Shortbread cookies is one of the favorite cookies that I like to bake quite often because it uses very little ingredients and is very easy to bake. Not to forget the amazing taste and texture. It just uses butter, flour and sugar and optional add-ons. No leavening agent like baking powder and/or baking soda.
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The cookies get a rich buttery flavor and have a crispy texture. To make chocolate shortbread cookies the only additional ingredient is unsweetened cocoa powder.
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If you want to bake vanilla flavored shortbread cookies you can try one the following recipes: Cranberry shortbread cookies or pistachio shortbread cookies.
If you are looking for an easy chocolate shortbread cookie recipe then you are in the right place. This recipe for eggless chocolate shortbread cookies is from a Martha Stewart book. I think it's called "Cookies".
I noted it long time back so don't remember it. These are basic beginner's level cookies. These chocolate shortbread cookies have a crumbly texture with a buttery smell and taste. I wanted to bake a big batch of cookies and a simple recipe. So this chocolate shortbread cookie recipe fits the bill. The yield mentioned in the recipe was 3 dozen but I got 5 dozen chocolate shortbread cookies.
I would say that this the best chocolate shortbread recipe. To make it even better you may also add chopped walnuts to the cookie dough. These chocolate shortbread cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie swap because it makes a huge batch and also a wonderful Valentine's Day treat. What are you waiting for? Now that you have the recipe for chocolate shortbread cookies, get baking already!
If you tried this Chocolate Shortbread Cookies recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
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Recipe
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder + little more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter or 2 sticks at room temperature
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa and salt.
- In a large bowl add the butter and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until fluffy.
- Add sugar and beat about 2 minutes, until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add vanilla if using.
- Add the flour mixture and combine on low speed, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
- Form dough into a flattened disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325F for 15 minutes. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. I greased it lightly with the butter wrapper itself.
- Use a spoon to form the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. I chilled it for 2 hours and the dough became so hard I was not able to scoop the dough. I had to pinch the dough and roll it in between my palms.
- Bake until firm, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through (that is, moving the baking sheet in the top row to the bottom row and the vice versa) My cookies were ready around 23 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving. (I didn't do this)
Heather says
I tweaked this a bit adding coconut extract and shredded coconut to the batter. They were super yummy!
Madhuram says
Thanks Heather.
Alex says
Hi,
I tried the recipe tonight. I didn't have cocoa powder, but did have some hot chocolate mix and some chocolate chips. I melted the chips in a double boiler (bittersweet 60% cocoa) and mixed the powder in with the flour, and then mixed it all together. They came out light and delicious, a little sugary, I'm tempted to add crushed almonds or macadamia nuts to these. Thanks again!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Alex. Crushed nuts does sound like a wonderful idea! Can you rate the recipe?
Tara says
These came together quickly and baked up quite yummy. Nice simple cookie that tastes great with a cup of milk or tea. Another winner!
Madhuram says
Thanks Tara. I guess you are on a baking spree!
Tara says
It is Communion/Christening/Graduation season so I am filling my freezer! I am on the poundcake next!
Madhuram says
That's great Tara. When you try the poundcake, try part tofu and part yogurt, like one of the readers had baked.
thomas says
it worked great
anup says
Hi, I love your recipe very much. Need to more cookie recipes.
priyanka says
my cookies melted all over the baking tray....i dont know what the reason can be 🙁
Priya Srinivasan says
Hello Madhuji,
I tried this recipe last week in my impressing my in-laws series 😎 , it came out fabulous!!!!! My MIL has actually packed a dozen to India too. 😛
Not only this, she asked me to bake ur Apple raisin muffins and Dates Cake too. Baked a Batch especially for her.
Thanks a Ton for sharing these recipes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have made my day Priya. Thank you so much for trying the recipes and taking the time to record your comments here. The dates cake is a hit with my mil too. She too has asked me to bake it for her when she leaves for India next week. Thanks to Shilpa for such a wonderful recipe.
