Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Why you'll love them?

1. They are crisp, crumbly, airy, tender and just dissolves in your mouth like candle cookies.
2. Buttery, mildly sweet and chocolatey.
3. Only 4 basic pantry ingredients.
4. No cookie cutters or rolling pins needed.
5. Both dough and cookies and be frozen.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.

• Butter - Use unsalted butter at room temperature. The time required for the butter to reach room temperature can vary, typically taking anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on the weather. If using salted butter, skip adding additional salt to the recipe.
• Flour - Unbleached all purpose flour as in brown sugar shortbreads.
• Sugar - The secret to achieving the utterly delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture lies in confectioners' sugar. The cornstarch present in confectioners' sugar prevents excessive spreading and contributes to a tender texture, like in pecan snowball cookies.
• Cocoa powder - I used Hersheys natural nnsweetened cocoa.

5. Transfer dough onto a work surface and gently knead to form a smooth ball. Transfer dough onto a parchment paper and roll with the help of parchment to make a uniform log of 7 to 8 inches long.

Wrap log in parchment and chill in the refrigerator until firm ( overnight or up to 2 days).

6. Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes (this prevents it from crumbling when sliced). Using a sharp knife, gently slice the log into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices.

Place on the parchment lined baking sheet about 1 and ½ inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Cookies will expand slightly and be dry and firm to the touch.

How to store?

There are several ways to store before and after baking the chocolate shortbread cookies.

• Baked cookies - Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or zip lock bag at room temperature for up to a week or freeze them in an airtight container for up to two months.
• Dough - Similar to Christmas icebox cookies, the rolled log can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Alternatively, wrap the log in parchment paper, place it in a large gallon-size zip-lock bag, and freeze it for up to a month. To thaw, transfer it to the fridge overnight.

Freezing instructions

Like most eggless Christmas cookies, this chocolate shortbread cookies is a great recipe to make during Holidays, since the dough and baked cookies can be made ahead and frozen.

To freeze the cookie dough:

1. Make dough and roll into a log as per instructions.
2.  Tightly wrap the log in plastic wrap, and label with the name and date.
3. Freeze for up to 3 months.
4. To thaw, transfer it to the refrigerator the day before, you intend to bake the cookies.
5. Once the dough has thawed enough for you to cut with a knife, slice the cookies and bake according to the recipe’s instructions.

To freeze baked cookies

1. Place chocolate shortbread cookies on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. This way they won’t stick to each other in the freezer.
2. Then, layer in a zipper bag and label the bag, if desired.
3. Freeze up to 3 months.
4. Thaw the cookies for a few hours at room temperature.

You can also freeze baked almond joy cookies or almond flour thumbprint cookies. Layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer container or zipper bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Customize the recipe

So now that you know how to make this base chocolate shortbread cookies, you can now customize your next batch however you like. Here are a few ideas:

1. Use other extracts like almond, orange or peppermint extract instead of vanilla.
2. Use fresh orange zest instead of vanilla extract.
3. Like the Halloween slkull cookies, sandwich two cookies with a Nutella, ganache or melted chocolate.
4. Like the chocolate coconut macaroons, dip one half into melted dark or white chocolate and top with sprinkles, chopped almonds or crushed peppermint candy.
5. Drizzle melted white or dark chocolate on top.
6. Mix in ground cinnamon or ginger.
7. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of the sliced dough before baking.
8. Roll the dough between parchment paper, chill and cut into desired shapes.

Make into cut outs

This chocolate shortbread cookies recipe works great for cut outs, as in Halloween tree cookies. Once you have made the dough, roll it between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thickness. Refrigerate the rolled dough along with parchment until very firm. Cut into your favorite shapes and bake. It is important to note that the baking time will depend on the shapes and sizes.

Helpful tips

• Like for date balls, I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder for a darker color and pleasant chocolate flavor.
• Confectioners or powdered sugar ensures a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Trouble shooting

1. Dough is too crumbly - Try forming the dough into a smooth ball using your hands. The heat of your hands will help soften the dough further and make it come together. Also, make sure that the butter is at room temperature.
2. Dough breaks when slicing - Leave the log at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
3. They aren't crunchy - The chocolate shortbread cookies may have been removed before they were fully done, or the oven might have been too hot, resulting in the top browning before proper cooking.