Scottish Shortbread with Chocolate and Pistachios is so yummy! The crunchy, buttery shortbread is good enough just by itself. But then the cookie is taken to another level by dipping the ends in Belgian chocolate with a sprinkling of chopped roasted pistachios.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
Prepare the Ingredients
With a nut chopper or sharp knife and cutting board, finely chop the roasted pistachios.
Using a sharp knife and cutting board, chop the Belgian chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Set aside until ready to melt.
Make the Shortbread
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute or less. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Add 3 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add up to one more cup of flour until the mixture forms a soft dough.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and turn so that both sides have flour on them.
Using a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/2" thickness, trying to keep the dough in a square or rectangle shape for the least amount of waste.
Prick the dough with a fork or a roller docker.
With a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1" x 2" bars or "fingers." Transfer pieces to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart. (An offset spatula works well for moving the shortbread.)
Bake in preheated oven until edges begin to turn lightly brown, about 17-20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool.
Melt the Chocolate
Place the prepared bowl of chocolate in the microwave and cook for 30-35 seconds at a time, stirring after each set. Continue to heat and stir until the chocolate has just melted.
It's okay if there are a few chunks of chocolate in the bowl, as this will continue to melt as the chocolate returns to room temperature.
Once out of the microwave, stir often until the chocolate is completely smooth and has slightly cooled. Vigorous stirring will make the chocolate extra shiny and glossy.
Decorate the Shortbread
Begin decorating the shortbread after it and the chocolate has cooled to room temperature.
Dip ends of shortbread "fingers" into the chocolate and spread the chocolate with a knife until the cookie is coated as you desire.
Return cookies to the wire rack to allow the chocolate to set. Sprinkle chocolate ends with chopped pistachios. Repeat until all of the shortbread has been decorated.(You'll want to sprinkle the pistachios on the chocolate before it has set up. I liked to finish dipping 5-7 shortbread pieces in the chocolate before sprinkling them with the pistachios.)
This recipe will make approximately 48 cookies. Store cookies once the chocolate has fully set in a covered container using waxed paper between the cookie layers.
Notes
*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter used on this recipe site is salted. **This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Feel free to halve ingredients, if desired.