Alison Roman’s Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

By altschiller

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (255 grams) salted butter (see Note), cut into ½-inch pieces
• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces (175 grams) semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (but not too fine, you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
• 1 large egg (50 grams), beaten
• Demerara sugar, for rolling
• Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen, for sprinkling

Details

Adapted from bakefromscratch.com

Preparation

Step 1

Line a rimmed baking sheet (two, if you’ve got ’em) with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but I find using plastic wrap easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form two logs 2 to 2¼ inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the Demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
Slice each log into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheet(s) about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much), and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.
Notes
If you find it tragically annoying to buy salted butter just for this recipe, you can use unsalted butter and add ¾ teaspoon kosher salt to the flour.