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Chocolate shortbread cookies cut into stars and decorated.
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Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolatey, cocoa nibby and crunchy, these shortbread cookies make a fabulous and appreciated holiday treat (or for anytime!). This recipe is vegetarian, easily vegan* and egg free.
NOTE: Prep time can vary depending on baker experience.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocoalte Shortbread Cookies, Dark Chocolate Shortbread
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Resting TIme 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 33 minutes
Servings 38 Cookies
Calories 91kcal
Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

For Decorating:

  • Powder Sugar
  • 1/2 cup (90 grams) High Quality White Chocolate Chips/Wafers
  • A few drops of Olive Oil

Instructions

For the Cookies:

  • Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
  • Whisk the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, corn starch, sea salt and baking soda together. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract for about 2 minutes or until smooth and incorporated, stopping to scrape down bowl once while mixing. Add the dry ingredients in two batches pulsing in the ingredients just until all the ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be very crumbly.
    Turn the mixer to medium and mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. If the dough is not coming together and is crumbly, sprinkle in a 1 tablespoon of water to help it come together while mixing. Add the cocoa nibs and pulse in until the nibs are evenly distributed.
  • Dump the dough out on a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use the plastic wrap/paper to help you press the dough together into a 1/2 inch (1.2cm) thick circle. Double wrap tightly and rest it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.
    Freezer Tip: At this point you can freeze the dough for up to two months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in refrigerator, rest on the counter until pliable enough to roll then, roll out as needed.
  • Set the dough out at room temperature to soften a bit before working it, about an hour. On a sheet of parchment paper, condition the dough by beating it with a rolling pin to start flattening it out. If the dough seems too crumbly at this point, knead the dough by folding it over onto itself and beating it with the pin, eventually working it back into a disk. You'll notice it will start holding together.
    Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch (6mm) thick on a piece of parchment paper. You'll notice some cracking in the dough; simply press the dough back together. Dip the cookie cutter into flour and cut the cookie.
    Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheet leaving at least 1/2 inch (1.5cm) between each cookie. Once all the cookies are on the baking sheet, transfer pan to the refrigerator to chill the cookies for 30 minutes (do not skip this step otherwise the cookies can lose their shape).
  • While the dough is resting, preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
  • Meanwhile, gather up the remaining dough, knead and press the dough, using the pin to condition the dough again. Roll out and cut again. Do this until all remaining dough has been used or wrap remaining dough in double plastic wrap or double parchment paper and freeze for future use.
    Note: If the dough gets too warm while reworking, pop it in the freezer for 5-8 minutes, then work the dough as needed.
  • Bake chilled cookies for 18-22 minutes. The cookies should be just barely soft, almost firm to the touch when done. They'll continue to firm up as they cool. Transfer individual cookies to a cooling rack.
    Cool completely before decorating. Transfer to a covered container or to gift bags and store for up to three weeks.

To Decorate:

  • Powder Sugar: Dust cookies through a fine mesh strainer with powder sugar.
  • White Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate gently in a bain marie or microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring throughly each time until melted. This is a slow process. If the white chocolate seems to thick, add a few drops of oil and mix well. Do not heat white chocolate to over 105-108 F or it can scorch. Once melted and pipe-able, pour white chocolate into a pastry bag or into a plastic zip bag. Cut a very small hole in the pastry or plastic bag and drizzle white chocolate over cookies. Place cookies in the fridge for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set up.

Notes

*To make vegan, use Earth Balance Butter Sticks, omit the salt in the recipe and just add a pinch. 
I use two 1 1/2" and 2 1/2" star cookie cutters for this recipe. Depending on the size of the cookie cutter used, yields may vary.
Recipe adapted from The Grand Central Baking Book.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg