I have a confession to make. Before I see a movie or buy/read a book, I want to know what others have thought and/or have said about it. I read all of the reviews available, check to see the film ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and/or look at how many stars a book has on Amazon or Goodreads. Although I haven't done any extensive research confirm whether or not the algorithms used to generate these ratings are true, universal indicators of the quality of a film or book, my working hypothesis is they aren't. Yet, in all honesty these sources sometimes influence my decisions. And then sometimes they don't. Yes, I have have been guilty of suffering from FOMO. However, the genre or story still has to interest or speak to me. Hype combined with the opinions of those who take the time (or are paid) to share them can sometimes lead to unrealistic high or low ratings as well as expectations. Worse yet, they can lead to regretful decisions. I have never walked out of a movie but do have a stack of unread books to prove this. Have you ever been lulled into seeing a movie or reading book based on its' hype and then found yourself saying 'what was all the fuss about'? If you haven't, you are lucky. Have you ever decided to see a film or read a book with less than a four star review and wondered how it could have been so under-rated? If you have, you are in good company. Or, have there been any books you labored through or set down for months before finally going back to? Only to later realize giving up on them completely would have been a huge mistake. If you have, you can appreciate why persistence can have its' rewards. Most recently that book for me was 'A Gentlemen in Moscow'. Had I put it back on the book shelf after the 'first hundred pages' (the no explainable limit I set), I might still be wondering why so many found it compelling or why it earned not 4 but 4.5 stars on Amazon. Fortunately I now know why. And after going on endlessly singing the praises of the film 'Get Out', I learned some of my friends may begin to think twice about taking a movie recommendation from me!
If you have made any inferences about my views on reviews and ratings, the rest of this post may seem a bit out of character. Or maybe not. I might have left out the part where I can be both consistently inconsistent and predictable. Spoiler Alert: If this Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookie was a book, it would have a 5 star rating. And if it was a movie, it would have a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
They are described by cookbook author Alison Roman as a "less chocolate chip cookie, more brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chunks-they just might be the cookie you've been looking for." If those words aren't enough to inspire you to make her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookie recipe, well maybe the hundreds of photos of them posted on Instagram in the last couple of weeks will whet your appetite for them. For those of you who don't believe every viral or trending photo of a recipe is worthy of being made (and in some cases it's not), this would be the time to BELIEVE. For those of you who suffer from FOMO, your fear would be considered clinically real this time if you don't make them. And for those of who you pride yourselves on not jumping on every new bandwagon along with having the patience of Job, all I can say is there comes a time in your life when you need to become a fast follower. There may have never been a cookie worthy of all of the rave reviews, accolades, and best cookie of year nominations this shortbread cookie has received thus far. I am here to say they live up to their hype.
Light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, semi-sweet or dark chocolate and salted (yes salted) butter are six of the ingredients needed to make these Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies gaining a cult following. Flaky sea salt, demerara sugar, and one egg are the remaining three finishing ingredients. But let's go back to the butter for a moment. This may be the only cookie I have made specifically calling for salted butter. Alison Roman shares you can use unsalted butter but will need to add 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Although the salted butter adds a depth of flavor you won't experience if you use unsalted butter and salt. And after reading all the reviews about this cookie, there was overwhelming consensus advocating for the use of salted butter rather than the unsalted butter/salt option. So who was I to argue with both the recipe creator and consensus? I used salted butter or rather a European salted butter. My taste buds strongly believe there is a discernible taste difference between American and European butters, particularly in baked goods, and especially in things like cookies and caramels. So if the dominate flavor of a cookie comes from butter, I will use a European butter.
