Smooth and creamy Shortbread Cookie dipped in a decadent melted dark chocolate, a treat in ever bite. Shortbread cookie is one of my favorite cookie for a lot of reason. This delicious buttery cookie is such an easy cookie to make and never failed to make people fall in love with it. The simple process, the simple and basic ingredients and the delicious taste of this cookie are just few reasons why shortbread cookie is an all time favorite cookie, even more during the holiday season. This is such a beautiful delicious cookie that is great for holiday gift giving and everyday treat.

Today I am going to teach you how to make one of the all time favorite cookie, shortbread cookie. But we are not stopping there, were going to make more than just a regular shortbread cookie, we are going to dip it in your favorite chocolate. Dark, semi sweet or even white, it’s your call. Here is a short video to give you a glimpse of what to expect from this cookie.

Sometimes the best things are the simple ones, just like this 4 Ingredients Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookie. Classic,  all time favorite cookie, simple and yet delicious. With so many cookies to choose from, Shortbread Cookie and any other short of variation always makes it to my top 5 favorite cookie. This is one of those cookie wherein I worry less that I am gonna mess it up. This cookie comes out perfect every time, as in every time. Unlike chocolate chip cookie that can be problematic sometimes, this shortbread cookie recipe never failed to produce a consistent creamy and buttery shortbread cookie, all the time. Sorry if I am being annoying stressing out “all the time”, but I just want to reiterate how perfect this is. This shortbread recipe is one o my most visited recipe in my website, and that tells me that I am not the only one obsessed with this cookie. This cookie is perfect as is, plain and simple, but this doesn’t mean we cannot make it even better. For me what better way to make it better by dipping it in melted chocolate, yes you heard me right. Shortbread Cookie dipped in decadent dark chocolate or milk chocolate I you prefer something sweeter. A simple additional step that will take this cookie to a heavenly delicious level, and it is super easy to make.

My Other Cookie Videos

Not feeling like having a Shortbread Cookie, check out my other cookie videos for inspiration.

The steps are very simple, the ingredients are very basic, you only have few key things to remember if you want to have a nice buttery crisp smooth shortbread cookie. Since this cookie does not have a lot of ingredients, a lot of the taste will be coming from the butter, vanilla extract for flavoring and chocolate for dipping So, use a good quality ingredients, spending few more for quality ingredients can go along way.

Ingredients for Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookie

• All Purpose Flour – Make sure to measure the flour properly using the spoon level technique (scoop the flour using measuring cup the use the back of the spoon to level the top) 
• Icing Sugar/Confectioners Sugar – Powdered sugar is recommended for smoother cookie texture. Although you can use regular white sugar , the texture will not be the same
• Butter – salted or unsalted can be use. I using foo professor, use a cold butter. If using hand mixer room temperature butter is easier k mix but you will have to chill the dough before cutting it
• Dipping Chocolate – use proper dipping or melting chocolate . You can buy this as specialty chocolate store. Dipping chocolate solidify better and is not sticky when it hardens. Chocolate chip cookie tends to be slightly sticky even when it hardens. It doesn’t solidify as good as melting chocolate
• Salt – Small amount goes a long why, this gives a balance to the creamy taste of the cookie
• Vanilla Extract – Although optional, Vanilla flavor works well with shortbread cookie so it adds a nice extra flavor. Use pure vanilla extract for better flavor

How To Make Chocolate  Dipped Shortbread Cookie

There’s only 2 easy parts in making this cookie. Here is a quick summary, you can get the full details in the ‘Instructions’ section

1. Start by making the Shortbread Cookie. You can make it using a hand mixer or a food processor. Transfer the flour icing sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until it turns into a cookie dough. If the dough is too soft to handle and roll, chill the dough in the refrigerator then cut into desired shape. For the second time, chill the cut cookie in the freezer. This will help maintain the shape of cookie as it bakes. You can freeze the cut cookie for 2-3 months. Make sure to store it in a freezer bag to avoid freezer burn. Bake the cookie when you are ready to make it. Let cool completely before dipping it in chocolate. 
2. Dip the Shortbread: The most important thing to remember here is to use the right kind of chocolate, and that is a melting or dipping chocolate. For a long time, I had been using chocolate chips to dip shortbread cookie or chocolate chip cookies. I was pretty happy with it until I tried using a real dipping chocolate that’s really made for dipping, imagine it like a fondue chocolate, that kind of chocolate. The big difference lies on how a chocolate chips and a dipping chocolate solidify, it might sound no big deal but when you are making a dessert that requires dipping and chocolate coating, it makes a huge difference. 

