Two (successful) experiments rolled into one chocolatey goodness...

Technically, in my cookies A to Z quest, I am currently on the letter E.   I have an E cookie planned but I was easily distracted, wanted to do some experimenting and ended up with another cookie which started with the letter C.   I could have lied and called these the "Everybody Loves Chocolate Shortbread" cookie or "Everyday Shortbread", etc but really, who wins in that situation?  So, Chocolate Shortbread...Victor bought me a cookie gun back in April that I was anxious to check out, I wanted to experiment with using some pressed dutch cocoa and I was wondering how to make a nice crumbly shortbread. The key to the crumbly shortbread feel it turns out is baking the cookies at 250 degrees for 45 minutes rather than the usual cookie heat/time of 325 degrees for 10 minutes.  These cookies, while maintaining the dry shortbread crumb were somehow fudgey at the same time.   The cookie gun performed splendidly as you can tell from the picture above.    The recipe is from www.astray.com/recipes (which cites 365 Great Chocolate Deserts). 

2 sticks of unsalted butter softened slightly

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 Unsweetened cocoa powder

dash salt

In medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add flour cocoa and salt.  Beat on medium until dough comes together about 2 to 3 min.   The recipes calls for the cookies to be rolled out on a floured board at this point, but I added to the cookie gun and just pressed out some shapes.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Refrigerate 1 hour if time allows.   Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F.  Bake cookies 45 min or until firm.  Let cookies cool on pans 5 min then remove to rack completely.  Note that the low cooking temp is critical to the success of these cookies, so do not deviate on that aspect.