Laura Foley says
Thanks for the great recipe! I found out last night at 7:00 that I had been invited to a cookie swap the next day, and I didn't have any eggs in the house. This was the perfect recipe. The bake time, though, seems way too long. I'm afraid the cookies will come out like rocks after 25 minutes! On the MS Web site a similar recipe calls for a bake time of 12-15 minutes, which is what I'm going to try.
Do let me know after you try it Laura.
Disorichu says
Hi, I love ur website and ur recipes. I tried out the banana nut bread and it came out fabulous. I had one question regarding all purpose flour. Some say that all purpose flour and maida are different. But the thing sold in indian stores reads all purpose flour(maida) whereas the one in american grocery stores read just all purpose flour. The cookies baked using that come out hard. I need your advice in this field.
Thanks for trying the recipe Disorichu. As far as I know maida and all purpose flour are one and the same. But that said, I have not baked with maida bought from Indian stores. I usually buy it from American grocery stores and have been baking with that only without any problem. Cookies get hard if it's baked more than the required time, or sometimes if the flour is mixed too much which makes it very glutenous and thus hard.
Anusha says
I'm totally new this space, what is all-purpose flour? Also, I just have a basic Microwave oven. Will I be able to make some cookies?
Anusha, all purpose flour is nothing but maida. I have not baked in microwave oven, but have seen some recipes. So google and see.
Nilambara says
60 cookies? really?
Yes, small size ones. About the size of a quarter.
Ranjita says
Hi Madhuram, I was looking for eggless baking recipes since a very long time. I tried your chocolate cake which came out excellent. This is my first bake and I became crazy for baking. I tried your Eggless Shortbread Cookies but these came out hard. The first batch I followed exactly what was told but the second batch I removed 5min early. Still they came out hard but tasted wonderful. I dont know if I was doing something wrong. Please help me if possible.
Ranjita, thanks for trying the recipes. Cookies become hard because of two reasons 1) Adding more flour than required or 2) Overmixing the batter after adding the flour. I think you could have done the 2nd. To soften the cookies, take an air tight container or a ziploc bag. Place the cookies in the bag and also 2 slices of fresh bread and close the bag. Leave it for 24 hours and your cookies should have softened. I have not tried this but have read in a lot of baking sources.
M says
Hi
I just tried this recipe and I only got 30 small cookies. Not nearly close to 60. Also, they're not very sweet - just cocoa-ey. I actually prefer them that way but I can see that some people might expect more chocolate-y flavour. I'm taking them to work tomorrow for a baby shower potluck lunch so I hope they're well received! Super easy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
In response to the question above about too many cookies, when I bake cookies I usually take them to work and they don't last more than an hour. I also like to freeze some for "emergencies" like when I get invited to someone's house at the last minute.
M
Thanks for trying it M. My cookies were the size of a quarter, so I guess I got lot more cookies. I recently tried the freezing method and it's such a neat idea.
roma says
Bookmarked this recipe. I have been wanting to make cookies too and this recipe sounds simple. The shape is really round and perfect.
Akal says
they look perfect!
Cynthia says
Nice!
Vaishali says
I meant Earth Balance vegan "butter" sticks. I guess I'm thinking too much about my url! 🙂
Sometimes I get confused too!
Vaishali says
Love anything chocolate, and chocolate shortbread must be incredibly delicious. I gotta try it with the Earth Vegan "butter" sticks.
RedChillies says
Easy recipe and the cookies/shortbread look yummy.
I have a side question though, hope you dont mind. I have this perpetual question when I decide to bake. "What do you I with so many cookies?" Like your family, my husband is health conscious too and will not eat them. The little one will not eat as well. I love anything sweet, but try to resist them thanks to my bulging waist line 🙂 But then seriously, how do you use the 5 dozen cookies that you got from this recipe?
Actually RC, that's one thing which definitely stops me from trying more recipes. For this particular one I wanted to give it to some of my relatives, that's why I baked it in the first place. Other times, I give it to my desi neighbors. There are 4 families here. Even I'm slowly reducing the frequency of my baking experiments, since I'm also trying to lose weight.