• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

epicuricloud (Tina Verrelli) logo

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Cooking Contest Experiences
  • Tina’s Recipes
  • QVC Demo Recipes
  • Tasty Travels
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Cookbook
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

September 23, 2019 by Tina Verrelli 4 Comments
Modified August 16, 2020 at 9:37 pm

Thanks for Sharing!

645 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Shortbread, Sables, Sandies…

All names for those cookies with a “short” texture: tender, crumbly and melt-in-your mouth. These chocolate shortbread cookies are just screaming out for a glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee. They are not too sweet, have a little of touch of salt and finish with a taste of bittersweet chocolate.

Mixing Method:

It took me 6 batches and a lot of tweaking to get the recipe just right. The mixing method is not what’s typical for most cookies where you “cream” the butter and sugar to make it light and fluffy. For these shortbread, you “cut” (with your stand mixer flat beater or with a pastry cutter) cold butter chunks into the dry ingredients; the way you would for pie crust, scones and biscuits. It helps to create that tender-“crisp” texture – some folks even make them in their food processor.

“Bloom” the Cocoa Powder:

There isn’t really any liquid in the recipe, no eggs or milk – only a little vanilla extract. Due to this the cocoa powder was tasting too “powdery” in my first batches. I thought about the way I combine chocolate with melted butter to make brownies, and decided to melt just a few tablespoons of the butter and stir in the cocoa powder to help moisten the cocoa. I then add this “cocoa paste” as the final step of the mixing process. That did the trick!

After a little noodling online I discovered this is called “blooming” the cocoa – and it helps to release more chocolate flavor – much like some dried spices like to be bloomed in oil to release their full flavor.

Mix Dough:

  • Use flat beater to cut butter into dry ingredients until sandy texture forms.
  • Add chocolate/melted butter mixture.
  • Mix together.

Form Cookies: 3 Ways:

Once your dough is mixed, you can decide how you want to form your shortbread. For each of the 3 methods it’s a good idea to chill the dough, so the butter firms up nicely.

1. Slice & Bake:

Form dough into log and refrigerate until firm. Roll in sugar if desired. Slice and bake!

2. Form Balls & Flatten:

This is my preferred method – I like the generous size (3 – 3 1/2″) of the cookies. They’re large enough to decorate and thin enough to sandwich two together with a filling.

  • Roll dough into log and refrigerate until firm. Divide log into 16 pieces and roll into balls.
  • Press dough balls with flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar.
Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Serve sugared or drizzle with a little melted white chocolate.

3. Press in Pan & Cut Wedges:

This method is very easy. Just press the dough into a prepared 9 x 9″ pan. “Dock” (poke) the dough with a fork to help release steam. If you like a thicker, crisper shortbread that you can really sink your teeth into – then these chocolate shortbread wedges are for you!

Press dough into 9×9″ pan and prick with a fork.
Cut wedges or squares while still warm.
Drizzle with melted white chocolate if desired.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies have a "short" texture: tender, crumbly and melt-in-your mouth. They are just screaming out for a glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee. The cookies are not too sweet, have a little of touch of salt and finish with a taste of bittersweet chocolate.
Tina Verrelli - epicuricloud.com
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Keyword: cookie, Dessert
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
Servings: 16 3-inch round cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter cut into 1/2" cubes and very cold

White Chocolate Drizzle: (optional)

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) or solid coconut oil

Instructions 

Mix the Dough:

  • In a small bowl, stir cocoa powder and vanilla into melted butter (4 tablespoons) and let sit.
  • Stir together powdered sugar, flour and salt in mixing bowl.
  • Use flat beater (if using stand mixer) to cut the cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients: turn mixer on low and add a few pieces of butter at a time. Mix until it forms a sandy texture with no butter pieces larger than a pea.
  • Add the cocoa/butter mixture and mix just until all is combined. (If it seems to not come together, just keep mixing, depending on the temperature of the ingredients, sometimes it can take a little longer.)

3-Ways to form Chocolate Shortbread Cookies:

  • Slice & Bake: Roll the dough into an even log shape and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment. (The diameter of the log will be about the diameter of the cookies, as they don't spread much.) Chill until firm (an hour or more.) Roll the log in sugar if desired. Slice the thickness you'd like your cookies and place on parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 10-13 minutes depending upon thickness of cookie. Cool on baking sheet.
  • Roll & Flatten: Roll the dough into an even log shape and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment. Chill until firm (an hour or more.) Cut the log into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place each ball onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar. I flattened mine to be about 1/8 - 1/4-inch thick and 3 - 3 1/2-inch diameter (they don't spread much.) Bake at 325 degrees F. for 10-13 minutes depending upon thickness of cookie. They will puff up a little in the center when they're about done. Cool on baking sheet. Remove to cooling rack - they will firm up as they cool.
  • Bake in Pan: Pat the dough into a greased 9 x 9" square baking pan. Dock (prick) all over with a fork, cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill until firm (an hour or more.) Bake at 325 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes. Turn out of pan onto cutting board while still warm and cut. They will firm up (and be harder to cut) when cool.

