I made this chocolate chunk shortbread for the second year running as part of my Christmas cookie menu and OMG it was such a hit both times. Youngs, olds everyone loves this shortbread. They are salty and sweet and have this delicious crunchy fringe of demerara sugar that is spectacularly good. This year I made my cookies smaller and they were even better with a higher ratio of crunchy sugar fringe to cookie.

Shortbread is always a good keeper and I love a biscuit you can forget about for a week or so and when you finally remember them they are just as good if not better. I also like a biscuit where you can space out the making of the dough and the baking. This dough can be rolled into logs can be kept in the fridge or freezer until you have the energy to bake. These biscuits are too good wait for the annual Christmas bake off, bake a batch now, hide the tin and forget about them until you need an treat for unexpected visitors or simply enjoy them all by yourself.

Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

Adapted from Alison Roman’s Dining In

• 250g salted butter cold cut into small pieces (If using unsalted butter add 3/4 teaspoon of salt)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plain flour
• 170 grams semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate chopped roughly (You want proper chunks not shards)
• 1 large egg
• Demerara, turbinado, raw or sanding sugar for rolling the logs
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

1. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy
2. Add flour and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chucks and mix until distributed through dough. The dough will be a little crumbly so don’t over mix.
3. Divide dough into three and place on separate pieces of baking parchment or gladwrap. Roll dough into logs about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to a week in the fridge. Or the logs can be frozen for up to month.
4. When you’re ready to bake. Pre-heat oven to 170C. Unwrap a log of dough and brush outside generously with beaten egg. Roll log in demerara sugar until outside of log is well coated. This is a bit of a messy process as you have to press the sugar onto the dough to get it to stick properly.
5. Slice logs into about 1 cm thicknesses. Place on lined baking tray, sprinkle cookies with salt flakes and bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown on the edges. I like to bake my shortbread quite ‘hard’ as it keeps better. I’m all about biscuits keeping longer in the tin.
6. Allow to cool for a bit on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This shortbread keeps well in the tin for at least a week (or even two)