Wasabi Chocolate Shortbread

Wasabi Chocolate Shortbread

Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch biscuits

Ingredients:

250 gm (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup fine granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract – try not to use the artificial stuff as it doesn’t have the flavour.
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup cornflour
½ tsp salt
½ cup nuts (pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews), coarsely chopped

For the wasabi ganache filling:

125 gm (4 oz) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
20 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup whipping cream
2 tsp corn syrup (can use golden syrup or treacle)
2 tsp Namida® Wasabi Paste made from Namida® 100% Pure Wasabi Powder
½ cup nuts (pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews), coarsely chopped, for sprinkling

Method

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth, then gradually beat in the both sugars, and vanilla extract.
3. Reduce the speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture mixing until combined (don’t overbeat).
4. Stir in ½ cup chopped nuts.
5. Divide the dough in halves.
6. Flatten each dough portion into 12mm (1/2-inch) rectangle.
7. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to three days.
8. When ready to bake, center the oven rack and preheat the oven to 160 deg C (325 deg F).
9. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
10. On a flour-dusted or parchment-lined working surface, roll the dough (one portion at a time) to a 6mm (1/4-inch) thickness. If necessary, let the dough soften slightly before rolling.
11. Using a cookie cutter dipped in some flour, cut out the rectangles (or rounds, or other shapes) pressing the cookie cutter hard down through the chopped nuts. If the dough becomes sticky and difficult to work with, chill it for 10-15 minutes.
12. Transfer the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them 25 mm (1-inch) apart.
13. Freeze for 20 minutes before baking. Reroll the scraps (these won’t be as good and tender as the first ones though).
14. Bake, one batch at a time, for about 20 minutes, until set and look dull.
15. Cool on a cooling rack on the sheet.

Make the ganache

1. Pour about 25 mm (1 inch) of water into a frying pan and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from the heat and wait for a couple of minutes to cool.
3. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl, then place the bowl with the chocolate into the hot water, just for a moment, to premelt the chocolate and buffer a shock of adding the hot liquid later.
4. Remove the bowl from the water bath, add the butter.
5. In a small pan, bring to a boiling point the cream and corn syrup, stirring.
6. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let sit for two minutes without disturbing.
7. When the time is over, gently stir the mixture with a rubber spatula in circular motion (from the center to the sides of the bowl) until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth.
8. Gently stir in the Namida® Wasabi Paste.
9. Let cool to 32 deg C (88-90 deg F).

Finish off

1. Dip each cookie into the wasabi chocolate ganache, sprinkle with the remaining chopped nuts.
2. Refrigerate to set the ganache.
3. Store in an air-tight container in a cool place for up to a week. (If they last that long :)).