Spiced Chocolate-Coconut Drizzle Shortbread

Of course, you probably know me very well for invading Vocal with my film studies stuff and articles entitled ‘a filmmaker’s guide’. I have often explained that I love to bake as well. Since I was young, I have loved the idea, the creativity and the relaxation of baking different things. I love to make macarons, layer cakes and gingerbread in particular and the activity of it really gets me away from my laptop (where I’m sure you know that I spend most of my life). So, I hope you enjoy me talking about what I bake and why I bake it complete with pictures (if not very good) of me actually baking, my baked goods in the process of being created and when they’re finished. I’m really happy to share this with you. And if you like, you can show me your baking (yes, I spend a lot of time writing, but I also spend a lot of time reading other people’s articles!), I would love to see it. Since I was in school, I was always interested in creating things, whether that be pieces of writing, welding things to make small statues or baking foods and making sweets (candy, if you’re American). I hope you enjoy looking at some of the stuff that has honestly kept me sane, because I seem to be going slightly mad.

Spiced Chocolate-Coconut Drizzle Shortbread

Yes, everything in winter-time has to be 'spiced' and when I say 'spiced' I don't just mean ginger, I don't just mean cinnamon, I mean all of the tastiest and most exciting spices that you can think of. If you get the ratio just right, the cookie ends up tasting great. Use them subtly instead of trying to get intense flavour out of them. The subtlety adds a warmth to the cookie and makes the chocolate taste of depth and aromatic.

Let's take a look at the steps we take to make this deep, warm and soft cookie - perfect for consuming with a cup of afternoon coffee with an addition of a good book.

This recipe makes about twenty or so cookies depending on how big you want them. Mine are about the size of a McVities Digestive Biscuit.

Part I - The Shortbread

You Will Need:

• 100g Caster Sugar
• 200g Softened Butter
• 300g Plain Flour
• 2x tbsp Ground Ginger
• 1.5x tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 0.5x tbsp Green Cardamon Powder
• 0.5x tbsp Nutmeg
• 1x tsp Crushed Cloves
• 20g Ground Almonds

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line two baking trays with parchment paper
2. Cream together the butter and the sugar, adding in all the spices as you go and keep mixing.
3. Then, add the flour and ground almonds and mix once more until the mixture comes together as a dry dough.
4. Once you have made the dough, put the dough into an air-tight container and put it in the fridge for ten to fifteen minutes
5. Once it has been chilled, get it out and create the shapes you require at the size you would like them [mine are circular], putting them on the baking tray as you go
6. Put the baking tray in the oven for about fifteen to seventeen minutes and then allow to cool for ten to fifteen minutes

Part II - The Decoration

You Will Need:

• 1x large bar of chocolate of your choice [I used a dairy-free dark chocolate]
• 100g desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Break up a large bar of chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl
2. Once it is melted to the point of a runny liquid, grab a teaspoon and drizzle it over the cookies. I do mine in threes or fours.
3. Once you have done this to all of the cookies, sprinkle on the desiccated coconut, each cookie getting a generous amount but not too much
4. Refrigerate for fifteen minutes

Enjoy!

Now that you have made them, you can serve them at your little party, for family and friends and you can even leave them in the fridge overnight if you want to take them to the park to share with friends whilst you have a nice chat over coffee. They are so flexible. They look both casual and classy at the same time. If you want to add a bit more spice to them you can add 20g of ground hazelnuts to the mixture at the same time you add the plain flour. This will make a lovely nutty experience more than just almonds.