Magical Microwave Chocolate-Nut Shortbread Bars Cure a Sweets Craving Fast
I’ve had an off and on again relationship with my microwave oven: After a honeymoon phase during which I zapped every conceivable kind of recipe in my first model (an 800-watt big boy purchased used decades ago for $500!), my microwave passion cooled for a long time. But right now we’re bffs–due to my new breakthrough microwaved chocolate-nut shortbread bars featured here.
Magical Microwave Chocolate-Nut Shortbread Bars–Fab with a Mug of Coffee
Early on I was put off by the microwave’s significant limitations—no browning, toasting, or crisping abilities (or so it seemed then). Meats often came out tough, bland, and wan. Baked goods tended to be raw-tasting, sludge-like, or pasty-looking. So, I relegated my unit to a corner for reheating beverages, thawing meat, and melting butter and chocolate. (It did become my best pal during the several years I melted nearly 300 hundred pounds of chocolate for recipes in my International Chocolate Cookbook!)
Recently, I began seeing lots of blog posts and cookbooks featuring “fast and fabulous” microwave mug meals and desserts—which got me feeling friendly toward my microwave again. The quick, single portion “baked” goods designed to cure a sudden craving just sounded so tempting and convenient, I had to give them a try. Sad to say, most were no tastier than my failures of long ago.
Finally! My Better Microwave Baking Breakthrough
My disappointment spurred me to experiment on how to get better micro-baking results. I’m excited to tell you I’ve discovered some surprising and really effective tricks! Did you know that the standard microwave oven can actually toast, brown, and even crisp certain dry or low-moisture baking ingredients? Simply by zapping flour, sugar, nuts, and butter, etc., a minute or two before mixing liquid into them it’s possible to banish the uncooked taste and texture and create a quick microwave “treat” that really deserves the name!
I’m betting that you’ll find my “micro-baked” chocolate-nut shortbread bars presented here as pleasing as those baked in a traditional oven. In fact, I’ll go further and bet that if you don’t tell any tasters that these were readied in about 6 minutes in a microwave oven, they will never guess. Do try my recipe, then do come back and honestly tell me what you think. I feel I’ve made a breakthrough! Am I right?
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted, salted cashews or pistachios, or chopped roasted and hulled hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose unbleached white flour
- 2 teaspoons clover honey
- ¼ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate morsels
- Spread the nuts on a paper plate and microwave on high power 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl combine the butter and flour, covered with a paper plate, and microwave on high power for 45 seconds. Using a fork, stir well, then mash out the lumps until the dough is the consistency of fine crumbs. Re-cover and microwave for 1½ minutes. Stir well, then re-cover and repeat microwaving on high power 1 minute more.
- Stir the honey, chocolate morsels, and half the nuts into the flour mixture, scraping it away from the bowl sides and mixing until thoroughly incorporated; let cool briefly.
- Turn out the dough onto a sheet of baking parchment. Using the fork push and press the dough into a 3- by 4-inch evenly-thick rectangle. Sprinkle the remaining nuts evenly over the dough, pressing them down firmly to embed.
- With a large knife cut the dough rectangle on the 4-inch side into 2 or 3 equal bars. If desired, trim away uneven edges all around and discard them. Using a spatula space the bars 2 inches apart on the parchment. Slide it onto the paper plate. Microwave, uncovered, on 50 percent power for 1 minute. Then continue microwaving on 50 percent power, stopping and checking at 20 second intervals until the tops look melted and slightly bubbly but not burned; they burn quickly so watch carefully. Let cool at least until firmed up and barely warm, or better yet fully cooled, then serve.
For another sumptuous chocolate recipe, try my Heirloom Chocolate Brownies here. (Just to be clear, they are baked in a conventional oven, not in the microwave!) The post covers a little brownies history, too!
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