Description
A rich dark chocolate and Guinness ganache, sandwiched between a pair of classic chocolate shortbread biscuits.
Ingredients
Shortbread Biscuits:
130 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
140 grams all purpose flour (1 1/8 cups)
75 grams confectioner’s sugar (1/2 cup)
30 grams cocoa powder (1/4 cup), plus more for dusting
Dark Chocolate Guinness Ganache:
140 grams good-quality dark chocolate, such as Callebaut (1 cup)
35 milliliters whipping cream (3 tablespoons)
55 milliliters Guinness (1/4 cup), or other beer of choice
15 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Shortbread Biscuits:
Add softened butter to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Whip in the vanilla extract.
Sieve in the flour, icing sugar, and cocoa powder, and beat until just combined.
Transfer dough to the countertop and knead gently until a soft dough forms. Flatten into a disc and wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight.
When dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat oven to 330° F / 165° C. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside until ready to use.
Place disc of shortbread dough between two sheets of parchment. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/8 inch / 3 millimeter thickness.
Use a metal biscuit cutter* to cut the rolled dough into your shape of choice. Transfer to prepared tray.
Use a miniature cutter** to cut holes into the center of half of the biscuits.
Transfer tray to the freezer and freeze*** for 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow biscuits to cool on the tray for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. While biscuits cool, prepare your chocolate ganache.
Dark Chocolate Guinness Ganache:
Melt 130 grams dark chocolate over a double boiler or bain marie.
Meanwhile, combine whipping cream and Guinness in a small saucepan and warm gently over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.)
Gently whisk warm cream mixture into the melted chocolate, followed by the butter. Sit bowl aside for a few minutes and allow the ganache to cool at room temperature.
When ready to use, use a metal whisk to whisk your ganache to piping consistency. It might take a bit of whisking to reach the desired thickness, but don’t worry—it will firm up eventually!****
Transfer ganache to a disposable piping bag and proceed with assembly steps below.
Assembly:
Arrange the biscuits with the cutout centers on a clean sheet of parchment. (These will be the tops of your sandwiches.) Use a fine mesh sieve to sift a light dusting of cocoa powder over the tops of the biscuits.
Flip the solid biscuits so the bottom sides are facing up. Pipe a generous dot of chocolate ganache into the center of each biscuit, and top each with a cocoa-dusted cutout biscuit.
Store chocolate sandwich biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
*I used a flower shaped cutter, about 2 in / 5 cm or so in size. However, you can use any cutter shape you’d like, such as circles, squares, hearts, or stars.
**If you do not have a miniature cutter, you can use a bottle cap or the larger end of a metal piping tip instead.
***Freezing your biscuits on the tray will help to prevent them from spreading in the oven. Do not skip this step!
****If you’re in a hurry, you can put the bowl in the refrigerator, but proceed with caution. Chill very briefly and check it often. Too much time in the fridge and your ganache will solidify and you won’t be able to pipe it into your biscuits.
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
- Cuisine: Dessert