Chocolate needs to be included somewhere in any variation of a recipe. Shortbread is not different. Sure, there is a standard variation on a chocolate chip cookie whereby chocolate chips are added to the classic shortbread recipe. That’s fine and has also been done many times. The classics are great but I wanted to go beyond just making a list of classic variations. That’s when i started thinking, what goes well with chocolate or what else contains chocolate in it? This is how Habanaro Chocolate Shortbread came to be. I first tried just plane chili powder and chocolate but that fiery punch of taste just wasn’t there. A fellow kitchen experimenter brought over some Habanaro powder and that’s what was needed to add in that fiery punch of flavour. These are great cookies and while some cookie traditionalists will be confused by the fiery, spicy taste, others will take it as a challenge to get through an entire cookie, while others will just enjoy the combination of flavours. Either way, it’s a great cookie!
PrintIngredients
- 1c flour
- 1/2 c cornstarch
- 1/2 c icing sugar
- 3/4 c butter
- 1/2 c chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp Habanaro chilli powder
Directions
- Cream together first four ingredients.
- Mix in chocolate chips and Habanaro powder.
- Roll out into 1 inch balls.
- Flatten with fork onto cookie sheet.
- Chill in fridge for 30-60 minutes.
- Heat oven to 300F.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and on the bottom.
Notes: Again, I’m not a cook and I’m sure there are many techniques to baking that would make the above recipes tastier. In any case, I hope you enjoy the recipe and the results.
Some variations on the classic shortbread recipe involve adding in extra liquid. With those recipes I find you get a shortbread that spreads out more than usual. If you don’t want this then I suggest reducing the amount of butter a bit or increasing the dry ingredients a bit.
For the savory shortbreads I would suggest limiting the sugar content. I will keep working on the ratio of sweet to savory for those but the do smell wonderful when you take them out of the oven!
Tea Pairings: Good question. Honestly, I think shortbread goes with anything! And tea goes with anything too! So, it’s a match made in heaven. I have tried different teas with each of the shortbread varieties with no particular pairing methodology behind the pairing. Each tea I have used can stand on its own.
Modifications: When I chose this as one of the variations for the 12 days of shortbread I had also tried a chili or Habanaro cheddar shortbread variation as cheese and chili go great together. That was also a very nice and definitely worth mentioning variation. For the Habanaro – Cheddar variation instead of chocolate chips add in 1/2 – 3/4 c grated cheddar cheese and then Habanaro powder to taste. The Habanaro powder along with the cheddar cheese give these shortbread cookies a wonderful, warm, rich orange colour.
References:
- 17 Incredibly Perfect Tea and Biscuit Combinations, Emma Cooke, March 2016, buzzfeed.com, URL: https://www.buzzfeed.com/emmacooke24/digestives-and-breakfast-tea-is-life
- The best tea and biscuit pairings, Niamh Ollerton, Nov 2016, lovefood.com, URL: https://www.lovefood.com/news/56428/tea-biscuit-pairings-breakfast-tea-chocolate-hobnob-earl-grey-ginger-nut
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