Best Damn Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Buttery chocolate shortbread cut-out cookies with deep Dutch-process cocoa flavor and a delicate, tender crumb. Finish them with an optional semisweet chocolate drizzle and sprinkles for holiday cookie trays or gifts.
Servings: 12 - 24 cookies
Calories: 168kcal
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters approximately 2–2½ inches across
- Wire cooling rack
- Dry microwave-safe bowl optional for chocolate
- Spoon or piping bag optional for drizzling
Ingredients
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder not sweetened hot cocoa mix
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional Decoration
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate measured before melting
- Sprinkles as desired
Instructions
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, and the optional 1 teaspoon espresso powder, breaking up any cocoa lumps.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup packed light brown sugar until just combined. Then mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry mixture containing 2 cups flour to the butter mixture. Mix on low just until a soft dough forms, scraping the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
Cookie Thickness and Baking Times
- Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment to ⅜–½ inch thick for thicker cookies, or ¼ inch thick for thinner cookies. Cut into shapes with approximately 2–2½-inch cutters. Arrange about 1 inch apart on the 2 prepared baking sheets. Gently gather and reroll the scraps.
- Chill the cut cookies in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes, until firm.
- Bake at 325°F until the centers look set and the edges no longer look wet. Bake one sheet at a time for consistent results, keeping the second sheet chilled while the first bakes. ( Baking Times: ¼-inch thick cookies: 10-12 minutes, ⅜-inch thick cookies: 12-15 minutes, ½-inch thick cookies: 15-18 minutes)
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating.
Optional Decoration
- Melt ½ cup semisweet chocolate in a completely dry microwave-safe bowl in 15–20-second bursts at reduced power, stirring between bursts until smooth.
- Drizzle the melted ½ cup chocolate over the completely cooled cookies. Then add sprinkles as desired while the chocolate is wet.
- Let the chocolate set completely before stacking or storing. Simply melted real chocolate can stay softer in a warm kitchen; for a firmer finish, use chocolate-flavored melting wafers or temper real chocolate according to its maker's directions.
Notes
- Keep similar-sized shapes together on each sheet so smaller cookies do not overbake.
- Store cooled cookies airtight at cool room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze plain baked cookies for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg