Festive Dark Chocolate Shortbread

Shortbread is a great gift to give around the holidays.  It is simple to make, yet it is delicious.  Not to mention that it looks pretty in containers and travels well.  So this year it made it onto my list of Christmas cookies.  A few years back I had been reading a magazine and came across an idea to put fleur de sel in chocolate shortbread.  I decided to try it for myself, and the results were amazing!  It intensified the deep chocolate flavor to a new level creating something that gave you pure joy the moment you bit into it.  I have since tweaked the recipe a bit, but it is still heavenly and lends itself to variations.  Such as adding in fruit and nuts around the holidays to make it more festive! 

It usually has simply chocolate chunks or chips, but this time I made it with pistachios and dried cranberries to add little pops of red and green as well as texture and flavor contrasts.  The pistachios give it a nice nutty crunch, and the tart cranberries are like little bursts of tart flavor in the sweet chocolate base.  I usually cut it into sixteen triangles when it is simply chocolate, but due to all of the wonderful add ins it had to be larger pieces this time.  More to enjoy! 

This shortbread is so good and so simple to make, there is no excuse not to.  If you make this, I can guarantee you will not be able to eat just one piece.  It is a bit addictive.  If you make this and give it to your coworkers as a Christmas gift, they will love you! 

Intense Chocolate Shortbread with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries

Makes 12 shortbreads

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli)

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick plus 3 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup maple sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
3/4 tsp fleur de sel
6 oz good quality vegan chocolate, chopped, or chips
3/4 cup toasted shelled salted pistchios
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.  In a large bowl, beat together butter, maple sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and fleur de sel until light and fluffy. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined, and then the pistachios, cranberries, and chocolate until well incorporated.  Turn out into a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, and press firmly into the bottom to the sides, and flat.  Score the dough into 12 triangles, sprinkle with turbinado sugar (press in) and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until set.  When done baking, score again, and cool on a wire rack completely before unmolding.