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I made these in a larger pan than Clark used because the I wanted a thinner, crisper shortbread to contrast with the ganache. Also, Clark calls for lining the pan with parchment, but I found that the bars came easily out of an unlined, ungreased glass pan.
Adapted from the New York Times
Makes about 20 bars
30 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time, plus 2 to 3 hours for chilling
For the shortbread:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Earl Grey teabags
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62% cocoa or more), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel, for topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cocoa, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse again until the butter bits range in size from grains of sand to small pebbles. (Clark's recipe says to pulse until the mixture comes together in one mass. This didn't happen for me, but no matter, the shortbread still was excellent.)
Turn the dough out into a glass 9-by-13-inch pan and pat the mixture in firmly with the flat of a metal spatula or with your hands.
Bake until the shortbread is firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
While the shortbread is baking, heat the cream in a small pan just until small bubbles appear along the inside perimeter of the pot. Add the teabags and set the cream aside to let it steep. After the tea has steeped for 5 to 10 minutes, remove the teabags one at a time, mashing each on the side of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove all of the concentrated tea flavor.
When the shortbread has finished cooking, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool.
Meanwhile, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream again, just until bubbles form at the perimeter of the pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two. Whisk together the cream and melted chocolate until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the ganache over the cooled shortbread and smooth it with a spatula. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt on top of the ganache. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely, 2 or 3 hours.
When you are ready to serve, cut the bars with a sharp knife. The first one may crumble a bit on the way out, but the others will come out easily.