I’ve been busy baking our prototype shortbread for our entry in the Shortbread Showdown here at Altonsyde, an initiative from Visit Inverness Loch Ness in conjuction with Visit Nairn. I wasn’t quite sure how to make the shortbread different from normal shortbread, after all, in my opnion, shortbread is great as it is! Still I have to try and make our shortbread stand out from the crowds, hence the experimentation phase.

The three finalists from Nairn will go onto the Shortbread Showdown event in Inverness on the 25th of March. The event recipe book which is being created from all the recipes trialled at the event will see proceeds going to Highland Hospice. Make sure to busy your Shortbread receipe booklet to support this great charity.

What is special about our recipe? Well I have been experimenting with dark chocolate and flakes of salt for a sticky, sweet and salt shortbread delight!

It has been a definite learning experience. First of all, how does this enormous oven actually work? We inherited it from the previous owner and it is so large (imagine large enough for a banquet) that I have not put it on to bake anything. And after the shortbread was ready (note to self should not leave it in so long, next time take it out 5 or 10 minutes early), I removed it from the oven, sprinkled it with sugar and tried to cut my shapes. No no! too soon. Therefore I set the timer for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to cool and set. I then used my cookie cutter, on my Shortbread Showdown slab of shortbread and the cookie cutter disappeared in the thickness of my dough!

Eventually I had my heart shaped shortbread, which I let cool on a tray. Next I mixed up my dark chocolate and butter, getting it nice and running. I tried dipping the cookies into the mix (uber messy) and then using a teaspoon to pour it onto my hearts (less messy), next a sprinkling of salt and leave to set!

Et voila! Altonsyde Salted Chocolate Dipped Shortbread! (burp!)