugar with the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl.
3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
4. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture just until blended.
5. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
6. Shape dough into 25-gram balls, roll them in coating, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Yield: 42 cookies

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