Notes

Baking Pans:  I use shiny light colored metal baking pans.  If you use dark colored pans or glass you may need to reduce your cooking time and/or temperature.
For the "Bake in Pan" version I like to grease and line the pan with a greased length of parchment or foil for easy removal from pan.
 
Tried this recipe?Share it! Tag @epicuricloud - Please Leave A Comment & Rating Below! TY!

Filed Under: Cookies, Dessert Tagged With: chocolate, cookies, mailchimp, shortbread

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy Branch

    September 24, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    Can I substitute gluten-freed,our in this recipe with the same results? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christina Verrelli

      September 24, 2019 at 4:02 pm

      Hi Nancy – I have not tested with gluten-free flour, so I can’t say for sure. Thanks so much!

      Reply
  2. Diane Ross

    September 30, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Could I bake these in a mini-scone pan?

    Reply
    • Christina Verrelli

      October 1, 2019 at 12:56 pm

      Hi Diane – I haven’t tested them in a mini-scone pan, so I can’t say for sure. But I did bake them in a 9″ x 9″ pan, so if it’s similar to that it may work.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome to epicuricloud!

Hi I'm Tina, Mom-Teacher-Foodie-Recipe Creator

On-Air Guest for KitchenAid on QVC

EPICURI: Foodie, passion for food and drink.
CLOUD: A sharing place.
Love to share my recipes here! Join me!

Read More…

Search

KitchenAid on QVC Calendar:

There are no upcoming events.

View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Dinner & Lunch Recipes:

Shiitake, Ginger & Pork Pot Sticker Soup

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Whiskey Glazed Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Whiskey Glazed Corned Beef: 2 meals in 1

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons & Prosciutto Crisps Recipe (+ Vegan Version)

Empanada Party: 4 Fillings + 3 Sauces = YUM!

PB & Fluff Push Pops (Just a Quick Idea)

Warm Farro Salad w/ Grilled Flank Steak

All-Time Favorite Recipes:

Our Favorite Carrot Cake

Bowl of easy homemade pizza sauce on pizza peel with shredded mozzarella, fresh pizza dough and sprig of fresh basil

Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce

3-Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Gingerbread Cookies – Thick & Chewy

Tina’s Single Pie Crust Recipe

Mushroom and Spinach Crespelle Cannelloni

Easy Guacamole (with your Stand Mixer!)

Ciabatta Bread

Pet Treat Recipes:

Homemade Dog Waffles – “Woofles”

Purr-fect Kitty Salmon Treats

Ruff, Ruff Truffles: Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Doggie Biscuits

Meow-ums Kitty Crackers

“gnaw, gnaw” Biscuits: Teeth Tamers for Guinea Pigs and Rabbits

Cockatiel Seed “Tweets”

Peanut Butter and Banana “Barkies” (Dog Cookies)

Recipe & Post Archives

  • March 2023 (1)
  • January 2023 (2)
  • December 2022 (2)
  • November 2022 (6)
  • October 2022 (3)
  • September 2022 (3)
  • July 2022 (1)
  • June 2022 (4)
  • May 2022 (1)
  • April 2022 (4)
  • March 2022 (1)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (3)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • November 2021 (1)
  • October 2021 (3)
  • September 2021 (1)
  • August 2021 (2)
  • July 2021 (3)
  • June 2021 (4)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (3)
  • February 2021 (1)
  • January 2021 (2)
  • December 2020 (2)
  • November 2020 (3)
  • October 2020 (2)
  • September 2020 (4)
  • July 2020 (2)
  • June 2020 (6)
  • May 2020 (3)
  • April 2020 (4)
  • March 2020 (6)
  • February 2020 (6)
  • January 2020 (6)
  • December 2019 (4)
  • November 2019 (4)
  • October 2019 (5)
  • September 2019 (8)
  • August 2019 (6)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (5)
  • May 2019 (5)
  • April 2019 (6)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (5)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • September 2014 (1)
  • August 2014 (1)
  • August 2013 (1)

Tina’s Recipe Categories

Appetizer BBQ sides Beef Blender Recipe bread Breakfast Breakfast & Brunch Brunch cake chicken Chopper Recipes Christmas Christmas Recipes Cocktails / Beverages Condiment Cookies Cooking for A Crowd Dessert Desserts for a Crowd Dinner / Lunch Easter food adventure Fourth of July Halloween Holiday Recipes Lunch Box Ideas Pasta Pet Treats QVC Demo Links by Date QVC Recipe salad Salads / Sides / Vegetables Sauce Sauces & Condiments School Treats Side Dish Snacks Soup Spring Foods summer foods Thanksgiving Uncategorized Vegetables Vegetarian yeast dough

Footer

 

Subscribe via Email!




Copyright © 2023 epicuricloud (Tina Verrelli)

645 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Yummly
  • Email

Homemade Made Easy Cookbook - Order Now! Dismiss