Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Yield: 36 cookies
This easy Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies recipe features crisp, buttery cookies that are flecked with chopped chocolate. A sprinkle of sea salt is the perfect finishing touch - irresistible!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces good-quality, semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (not overly soft or melty)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- Maldon sea salt flakes, optional, to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Chop chocolate bar into small pieces. Aim for the biggest pieces to be no larger than ¼" in size. If they are too big, they cause problems with getting clean cuts with the cookie cutters. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until smooth and a bit fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add flour and salt and beat until just incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Divide dough in half and then flatten each half slightly into a disk shape. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and set them (separately, not resting on top of each other) in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. If your butter was on the warmer/softer side, you may need to refrigerate a few minutes longer.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough disks to a ¼″ thickness. Cut dough into desired shapes using lightly floured cookie cutters. The heart cutter I use is about 3½" wide by 3" tall. Place cut dough shapes on prepared baking sheet, 1" to 2" apart. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes if desired.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, or until just browned and firmed up. Note that if you use a cookie cutter that is smaller or larger than I use, or if your dough is rolled thicker or thinner, you will need to adjust baking time accordingly. Remove pan from oven and let cookies rest on pan for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with second dough disk. Just be sure to keep your dough chilled until you are ready to roll and cut. If the dough gets too warm, it will spread when baked. Dough can be re-rolled after the first cuts. If dough gets too warm, chill it again in the refrigerator.
- *If your cookies are spreading a bit, the butter was probably a little too warm. Then I recommend placing pans of cut dough in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes prior to baking. Or a hack that I've used to tighten up the shape while the cookies are still warm after coming out of the oven, is to use a thin metal spatula to gently nudge in the perimeters where needed.
Notes
These cookies keep very well frozen. I actually prefer to eat mine straight from the freezer!
from the recipe box of my brother in-law Dave
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 163kcal Carbohydrates: 14g Protein: 1g Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 28mg Sodium: 38mg Sugar: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.