This dough can be made using a stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor. The instructions below uses a stand mixer, while the video uses food processor. As you can see, using food processor is the easiest way to make this cookie dough. But you do not have to have one, a stand mixer or hand mixer is the common way most people do it. The only difference is the state of the butter. When using stand or hand mixer, use softened butter. This will allow the mixture to combine easily. While when using food processor, since it can easily handle hard butter, cold butter is the best one to use. Food processor method is simply putting all ingredients in the processor. Here is how you do it.

Can I Make Shortbread Cookie Without Food Processor?

Yes, it can be done. Although using a food processor proves to be the fastest way (at least for me) to do it, you can also do it using a hand mixer and still get the same result.

Using Food Processor – Recommended

There are two ways in which I normally make my shortbread cookie, but often times I used my food processor to make the dough. Using a food processor allowed me to use a really cold butter that’s straight out from the fridge. Using cold butter makes the dough firmer and more manageable, it lessen the spreading of the cookie and early browning of the cookie during baking. Oftentimes, I don’t even have to chill the dough as it is good enough to to immediately roll and cut. But there’s exception, Summer time! Yes, I find that making a mostly butter based cookie is tricky when the weather it hot. The heat in the kitchen soften the dough quite easily, which means more chilling is required before rolling and cutting it. But that’s me really an issue here, we only have 4 months of warm weather, and there’s always my fridge to help me chill the dough. So, if you have a food processor, take it out and make use of it to make Shortbread Cookie. It will be such an easy breezy process.

Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this Shortbread Cookie. Use a room temperature butter and use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Hand mixer should be able handle soften butter without any problem. The downside of this method is that the dough will require chilling to make it easier to handle. The cookie dough will be soft and it will be sticky to roll and cut, and so chilling is mandatory. Simply chill the dough in the refrigerator until it is manageable for rolling and cutting. You will know if it was chilled properly when it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin or on the surface when you start rolling it, or when it doesn’t break or tear easily. You can also use a soften butter in food processor, just remember when a butter is soften you will need to chill the dough, ALWAYS!

What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use for Dipping?

I highly recommend using a proper dipping chocolate, not a chocolate chips. A proper dipping chocolate hardens well, it has a nice “snap” and most of all its not sticky. Chocolate Chips when melted and used to coat cookies will be sticky even after few hours of chilling it or leaving it to dry. You can go to specialty store like Ghirardelli, Lindt, Godiva so similar store.

Melting Chocolates are made with cocoa butter so it can be melted and reset multiple number of times. It solidify faster, and not sticky when it hardens. It also doesn’t need any liquid such as milk, water or butter to melt it. It melts smoothly, and has a very nice glossy, liquidy smooth consistency. 

On the other hand Chocolate Chips are made with temperature stable oils so they can be used in baking and other high temperature applications. Although it can also be melted, but is not suitable for creating a hard shell coating for cookies. It doesn’t solidify as fast, and when it “somehow” solidify, it is still slightly sticky and glossy. Most of the time, you have to add milk or butter to help it melt, and when it melt is has a thicker consistency which needs more liquid to bring it to a more fluid consistency.  This is why chocolate chips are great add on for cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookie in particular) because it retains its shape even when baked at high temperature.

Tips in Making Smooth & Creamy Shortbread Cookie

1. Sift the Confectioner’s Sugar: Icing Sugar or confectioners sugar tends to have lumps, so sifting is recommended for a smoother cookie texture. Sift the sugar first using a flour sifter of a regular sieve then measure the required amount.
2. Chill the Dough After Cutting: Regardless if you use soften butter or cold butter, it is still suggested that you chill the cut cookie in the freezer at least 15 – 30 minutes. This is VERY important to help retain the shape when you bake the cookie. A soft cookie when baked will spread a lot, resulting to a thin cookie, and worst a deformed cookie.
3. Same Size, Same Thickness: It is very important to have the same size and thickness for the cookies so that they all bake at the same time. If you have some thicker and bigger than the other, it will not be bake the same time as the other pieces. 1/4-inch thickness is the ideal thickness for this cookies. Make it too thin and it will get burnt or crunchy too soon. You can use a ruler to measure the thickness. Sometimes it is quite easy to spot a thin cookie once you get the hang of making it. I would say thicker is better than thinner. Thicker will require more baking time, but at least it will not burn as easily when you have it thin.
4. Do NOT Over Bake: You’ve probably heard this countless times when making a cookie, Do NOT over bake. Bake at 18-20 minutes only, check on 15 minutes mark. If the sides starts to brown while the center is still white and soft, that is ok to remove from the oven. Shortbread cookie are very fragile cookie, plus it is a butter based cookie which makes it susceptible over baking if not monitored. Take the cookie out when you notice the side starts browning while the top is still pale. The cookie will continue to cook as it cools.

