Easy Old School Chocolate Shortbread

I have nostalgic childhood memories of deliciously chunky Chocolate Shortbread from my school days. Sometimes it was covered in mint custard and sometimes served alone cut into triangles and sprinkled in sugar. Either way it was just lush. This recipe brings it back into your grown up home albeit sans mint custard. I don't miss it with this recipe, it is just so incredibly good.

A piece of this and a hot cup of something makes me forget all my parental stress just for a chocolate shortbread moment and we all need some of those.

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• Chocolate Shortbread Recipe
• Equipment Required
• Recipe
• Method
• Can you make Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with this recipe?
• Tips
• More Chocolate Recipes
• Chocolate Shortbread

Chocolate Shortbread Recipe

In that first bite I am back at school clutching a twenty pence piece in my ink stained fingers and queuing in the dinner hall at break.

We were actually spoilt for choice at school and I still remember with adult longing the chocolate cracknell and Iced Buns that were freshly baked each day by the scary dinner ladies with white hats and ruddy hands.

How lucky were we? Nowadays the poor kids are lucky if they even get a sniff at school of a full fat yoghurt.

*There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.*

This is as easy as any recipe gets.

Equipment Required

• food processor, free standing mixer, hand held electric whisk or large mixing bowl and wooden spoon
• scales
• 8 " square baking tin or similar - lined with baking paper or a reusable liner such as bakoglide

Recipe

• 225 grams ( 8oz) plain flour
• 50 grams ( 1.5oz) cocoa powder (the darker the cocoa powder the deeper the chocolate flavour)
• 140 grams ( 5oz) caster sugar (can use golden caster sugar or granulated sugar)
• 200 grams ( 7oz) unsalted or salted butter (soft)

Method

• You can simply put the dry ingredients in a largish food processor and whizz to combine.
• You can also make this recipe just as easily in a free standing mixer using the paddle attachment or even with an electric hand held whisk as I have done in these shots.
• First of all preheat oven at 180 C/160 Fan/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
• Put 225 grams ( 8oz) plain flour, 50 grams ( 1.5oz) cocoa powder, 140 grams ( 5oz) caster sugar in a large mixing bowl

• Stir up all the dry ingredients well so it's not .

• Add 200 grams ( 7oz) unsalted or salted butter (soft) cubed on top.

• Mix with a mixer, gently at first as until the butter gets a grip of the dry ingredients there could be a cocoa flour shower.

• Tip the choccy rubble into the lined 8 " baking tray

• Use your fingers or knuckles to even out the mixture

• Then use a spoon to smooth it all out

• Bake it at 180 C/160 Fan/350 F/Gas Mark 4 for 25-35 mins or firm to the touch. It will firm up as it cools.

• Leave in tin to cool.
• Cut into triangles for nostalgic cocoa heaven.

• However any shapes will do. I'm just all about the retro here.
• Most suitably it is perfect for Lunchboxes.

Can you make Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with this recipe?

Yes and I have lots of times. I make them just as I do my classic Easy Shortbread Cookies.

• Simply roll the dough out to 1 cm thickness either between two pieces of baking paper or on a floured work surface with a little flour on top of the dough and on the rolling pin.
• Cut out the biscuits with your chosen cutters and transfer to a lined baking tray.
• Bake for about 12 minutes at 180 C/160 Fan/350 F/Gas Mark 4
• Leave on the baking tray to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely
• Store in a airtight container and they will last perfectly for about 14 days.
• I have frozen these cut out into shapes before baking and then baked from frozen for about 15 minutes at the normal temperature. I froze them cut out on a baking tray for an hour first before putting them all in a freezer bag and leaving them in there. They will last for a month frozen.

Tips

• You can make this recipe just as in the food processor in a free standing mixer using the paddle attachment or just in a mixing bowl. Simply use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. It is of course more time consuming than using the machines. Perhaps allow the butter to be softer and then chill the dough for 10 minutes before rolling out.
• I do wholeheartedly recommend a little independent oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary greatly even when your oven says it is at an accurate temperature. They are not always to be trusted. Watch the shortbread for the last five minutes in the oven to intervene if the top starts to burn. Turn the oven down a little or place a sheet of silver foil on top. If you use the silver foil you may need to bake for a little longer.
• You are looking for a firm top to the shortbread.
• The recipe is great for Chocolate Shortbread Cookies too.
• If the dough becomes difficult to handle/sticky when making Cookies then place the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes. 
• Store the Chocolate Shortbread in an air tight container and it will last well for up to 2 weeks.
• You can make this a gluten free recipe by using gluten free flour. However the texture may well be a little denser.

More Chocolate Recipes

• Chocolate Cookies
• Millionaires Shortbread
• Delicious Traybake Recipes
• Easy Chocolate Brownies
• Nutella Brownies
• Frozen Raspberry Brownies
• Terrys Chocolate Orange Brownies

Do let me know how you got on in the comments below or come on over and follow me on Facebook or Instagram. I love a good old hairy chin wag.