Chocolate Shortbreads

These delicious chocolate shortbreads deliver everything you love about traditional shortbread – a rich, buttery flavour and a delicate, crumbly texture.

5 from 76 votes

Print Recipe Save

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 17

Fridge time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 37

Servings: cookies

Calories: 134kcal

Author: Maretha Corbett

Ingredients

▢ 230 grams unsalted butter - or salted butter, but omit the extra salt in the recipe
▢ 110 grams icing sugar - otherwise known as powdered sugar
▢ 30 grams cocoa powder - use a good quality
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 220 grams all purpose flour

Instructions

Add the softened butter and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl.
230 grams unsalted butter, 110 grams icing sugar
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Next, add in the cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until everything is thoroughly combined and you have a smooth, creamy mixture.
30 grams cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add all of the all-purpose flour to the bowl. Slowly beat just until you cannot see any more specks of flour.
We recommend starting with the electric mixer and finishing by hand, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
220 grams all purpose flour
Tip the cookie dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap.
Shape it into a flat disk and wrap in the plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Once the dough is cold and firmed up, unwrap it and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover it with another piece of parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of 6mm/1/4".
Cut out your desired shapes from the dough using a cookie cutter. Re-roll any leftover pieces of dough.
If the dough has gone soft, return it to the fridge for 10 minutes.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper and transfer the cut out cookies onto the trays, leaving enough space between them for expansion.
Place the baking trays in the fridge to firm up the cookies.
Preheat the oven to 170C/338F/gas mark 3.
Once preheated, bake the cookies on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes.
Since the cookies are dark, you won't have visual cues like with light cookies. Look for a dull surface and dry edges to know they are done.
Leave the cookies on the trays for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you wish, sprinkle them with granulated sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. Gently press down to make the sugar stick.

Notes

Weigh your ingredients accurately

Using a digital scale to weigh out your ingredients will always give you more accurate results. If you haven't got a set of digital kitchen scales, consider adding it to your Christmas list.

Don't overmix the dough

For best results, don't overmix the cookie mixture. Overmixing might lead to tougher cookies. Gently fold the ingredients together and stop as soon as everything has been incorporated.

Chilling the dough is a must

The dough is fairly soft, so chilling it in the fridge before rolling and cutting is a essential.

After mixing, shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for 30 minutes. This firms up the dough and makes it much easier to work with.

If any leftover dough scraps soften up while cutting shapes, simply return them to the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up again.

Another great technique is to roll out the dough on parchment paper to the desired thickness right away, transfer it to a baking sheet and place the sheet in the fridge until firm before cutting shapes.

Chilling helps retain the dough's shape for cutting neat cookies. So, take advantage of your fridge or freezer to ensure these cookies turn out just the way they should.

Re-chill the cut out cookies before baking

Re-chilling the cut out cookies before baking is an important extra step. While rolling and handling the dough, it can start to warm up and soften, especially if your kitchen is hot, you're under bright lights or your hands run warm.

Wait to preheat the oven until after you have transferred all the cut out cookies to a cookie sheet and returned them to the fridge to firm up one last time.

This second chill hardens the dough again and helps the shapes retain their form when hit with the heat of the oven. So really, really resist the urge to bake them immediately! Allowing the cut cookies to re-chill will ensure you end up with beautifully defined edges and details.

How to tell if your cookies are done

With chocolate cookies, it can be tricky to gauge doneness since you don't have the same visual cues as lighter-coloured baked goods.

- First, trust your nose - when they're done baking, you'll smell that irresistible chocolate aroma.

- Check the surface of the cookies too. When done, they will have a dull, matte look rather than a glossy wet appearance.

- Press gently on the edges of the cookies. If they feel quite firm and almost dry, they are likely fully baked.

- Keep in mind that cookies continue cooking even once removed from the oven. To avoid overbaking, be cautious and pull them when you think they seem just shy of done. It's better to have cookies that are slightly underbaked rather than dried out.

Let your senses guide you and you will master perfectly baked chocolate shortbread.

A bonus 'nice-to-have'

Invest in a rolling pin with built-in guides or adjustable add-on guides for easy, tidy rolling. The guides act as a frame of reference so you can roll the dough precisely to the desired thickness all over.

Perhaps something else to add to your Christmas list!

Nutritional data disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.

Nutrition