How to Freeze Shortbread Cookies

One of the thing I like about shortbread cookie is it freezes well. To freeze the shortbread cookie, you have two options to do this.

• Slice & Freeze: Slice into the size and shape that you like then arrange it in a pan lined with parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until solid hard and no longer sticky. Transfer in a ziplock bag and freeze up to 2 – 3 months.
• Shape as a Log & Freeze: Shape the Shortbred Doug into a log shape and tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. Store in a ziplock bag and freeze uo to 2 -3 months. Thaw for about an hour before slicing and baking.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Confectioner’s /Icing sugar (Sifted – Sift first before measuring)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Butter – softened at room temperature (If using a food processor, use COLD butter)
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
• 1/3 cup Dipping/Melting Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a silicone mat or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using hand mixer or stand mixer if making a larger batch.
   • Food Processor Method: Alternatively, this can also be made using a food processor, which is my recommended method. This method gave a better manageable cookie dough, it also lessen spreading of the cookie and early browning while cooking. If using this method, use a COLD butter instead of softened butter. Add all ingredients in the food processor and process until dough start to clump together.
3. Add Dry Ingredient: Add salt and flour and continue to mix until mixture forms a soft dough (it will be crumbly at first, but keep mixing and it will form a dough).
4. Shape the Cookie Dough: Take the dough out from the bowl and form into a cohesive ball. If it is too soft, wrap it with plastic-wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes or until manageable to shape without sticking to the rolling pin too much. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick on a surface dusted with flour or powdered sugar with a well-dusted rolling-pin. If your dough is not sticky, you can skip the dusting of sugar. Cut into rounds (or any shape you like) and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about at least 1-inch apart. Repeat as necessary.
5. Chill: Chill for 30 minutes – 1 hour in the freezer or leave overnight in the fridge. This will help the cookie hold its shape while it bakes. Do not skip this step as it is crucial to retaining the cookie shape as it bakes especially if you are using more than just basic shape like round or square. You can also freeze the cookie dough up to 3 months. Shape before freezing. No need to thaw when ready to bake.
6. Bake: Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until the edge of the cookies starts to turn golden brown and the center is still pale and soft. Check on 15 minutes mark to avoid over-baking. Let cool on baking sheet. Store baked cookies in a resealable container or plastic bag. I like to store mine in the fridge but it can also be stored in room temperature provided it is not coated with chocolate.
7. Melt the Chocolate:  While waiting for the cookie to cool down, melt the chocolate. If you can find a dipping chocolate, that would be the best option. Dipping chocolate hardens as it cools and is not sticky, unlike chocolate chips that remains slightly sticky even when it solidify. You can find melting or dipping chocolate in specialty store, just ask for a melting or dipping chocolate. If you cannot find one, use at least the baking block chocolate (like Baker’s Chocolate, Ghirardelli, Godiva etc). Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in the microwave at 30 seconds interval until completely melted. Do this gradually as chocolate could burn easily when heated in high heat in microwave.
   • Alternatively, you can also melt it over a simmering water. Pour water in a pan, bring it to a boil then lower the heat just enough to keep the water hot but not boiling. Transfer the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl and place it on top of the simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Keep stirring until fully melted.
8. Dip Each Cooled Cookie in the Melted Chocolate and arrange in a pan lined with parchment paper or on a silicone mat. Leave at room temperature to harden or if you are in a hurry, put it in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is completely solid.

Makes 12 cookies (2 1/4-inch cookie cutter)

How to Use Shortbread Cookie Dough as a Tart Crust

This Shortbread cookie dough can be used as tart crust. This makes a perfect tart crust for fruit tarts and custard tarts. It is still the same creamy and butter shortbread, but molded in a tart pan. Watch the video on how to do this.

Nutrition Information

Nutritional Information was calculated using Veryfitwell Recipe Calorie and Nutrition Calculator. For details about Nutrition Information in this website, please read the Nutrition Disclaimer page.

I love eating shortbread cookie on its own, but I enjoy it even more when dipped in melted dark chocolate. The smooth buttery texture complements well with the dark chocolate. Every bite melts in your mouth! Such an easy breezy treat for something so deliciously good.

Recipe Notes:

• Use the proper dipping/melting chocolate for better result
• You can use either flour or powdered sugar to roll out your cookies of it is sticky, but I prefer powdered sugar. Too much flour can toughen the cookie, but as long as you watch the amount of flour, it should be fine.
• Remember, size and thickness matters. The bigger and thicker your cookie, the more baking time you need. So, adjust your baking time accordingly.

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