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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Megan
Chocolate shortbread cookies are classic, buttery shortbread cookies filled with rich chocolate flavor. Top these chocolate shortbread biscuits with a crunchy, sparkly sugar coating or dip them in melted chocolate. They’re the perfect, easy to make, sweet, but not too sweet, chocolate cookie.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 32 minutes
Course Dessert, Holiday
Cuisine American
Servings 26 cookies

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
  • parchment paper
  • 2 or 2½ in cookie or biscuit cutter
  • 2 baking sheets

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool to the touch
  • 1¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk, optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (40 g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed until fluffy and well combined, about 3 - 4  minutes. 
    1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool to the touch, 1¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
  • On low speed, cream in the vanilla extract followed by the egg yolk, salt and cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients together until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed.
    On the lowest speed setting, mix the in the flour until just combined.
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk, optional , ½ teaspoon salt , ½ cup (40 g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
  • Transfer the cookie dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the shortbread chocolate cookie dough into a disk about ¼ inch thick. Don’t worry about the shape.
    Transfer the covered shortbread cookie sheet to the fridge to chill until firm, about 1 - 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  • Using a small, 2 or 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds of the cocoa shortbread cookie dough. Press the rounds into sanding sugar if you would like to coat the tops of the cookies in sugar. Transfer the rounds onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Gather, re-roll and chill the remaining cookie dough until it’s time to cut out and bake another batch.
  • Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers look slightly puffed up. The tops of the cookies will go from having a glossy sheen to a more matte appearance.
    Cool the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully set. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, feel free to sprinkle more sugar on top for a more pronounced sugar topping.

Notes

Store: Place the cookies in an airtight container to store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
See the Variations section of the blog post to make these chocolate shortbread cookies as slice and bake cookies, to add chocolate chips to the dough or to top the cookies with a chocolate glaze. 
Keyword Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe, Cocoa Shortbread Cookies, Shortbread Chocolate Cookies
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