From the kitchen of Susan Spicer-McGarry
Buttery, rich, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture, this shortbread is said to have been the favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II when at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Though fit for royalty, it is simple to make and calls for standard ingredients. Cornstarch is the key to this delicate shortbread that crumbles into buttery perfection with every bite.
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
One teaspoon salt
One or two teaspoons natural vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20 minutes. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter and vanilla and lightly bring the mixture together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Take care not to over mix. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead to form a dough. Press the dough into a parchment lined 10 x 10 glass baking dish. To form the classic shortbread shape, use a sharp knife to divide the dough down the center. Then cut each half into five equal rectangles. Use a fork to prick the surface of the shortbread all over and bake for around 20 minutes until the shortbread is a light sandy color. Shortbread should not be browned. Once baked, remove from the oven and use a sharp knife to gently re-score the surface of the shortbread while it is still hot. This will allow the cooled shortbread to break apart more accurately. Gently remove the shortbread from the baking dish after it has cooled. When completely cooled, separate the shortbread and dip each section in melted ruby chocolate. Place on parchment paper until set.
Charles Ruby Chocolate available at Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, NJ
Ruby Chocolate: The 4th Chocolate
“All I do the whole day through, is dream of chocolate. Morning, noon, and nighttime, too, I dream of chocolate…Ruby chocolate: red-pink color, fruity bouquet, velvety, semi-sweet, exotic, and complex with delicate undertones of sun ripened strawberries, fresh sour notes and a fleeting malt finish.” —Susan Spicer-McGarry
A gift of nature that surprises and delights with its exceptional natural red-pink color, perfect tension between cacao and berry fruitiness, and luscious smoothness, ruby chocolate is the most uncommon chocolate, born from the ruby cocoa beans that thrive in Brazil, Ecuador and the Ivory Coast. An entirely new chocolate experience without added color or flavoring. Discovered in 2004 by Belgian-Swiss cocoa company, Barry Callebaut and introduced in 2017 as the fourth natural chocolate, ruby chocolate is a new addition to the traditional dark, milk, and white chocolate varieties.
