Description
Delicious and crisp chocolate shortbread cookies with a rich cocoa flavor, optionally dipped in melted baking chocolate and decorated with sprinkles for a festive touch. Perfectly buttery and tender, these cookies are great for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Chocolate Decoration (Optional)
- 6 oz (170 g) chopped baking chocolate for dipping (may substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
- Sprinkles or nonpareils for decorating
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Place softened unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for at least 2 minutes until the butter is well creamed and fluffy.
- Add Sugar and Cocoa Powder: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar followed by Dutch-process cocoa powder. Blend until just combined.
- Incorporate Vanilla and Salt: Stir in vanilla extract and table salt on low speed until evenly distributed.
- Add Flour: Gradually add all-purpose flour to the mixture on low speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed until a smooth dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Turn the dough onto a clean surface and divide into two portions. Shape each into a smooth round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If your kitchen is warm, you can chill longer but let dough rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling if chilled beyond 30 minutes.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Lightly flour a surface and rolling pin, then roll dough to ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, re-rolling dough as needed to maximize yield.
- Bake Cookies: Transfer cutouts onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake on the center rack for 14 minutes or until cookies have a crisp shortbread texture once cooled.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt Chocolate (Optional): Place chopped baking chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20 second intervals, stirring between each until smooth.
- Decorate Cookies: Dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate or drizzle chocolate over them. Add sprinkles or nonpareils before the chocolate sets for decoration.
- Set Chocolate: Allow chocolate to harden completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Yield depends on cookie cutter size and dough thickness; approximately 60 cookies using 2-inch cutters and ¼ inch dough thickness.
- Baking time varies slightly depending on cookie size; watch closely and consider a test batch.
- Chocolate is not tempered; slight white streaking is normal and does not affect taste.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for several months with or without chocolate decoration.
- If dough becomes too firm after chilling, let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling to prevent cracking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
