Too much butter chocolate shortbread

     In need of a quick chocolate dessert to go with a friend's fresh fruit offering at dinner recently I Googled chocolate shortbread. The recipes didn't move me, so I searched for "chocolate shortbread too much butter," and got a hit immediately. The writer gave her recipe which she said came from Martha Stewart, but she added, "It seemed like it had too much butter." So I made it, and it had just the right amount. I've altered the proportions a bit, and to increase the chocolateness, added chocolate nibs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar (the original recipe called for powdered sugar. The woman with the recipe used regular sugar, and I tried bakers' sugar. They all seem to work equally well. 1/4 cup each of packed brown sugar and white sugar also works.)

4 tablespoons unsweeetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup chocolate nibs

Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and airy.

Sift the flour and cocoa together over the butter and sugar, then mix until even in color.

Stir in chocolate nibs.

Pat evenly into an 8" x 8" x 2" baking pan.

Bake about 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

Cool in pan, then cut into small squares. Serve with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt, raspberry sorbet, or vanilla ice cream.