Last month my husband and I made a quick decision to buy a house. This house, however, is not built yet. So we are currently in the process of watching our first home being built. There are a lot of little things we are learning about home construction. Luckily, we know of a couple of friends who are going through the same. One of the tips we were given was to visit the house site often and bring the workers home baked treats. This sounds like a job for me!
I scoured all of my baking resources for the perfect cookie to bring with me and James on our first visit. I settled on an espresso shortbread from Dorie Greenspan’s book Baking: from my home to yours.
I’ve never made shortbread before, but I have eaten plenty of them. To me, shortbread is basically sweetened butter. And who doesn’t love butter?!
The Espresso Shortbread was extremely easy to make. Simple pantry staples like butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and flour is all it really needed to make. The dough was then rolled to the desired shape and thickness in a plastic bag and placed in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, I cut the cold dough into even squares and pricked each square twice with a fork. They then cooked in the oven for 20 minutes. Easily one of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made, and that’s including the basic chocolate chip cookies!
After James’ morning nap, we headed out to our future home. Our house now has the foundation poured and its getting easier to see how the end result will look like. July seems so far away!
I was finally able to flag down one of the workers, who I’m sure was not prepared to talk to me, and I handed him the bag of shortbread. The poor guy then felt obligated to stand with me for a bit and make small talk, when I’m sure he would have much rather hid behind the concrete machine.
We couldn’t stay for long, because the wind was insane and I was afraid it would carry James away from me. So we said goodbye, James even waved, took one last look at hour soon-to-be home and took off.
Now the whole point of this is to build up a good relationship with the people who are building our house. The hope is that if we need something done, we won’t just be strangers in an email thread but instead actual living people who have a face. Plus, you know, it doesn’t kill you to be nice.
These cookies are absolutely delicious. they would be perfect with your perfect hot beverage in the morning. Heck, they’d be great with just about anything! These cookies are the perfect bribe.
Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
By: Dorie Greenspan, Baking: from my home to yours
Ingredients
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.
3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9-x-10 1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t create creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
6. Bake fore 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the halfway point. The shortbreads will be very pale-they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.
7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.
Piece of Cake 