With Christmas just around the corner, baking for the season is stepping forward and taking it’s turn in the spotlight. We love gift giving and sometimes, something made at home, given from the heart, is the best kind of gift.

We’ll be making a large batch of these Chocolate Shortbread Biscuits, for my son to share with his classmates at the end of the school year. These little delights are nut free and egg free, so they’re the perfect gift for an allergy aware school.

Chocolate Shortbread

Ingredients

250g butter at room temperature (I use the salt reduced butter)

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tbs cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/2 cup grated dark chocolate

2 cups plain all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornflour (can be replaced with plain flour)

Icing Sugar (for sprinkling)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius.

Line 3 baking trays with baking paper or parchment.

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until it’s light and creamy.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the vanilla extract and sift the flours, cocoa and bicarbonate soda into the bowl. Add the grated chocolate.

Beat again until it’s all combined.

Take small amounts of dough, roll around in the palms of your hands for form balls approximately the size of a walnut. Press these onto the baking tray with your 3 middle fingers.

Ensure there is space around each biscuit as they will spread when they’re baking.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Stand for a few minutes and then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack. They’re still a little soft at this point, but will firm up once cool.

Sprinkle some icing sugar and they’re ready to eat.

These biscuits are fun for kids to help with… especially if they’re making them for their friends. When it’s time to give them out to classmates, we will place them in little cellophane bags, tied with a little bit of gold ribbon.

Happy Baking!