RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Shortbread Dips

Ireland's rich pastures and lush land have made the Emerald Isle well known for its butter. Butter has long been a famous export of this Western European nation. The southwestern coast of Ireland has been known for producing rich and flavorful butter since the late 1700s.

Although butter is delicious in many applications, it's at home in baked goods, mainly shortbread biscuits. Shortbread is commonly eaten in Ireland and neighboring Scotland, where this recipe originated. For a tasty St. Patrick's Day dessert, try this recipe for Shortbread Dips from The Hebridean Baker (Sourcebooks) by Coinneach MacLeod.

INGREDIENTS

10 1/2 oz. soft butter

4 1/2 oz. golden caster sugar

10 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 oz. corn flour [cornstarch]

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

5 oz. dark chocolate

5 oz. white chocolate

2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios

2 Tablespoons freeze-dried

raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 340F. Grease an 8-inch square baking tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

Add in both the flours plus the sea salt and stir until it begins to come together, though take care not to overwork the dough. Bring the dough together with your hands and press the mixture into the prepared tin. Flatten the surface of the shortbread with the back of a spoon and use a fork to prick marks along the length of the fingers.

Bake for 45 minutes until pale golden. Remove from the oven and, with a knife, mark lines where you are going to cut the shortbread. Leave to cool in the tin.

Melt the dark and white chocolate separately in heatproof bowls set over a pan of gently simmering water. Take each of your shortbread fingers and use a teaspoon to coat one-third with the chocolate. Sprinkle pistachios or freeze-dried raspberries over the chocolate end and allow to set. Serve with a hot cuppa, or they will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

St. Patrick's Day idea: Use green sprinkles in lieu of raspberries on the ends of the other biscuits for some extra green flare. Serve with Irish coffee or hot chocolate spiked with Irish Cream liqueur.

Note: Caster sugar is finely ground granulated sugar. Its texture falls between granulated sugar and confectioner's sugar. If you can't find caster sugar, use a spice grinder to grind granulated sugar up to a finer texture.