Sometimes only a square of shortbread will do. When I need comfort or a little afternoon pick me up, it’s hard to resist the call of a buttery, crumbly piece of shortbread – even more so if I can find some with dark chocolate chips in it.
Good ol’ Marks and Spencer is my usual failsafe haunt in times of need, but finding myself stuck at home during the lockdown, meant I needed to find a different way to get my fix. I first started making shortbread while working at Pendennis Castle Coffee Shop back in my student days. It might sound a bit of a cliché, but home-made is so much better than shop-brought and it really is a cinch to make. It’s got to be real butter though and the cornflour is essential for a super-soft texture – just make sure you don’t overwork the dough though, it barely needs to come together, otherwise, it will become tough.
Personally, I like a dark chocolate chip in my shortbread, but why not experiment with milk or white chocolate instead, or even a combination? You can even get butterscotch, fudge and peanut butter chips these days, so let your imagination go wild!