dark chocolate and coconut shortbread

Just like chocolate and salted caramel, dark chocolate and coconut seem to be recurring flavours whenever I feel like baking. They are a classic combination that really works and these shortbread showcase the flavours perfectly. This recipe will give you a wonderfully crumbly and buttery shortbread perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Ingredients
230g butter, at room temperature
110g caster sugar
Good pinch of salt
260g plain flour
80g ground rice
100g dark chocolate chunks
70g dessicated coconut
Extra caster sugar for finishing

1. Place the coconut into a dry frying pan or skillet and toast the coconut over a low-medium heat until just golden. Take care with this stage because the coconut will burn if you’re not careful. Transfer the coconut from the pan and leave to cool in a bowl 
2. Using a wooden spoon cream the butter in a large bowl until soft then beat in the sugar and salt. 
3. Sift in the flour and ground rice and mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the toasted coconut and chocolate chunks and mix together gently then use your hands to bring the mixture together into a ball of dough. Try not to handle the mixture too much otherwise you will end up with tough cookies. If the mixture doesn’t come together add a little extra butter. 
4. Turn the mixture out onto a wide piece of cling film and form into either a cylindrical or square shaped log, cover with the cling film then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 
5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150C. Remove the cling film from the chilled dough log then cut off slices about 1 cm thick . Place the slices on to a baking tray lined with baking parchment then bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through, but not browned. Take out of the oven then sprinkle with the extra caster sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.