Chocolate Shortbread

Chocolate shortbread cookies are subtly sweet with a wonderful dark cocoa flavour and buttery goodness. With their crumbly and tender texture, these cookies can become the perfect companion for your afternoon tea/coffee. These cookies just require 4 ingredients and minimal effort. Thus they are great to share among friends and family.

In my short span as a home baker cookies are the baked goods I have made the most. And as a chocoholic, in my creations cookies and chocolate have crossed paths multiple times. My brownie cookies or chocolate chip cookies are a good example of that.

 But this chocolate shortbread is a favourite one mainly because of little effort. Even shaping these cookies is so easy. Also in the flavour department because of the subtle sweetness, the chocolate gets to shine. The dark flavour of cocoa and rich butter complement each other very well.

Shortbread is simple cookies made with just flour, butter, sugar and in this case little cocoa powder. Most of these ingredients will be easily available in your household. And if not they are readily available everywhere.

Therefore, This recipe might become a staple in your home. Not only because of a few ingredients but also because of minimal effort. No chilling time, no fancy equipment. Just mix the ingredients and bake. Ta-da! In under roughly 35 minutes, you’ll have tasty Chocolate shortbread on your kitchen counter.

You can create endless variations with this recipe. Add nuts and dried fruits or dip the cookies in chocolate. The only limitation is your imagination.

Ingredients required

All-purpose flour

Butter- Unsalted

Sugar (powdered)- Powdering the sugar is necessary for the tender, soft and melt-in-mouth texture.

Cocoa powder- I’ve tried this recipe with both Dutch-process cocoa powder and regular cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives a dark colour and rich cocoa flavour whereas regular cocoa powder inhibits mild flavour as well as colour. Use whatever is available, the type of cocoa powder doesn’t affect the texture.

Salt

How to make Chocolate Shortbread?

Making these cookies is very easy. Just some simple steps and you are done.

Step 1- Cream Sugar and butter together. No need for any mixer just your good old whisk will do. Add a pinch of salt while creaming.

Step 2- Sift in all-purpose flour and cocoa powder. Mix with a spatula till a well-combined crumbly dough is created.

Step 3- Put this dough into a parchment/butter paper-lined baking pan. With the help of a spatula/spoon/ or bowl with flat bottom press/compress the dough and give it a smooth surface. Score the dough in the preferred shape.

Step 4- Bake the chocolate shortbread in a preheated oven. Let the cookies cool down completely in the pan itself before serving or storing them.

How to store chocolate shortbread cookies?

In an airtight container chocolate shortbread can be stored for up to 2 weeks at room temperature and up to 3 weeks in a refrigerator.

To freeze wrap each cookie with parchment/butter paper and store in an airtight container. They can be frozen for a month. Thaw them at room temperature for 2-3 hours before consuming.

How to chill or freeze the cookie dough?

To chill: After placing the dough in the baking tray place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.

To freeze: After placing the dough in the baking tray place it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to chill. Then place the dough in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before baking.

Why is a baking pan used instead of a baking tray?

It is easy to shape the cookies in a baking pan. And also the cookies can’t spread in a baking pan ensuring the tender and crumbly texture of cookies. You can use a baking tray but you’ll have to chill the dough for at least 1 hour before both shaping and baking of cookie.

How to know if cookies are properly baked?

The surface of cookies will lose its glossiness and become matte. Press slightly on the surface of cookies, there should be little to no indent.

Note:- Do not over-mix otherwise the shortbread would end up chewy rather than crumbly. To avoid over-mixing use a whisk and spatula to mix rather than mixers.

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