Triple Chocolate Shortbread

When I was a kid, shortbread was one of my favourite cookies. Right around the Remembrance Day weekend in November,  Mom would begin her Christmas baking and the shortbread would be cut out into stars or trees, with the half of a fat glace cherry pressed into the middle.  I'd nibble the buttery sweetness around that fat cherry, saving it for one last sweet bite.

 Often I bake shortbread for Kevin when it's mid-November, with the same sweet glace cherry halves pressed into the middle.  This year I thought I'd change things up a bit and try my hand at chocolate shortbread. It was really difficult finding a recipe, but finally I stumbled upon one on the BBC website.  Some math converting later, I think I have successfully changed it so that you can bake them, too.

This recipe bakes up dark, rich, and not too sweet with bits of luscious chocolate dotted throughout.  Using the best quality chocolate you can find, such as Camino or Lindt makes these extra special.

Adapted from BBC Good Food

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup  sugar

1 1/3 cup flour

2 tbsp cocoa

pinch salt

50 grams high quality dark chocolate, chopped finely (such as half of a dark chocolate Lindt bar)

50 grams white chocolate, chopped finely

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk together.  Pour into the butter mixture and with the mixer on low, combine until it comes together in a dough.  Fold in the chopped chocolate.  Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and bring it together with your hands, before dividing the dough in half, wrapping in cling film, and chilling in the fridge for about an hour.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough out as best you can to about ¼ inch thick. It’s a bit hard when you have chunks of chocolate in it, but do the best you can. It’s okay if it’s a bit thicker, but you can pat it and move the dough around.  Cut the cookies out with a 1 ½ inch cutter and place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set when you touch the tops. 

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack until cooled completely.  Keep the cookies for a few days a room temperature in an airtight container on the counter, or freeze for a few months. 

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

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Lemon and Olive Chicken Tagine

 Preserved lemons are common in African or Moroccan food, and while you can make them at home yourself, it's possible to also buy them.  The jar in the photo above was given to me last fall and while I wasn't so sure what to make with it, I kept it until I found just the right recipe.  A little salty, a bit tart, but still with a lemony flavour, they are really very interesting.  Still, I reduced the amount used in this recipe to one since my guys aren't that adventurous with their food.

While the resulting dish wasn't that pretty (below), the flavor was incredible!  There isn't a lot of sauce but the chicken breaks down into tender pieces, and spooned over rice, this was a dinner to remember.  I took the leftovers to lunch the next day and they were even better. 

Adapted from 10 Dollar Dinners

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or bone in, skinless thighs)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

¼ cup dry white wine (optional-you could use chicken broth)

¼ cup chicken broth

1 store bought or home made preserved lemons, sliced into wedges

½ cup pitted olives, either black or green, smashed gently with a knife

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, warm the butter and oil together until the butter is melted and bubbly.   Add the chicken thighs, rounded side down, and cook until browned.  Flip over and brown the other side.   Remove chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Using the same skillet, sauté the onion and ginger together until translucent.  Add the turmeric and cinnamon, stirring for another minute to let the flavors develop.  Stir in garlic, parsley, and cilantro.  Cook, stirring around, for a bit until you can smell the garlic cooking.  Watch carefully because you don’t want the garlic or bits on the bottom of the pan to burn.  If it starts to Stir in the wine, moving it around to scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken broth and give it a good stir before adding the chicken thighs back to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn it down to low and cover. Simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes (45 for bone in thighs), until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir in the preserved lemon and olives and bring up to a bubble once again until warmed through.  

Serve with rice, spooning juices over top.

Serves 4

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