Chocolate Short-Bread Cookies

These cookies are actually  “bar” cookies – they can be prepared either as rectangles, or squares, or if made in a round cake tin, they can be cut into triangular shapes, as in the photo above.

Since these cookies don’t have to be shaped individually before baking, they are easy to make, since you just cut them into the desired shapes after they are baked.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 250 grams (8.8 oz) butter
• 150 grams (5.2 oz) powdered sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 cups flour

For the filling:

• Nutella chocolate spread

Preparation:

1. Put all the dough ingredients into food processor. Process until the ingredients form a dough.
2. Remove from food processor, and put, covered, into the refrigerator, for at least half an hour.
3. Grease a cake pan – either a round one (for triangular slices), or a square or rectangular pan (for square or rectangular slices).
4. Press into the bottom of the pan approximately half the amount of dough. If using a pan that is not too big, you may need less than half the amt of dough for the bottom. The bottom crust should be rather thin – and should be even all around.
5. Refrigerate for a few minutes so that it firms up.
6. Spread Nutella chocolate spread on the dough.
7. Take the remaining ball of dough from the refrigerator, and grate it coarsely on top of the nutella chocolate spread which has been spread on the bottom dough. If you have leftover dough, put it in a little plastic bag, in the freezer; you can always use it in the future to make a few cookies, if you “need” a few cookies in an “emergency”.
8. Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F.
9. Bake for about 17-20 minutes, or till golden brown; the edges should begin to get color – this should not be overbaked – the color should be a nice golden brown. I always put an extra, empty, cookie sheet on the bottom of the oven, or directly under the baking pan with the cookies, so that the cookies don’t burn on the bottom. The extra pan absorbs some of the heat, and prevents the cookies from burning.
10. Remove from oven. Allow to cool to room temperature.
11. With sharp knife, cut either squares of triangular shapes.
12. Can be stored in hermetically closed box till serving.