Chocolate Shortbread Heart Favour Recipe

Imagine you’re at a friend or family member’s wedding and for you, it has been a big day. From hair, makeup and making sure your outfit is ‘just right’, to witnessing the emotion of the ceremony and the ‘in-between’ quiet time before the reception. You make your way to your seat and there on the table, just for you, lies a sweet little bundle of lovingly handmade chocolate shortbread love hearts. Aren’t you glad to see them? You enjoy one as a before-dinner treat before entree is served, one on the taxi ride home and a few to share with a cup of tea after a lazy sleep-in the next morning.

If you decide not to use these cookies as favours, they could be on offer on a table near the dance floor, or served as part of a dessert buffet. There is no doubt that your guests will love these chocolate shortbread cookies. And the best thing is that you will love them too.

The mixture is fail proof – one batch makes a good amount and is easily multiplied if you have the time to make a few batches in one sitting. The only slightly fiddly part is the chocolate addition. They are of course perfectly acceptable, and I’m certain preferred by some, in their plain, non-chocolate form. But as with any question regarding whether the chocolate is necessary, the answer is yes. Always yes!

You Will Need:
For the shortbread – makes approximately 20 small hearts
2 x baking trays lined with baking paper
A small heart-shaped cookie cutter
Rolling pin
1 x teaspoon

150g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
90g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1 egg yolk
200g dark cooking chocolate buttons

For wrapping
Clear cellophane bags
Grosgrain ribbon
Scissors

What To Do:
Step One. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celsius. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy – approximately 8 minutes.

Step Two. Sift flour over butter mixture. Add egg yolk. Mix until combined.

Step Three. Lightly flour a board and place the dough onto it. Knead lightly for a few minutes until smooth. Flour the rolling pin and roll dough out to approximately 5mm.

Step Four. Using the heart shape cutter, cut out the hearts and place them, one at a time, onto the prepared baking tray. If you feel it’s easier, you might like to try using a spatula to transfer the hearts. Once you have used all the dough on one rolled out sheet, knead the remaining dough and roll again to the same thickness. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Step Five. Bake in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Once the biscuits have changed colour ever so slightly to golden, remove from oven. Allow to cool on trays.

Step Six. Melt chocolate by heating the water in a small saucepan over low heat. Sit a heat proof bowl above it and empty the chocolate buttons into the bowl. Stir continuously until melted and shiny.

Step Seven. Using a teaspoon, spoon a small amount of the melted chocolate onto each cookie and spread to the shape of the love heart. Allow to set.

Step Eight. Place a few cookies into each cellophane bag. Tie with grosgrain ribbon. If you feel inclined, you can attach a label to personalise the cookies. Enjoy!