Chocolate Shortbreads

Name: Chocolate Shortbreads
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 1 h 37 min
Yield: 20 cookies
Ingredients: 230 grams unsalted butter; 110 grams icing sugar; 30 grams cocoa powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 220 grams all purpose flour

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5.0

228 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Fridge time:
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 37 mins
Servings
20 cookies
Calories
134 kcal
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
International

Chocolate Shortbreads

Damien Carter

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

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Ingredients

Servings

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

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Instructions

Add the softened butter and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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-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.
With chocolate cookies, it can be tricky to gauge doneness since you don't have the same visual cues as lighter-coloured baked goods.
Let your senses guide you and you will master perfectly baked chocolate shortbread.
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!
First, trust your nose - when they're done baking, you'll smell that irresistible chocolate aroma.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 134kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Sodium 62mg (3%) Potassium 99mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 7g (14%) Calcium 9mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 134 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	134kcal	7%
Carbohydrates	17g	6%
Protein	4g	8%
Fat	6g	9%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	3g	15%
Sodium	62mg	3%
Potassium	99mg	2%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	7g	14%
Calcium	9mg	1%
Iron	1mg	6%