I thought I committed the number of grams in one cup of flour to memory. But I second guessed myself when I started making these cookies. Which invariably led me to do a 'grams to cup for all-purpose (AP)' search. And much to my dismay, there was not a hard, fast universal gram to one cup of flour measurement. Gram weights were as low as 120 g and as high as 130 g, with 123g, 125g, and 127g options. In other words, there wasn't a gram weight consensus. I used 120g when making this first batch of cookies (as it's the weight I have used before), however, after making them I would recommend using the 130g to a one cup measurement to ensure your cookie has a denser shortbread consistency and spreads less in the baking process (my shortbread seemed 'bigger' than the hundreds of photos of them posted to Instagram). Don't get me wrong, the first 120 g per cup version of this shortbread got rave reviews. But they have may have tasted the four and a half star version.
Sifting the flour is not required. So why would I sift the flour when it specifically did not call for it? Call it force of habit. In other words, you don't have or need to sift the flour when making this shortbread. Some might say you shouldn't.
If there are any downsides to this shortbread cookie it's having to wait (at least) two hours after making the batter before baking them. But good things really do come to those who wait. After dividing the dough half and wrapping in plastic wrap, it is shaped into 2" to 2 1/4" logs before going into the refrigerator to let the magic happen. Note: The dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to one week in the refrigerator, or one month in the freezer.
Before slicing and baking the cookie logs, they are brushed with a lightly beaten egg and rolled in demerara sugar. The demerara sugar helps to create crispy, sugary edges. Turning every bite of this buttery, chocolatey shortbread cookie into a head-spinning experience. After laying the slices of the shortbread dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with a flaky sea salt (Maldon is one of my favorites).
Use your sharpest serrated knife when cutting your completely firmed up, chilled logs into 1/2" slices. You will invariably hit some chunks of the chocolate when cutting, so slice slowly. If by chance any of your slices break apart (and they might), carefully reshape them using your hands.
In a 350 degree (F) oven the cookies bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn brown. My baking time was slightly over 15 minutes, quite possibly because they were on the larger size. Allow the shortbread to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack. Those five minutes will seem like an eternity.
These Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies are pure bliss. Serve with a glass of milk and be prepared to enter into a euphoric state unlike anything you have experienced. This would truth not hype. Quite possibly after one bite you may also find yourself seriously considering permanently or temporarily abandoning your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's only my opinion, but I don't think these cookies are worthy of the cookie of year nomination. I think they should be nominated for cookie of the decade.
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (quite possibly one of the most favorite, most photographed recipes from Alison Ronan's new cookbook "Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes")
Makes 18-24 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (256 g) room temperature salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (recommend a European salted butter)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
2 1/4 cups (292.5 g) all-purpose flour (sifting is optional)
6 ounces (171 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (but not too finely as you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt, for finishing before baking (Recommend Maldon Sea Salt)
Directions
1. Using an electric mixer and medium-sized bowl or a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until super light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
2. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add flour, followed by the chocolate chunks and beat only to blend.
3. Divide dough in half. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over the dough to keep your hands from getting sticky.
4. Using your hands, form dough into a log shape, rolling on the counter will help you smooth it out, but it won't be perfect. Each of the logs should be 2-2 1/4" inches in diameter. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Brush the outside of the shortbread logs with the egg wash. Roll in the demerara sugar.
7. Slice each shortbread log into 1/2" rounds. Arrange on baking sheet, placing approximately 1" apart.
8. Sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, approximately 12-15 minutes.
10. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
11. Serve immediately. Store any uneaten cookies in a tightly sealed container for 3 to 5 days (if they last that long).
Notes: (1) My shortbread cookies were probably on the larger size as my shortbread logs were 2 1/4" in diameter. As a result, the yield was 18 cookies. If you want slightly smaller and up to 24 cookies, roll out your logs closer to 2" in diameter. (2) I chopped up Trader Joe's dark chocolate for these cookies. If it is available near where you live, would highly recommend. (3) If possible use a European salted butter when making these cookies. Kerrygold is one of my favorites. (4) Sifting the flour is optional, not required.
Views of the Denison Homestead built in 1717 in Mystic CT (November 2017)
