This is the chocolate variation for my shortbread cookies series (visit my blog posts, Espresso Shortbread Cookies and Vanilla Shortbread Cookies, for other flavours). When I posted the cookie picture on my facebook page, a reader asked me how I created those beautiful little cracks on the surface. The secret lies in the aeration of butter. You will need to whip the butter a little bit longer until the colour starts to lighten a bit. When more air is trapped within, the cookie dough will expand more in the oven when heated, resulting in tiny cracks. If you want bigger, more pronounced cracks, you may even add in a dash of baking soda when mixing the dough. I will show you pictures at the end of the post for you to see the difference. You don’t want to use these strategies when making cutout cookies though. For cutout cookies, you will definitely want to keep the whipping to a minimum so the cookies won’t spread out nor expand in the oven since cookies will crack and lose their shapes in this way. I’ve shared some of my tips for making tender cookies and maintaining cookie shapes in my blog posts such as Vanilla Bean Cutout Cookies, Chocolate Cutout Cookies (Soft and Tender), Espresso Cutout Cookies. The mixing method and technique I used are very different from the recipe I am sharing below. If you have time, please go and take a look.
這是牛油酥餅曲奇系列的朱古力版本(其他口味可參考特濃咖啡牛油酥餅和雲呢拿牛油酥餅曲奇兩篇網誌)，上星期EC在專頁分享曲奇照片時。有讀者問到曲奇表面上的小裂紋是如何造成的。當中的秘訣在於牛油的打發程度，只要打牛油時打到牛油顏色開始轉淡，令牛油充滿多些空氣，麵團在焗爐中遇熱便會膨脹，形成漂亮的小裂紋了。若果想裂紋更大更明顯，則可在製作過程中添加少量梳打粉增加膨脹速度，EC在網誌末端會附上加了梳打粉的曲奇照片，讓大家對比一下加了梳打粉之後的效果。但要切記打發牛油至顏色轉淡和加入梳打粉這兩種做法絕不適合用於印模曲奇哦！在製作印模曲奇時，我們需要盡量避免把空氣打入牛油當中，以免曲奇麵團在烘焙過程中過份膨脹和往外瀉，使曲奇因此而走樣或裂開。EC在雲尼拿印模曲奇、朱古力印模曲奇(鬆化口感)和特濃咖啡印模曲奇等網誌均分享過令曲奇酥鬆和保持形狀的心得，當中的細節—如麵團的攪拌方法和造型—跟以下分享的酥餅曲奇是截然不同的，大家有時間的話也可以去看看。
These cookies are designed to be hand-shaped. For piped shortbread cookies, please visit my blog post, Piped Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.
這個曲奇造型是用手搓的，若想做成唧花曲奇可參考朱古力牛油唧花酥餅。
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
朱古力牛油酥餅曲奇
Makes 30
30塊份量
Ingredients
150 g salted butter (slightly softened)
60 g icing sugar
12 g unsweetened cocoa powder (use 17 g for a more intense flavour)
110 g all purpose flour
80 g cornstarch
材料
含鹽牛油 (少許回溫) 150克
糖霜 60克
無糖可可粉 12克(若要更濃味可使用17克)
中筋麵粉 110克
粟粉 80克
Directions 做法
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, beat butter on low speed until smooth. Add icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix briefly on low speed, then switch to medium speed and beat until mixture has lightened slightly. Scape down the sides of the bowl as needed
牛油放入攪拌盆中，以電動打蛋器或座枱式攪拌器(使用攪拌槳配件)低速打至順滑，加入糖霜和可可粉略混合後轉中速打發至牛油顏色少許轉淡，用膠刮清理盆邊。
In a large bowl, combine and sift together the flour and cornstarch. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two additions and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Switch to a spatula and finish mixing by hand while scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to form a soft and pliable dough that is slightly sticky. Do not over-mix. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (the dough will become less sticky by then).
大碗內放麵粉和粟粉拌勻，分兩次篩入牛油混合物中低速拌至差不多沒有粉粒，轉用膠刮清理盆底和盆邊再輕手整合成柔軟、帶點黏手的軟麵團，不要過度攪拌，以保鮮紙包好麵團，室溫休息30分鐘( 材料融合後麵團會變得較不黏手)。
Preheat the oven to 325℉/160℃ with fan. Divide the dough evenly into 30 portions, 13 to 14 g each. Roll each into a ball then arrange the dough balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough balls into thick discs with your palm. The dough will spread out a little in the oven so make sure to leave enough space between them.
預熱焗爐(使用熱風對流模式)至325℉/160℃，將麵團平均分成30份，每份約13至14克。輕搓成小圓球後排放在墊了牛油紙的焗盆上，輕輕用掌心壓扁成厚片，麵團會往外擴展因此排放時麵團之間要互留空間。
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool cookies completely on the cookie sheet on a cooling rack. For better texture, store cooled cookies in an airtight container and allow the cookies to rest and develop flavour for at least half a day before consuming.
入爐焗大約25分鐘後取出，連焗盆放在鋼架上完全放涼，把已放涼的曲奇存放在密實盒中，室溫休息至少半天，待味道融合餅身整體穩定後才享用風味更佳。
For more pronounced cracks, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda (top picture). The ones on top were made with more cocoa powder (17 g) but my kids said the cookies were a bit on the bitter side for them.
(上圖)：加入少量梳打粉(大約1/8茶匙) 可令曲奇裂紋更加明顯，上圖曲奇的可可粉份量比下圖多(上圖使用17克)，但孩子們認為朱古力味過重，對他們而言帶點苦。
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