White Chocolate Shortbread Cookie Bar

The weather have been very cooling for the past 2 weeks. Really feels like Christmas is coming. To start off my Christmas bakes, I made a shortbread cookie from a recipe that I kept to bake in the cooler months. This recipe yielded a shortbread cookie bar that holds it shape but once you bite into it, the richness of the butter and crumbly cookie will melt in your mouth. 

To make it festive, the cookie bar was topped with melted Callebuat white chocolate, sprinkled with some chopped cranberry, apricot and a little hundreds and thousands. 

 
White Chocolate Shortbread Cookie Bar

Ingredients:

146g butter, softened

68g granulated sugar

146g organic unbleached flour

68g rice flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
200g white chocolate (I used Callebaut white chocolate)

30g cranberry, chopped

30g apricot, chopped

2 tsp hundreds and thousands (optional)

Steps to Shortbread:

• Butter and line a 15 by 15 cm square pan, leaving a over hang of 5 cm of baking paper; this will make removing the shortbread from the pan much easier. Set aside.
• Sieve the flours into a large bowl and set aside.
• Cream butter+sugar+salt, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mixed until incorporated.
• Add flours and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mixed.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared square pan. Smooth out the surface as smoothly as you can.
• Prick the surface of the dough with a fork.
• Place the pan in the fridge for at least 30 min to chill and firm up.
• Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and bake the shortbread for 30 - 35 min, in the middle of the oven, or till edges are lightly golden brown.
• Let the shortbread cool in the pan for 5 - 10 min before removing it from the pan onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave oven. 
• Place the cooled shortbread back into the square pan and pour the melted white chocolate over it. Using a offset spatula or back of a spoon evenly spread the white chocolate over the surface. Sprinkle the chopped cranberry, apricot and hundreds and thousands over the white chocolate. Once done, chill the assembled shortbread in the fridge for 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set. 
• Once the chocolate is set, you can cut it into any desired shape or just simply into square pieces.

These are best pair with a good cup of hot tea or coffee.

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