Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies & Hot Chocolate

shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate

After a big holiday blow-out, there’s nothing better than spending a cozy night in! These Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies and my yummy Hot Chocolate go perfectly together. Eat them while watching your favorite movie!

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup unbleached white flour
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup safflower oil
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 1 t fine sea salt

Chocolate Coating

  • 2 cups grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 T safflower oil

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Combine the flours and baking powder in a large mixing bowl
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, syrup, vanilla extract, and salt
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to form a smooth dough
  5. If the mixture is too crumbly, add a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and up to 1 tablespoon more oil until the dough just holds together
  6. Roll the dough out to ½” thickness between two sheets of parchment or wax paper
  7. Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut the dough into desired shapes
  8. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet
  9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned
  10. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely
  11. While the cookies are cooling, combine the chocolate chips, syrup, and oil in the top of a double boiler and place over simmering water
  12. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a stainless steel bowl over boiling water and melt the ingredients in it
  13. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until the chocolate melts
  14. Stir until smooth
  15. Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate sauce, and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper
  16. Chill in the refrigerator until hardened

hot chocolate

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup soy/rice milk blend
  • 1 t unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 T grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
  • 1/4 t vanilla extract
  • 1 t maple syrup
  • Optional toppings: vegan marshmallows, nondairy whipped topping, or chocolate shavings

Steps

  1. Whisk the milk, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and syrup together in a small saucepan
  2. Place over medium heat
  3. Cook until the chocolate chips are melted, whisking occasionally
  4. Serve naked or with your choice of topping