Chocolate Dipped Lavender Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
Homestead Lady Tessa Zundel
Here's a long-ferment sourdough shortbread cookie with lavender. Dip one side in dark chocolate for a rich addition to this classically delectable treat. Use fresh seasonal lavender or preserved, and a long, cold fermentation cycle to preserve texture and improve taste.
8 Oz.Organic Dark Chocolate ChipsOr Low Carb Dark Chocolate Chips
1Tbsp.Coconut Oil
Instructions
Cream 1 1/2 cups of room temperature butter, 3/4 cups of organic cane sugar (or 1/2cup of low carb sugar), and 1 tsp. or vanilla until smooth.
In a seperate bowl, combine the 3 1/2 cups of flour and 1 tsp. of sea salt.
Add 2 cups of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine until incorporated.
Add 1/2 cup of sourdough discard and the rest of the flour to the mixing bowl and mix only until incorporated. Do not overmix.
If you still have stray bits of dough balls in the bottom of your bowl, stop the mixer and knead the rest in by hand. Your warm hands will help the butter envelop the the last bits of flour.
Ball the dough and place it into a bowl with a lid. Mark the date and time, and place it into the refrigerator to ferment slowly.
After at least twelve hours, remove the dough from the fridge and form it into a tight rectangle or log as soon as it's workable. Slice into 18 cookies and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350F/176C for 15-20 minutes for a light cookie, 20-25 minutes for slightly browned edges.
Remove the parchment paper with the cookies onto a baker's rack to set up. Once firm, remove the cookies from the parchment paper to continue cooling on the rack. Reserve the parchment paper.
To Dip the Cookies
While the cookies are cooling, mix 8 oz. of dark chocolate chips and 1 tbsp. of coconut oil in double boiler over medium heat. Stir continually once the chocolate begins to melt to avoid scorching.
Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, remove it from the heat onto a heat resistant surface. Dip the lower half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place it onto the reserved parchment paper to set up.
If you have leftover chocolate, you can spoon it out to set up on the parchment paper for later use. You can also ladel it over the top half of the cookies to further decorate them in chocolate.
Notes
This recipe yields anywhere from 1-3 dozen, depending on how you cut the shortbread.
ChocZero brand vanilla can be purchase on their website at: Choczero.com.
When mixing up a sourdough treat like cookies, you don't want to overmix the dough at any point. Overmixing will result in a bready texture.This is why you add the starter in with the last bit of flour for this recipe. With the generous amount of butter, you won't need to mix long to incorporate.If you're busy, you can keep the dough in the fridge for 3-5 days before you bake it. Be aware that the lavender oils will continue to infuse into the cookie dough the longer it sits.If you have leftover chocolate, you can spoon it out to set up on the parchment paper for later use.
You can also ladel it over the top half of the cookies to further decorate them in chocolate.
While the chocolate is still hot on the cookie, you may sprinkle it with lavender for further flavor and effect.
You may also sprinkle the chocolate with lavender infused sugar.
Keyword dark chocolate, herbal, sourdough discard cookies