Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread

Yield: 32-ish bars, depending on how you cut ‘em

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer:

3 cups + 3 Tbsp (385g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, cold & cubed

Brownie Layer:

1 cup + 2 Tbsp (255g) unsalted butter, cubed
3 ounces (85g) Nói Síríus 56% Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 cup (213g) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups + 1 Tbsp (190g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Flake Finishing Sea Salt

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9" x 13" baking dish with parchment paper.
Start with the shortbread layer. In your mixer bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
Add cold butter, tossing to coat. Connect paddle attachment, then mix on low until the dough starts to come together. (It’s okay if the dough is a wee bit crumbly.)
Press shortbread dough into prepared pan. Dock shortbread (prick all over with the tines of a fork).
Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly golden.
While the shortbread layer is baking, make batter for the brownie layer. In a heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate in microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each zap. Microwave until mixture is mostly melted. Remove bowl from microwave and continue mixing to combine and melt the rest of the chocolate.
Whisk in sugars and cocoa powder, followed by eggs and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, whisking until thoroughly combined.
After shortbread layer has baked, transfer baking dish to a wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
Pour brownie batter on top of warm shortbread layer, smoothing top with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Sprinkle brownie layer with some flake sea salt.
Bake for 23–26 minutes until the top is set. (If you insert a toothpick into the centre, it will come out a lil gooey.)
Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Once totally cool, remove from pan by pulling up on the wax paper. Cut into 32 bars.

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