I baked these chocolate shortbread cookies back in August, but they just felt a little winter-y to me. Honestly, they still feel too winter-y to talk about yet, but they’re also gosh darn delicious, so we are going to talk about them! Originally, I wanted to make big, normal cookie sized chocolate shortbread cookies. You know, the kind you roll and slice? Well, anyway, somehow I lost sight of that vision in the heat of baking, and I made them tiny. I actually wound up rolling the dough out and using a small cookie cutter I had. It wasn’t until I was halfway through punching out cookies that I remembered my original plan. So, I improvised with these small cookies. I dressed the cookies with a minty drizzle and called it a day. The mint chocolate combination was inspired by thin mints; I think that’s obvious. But I find these a little more peppy and sophisticated than the classic Girl Scout cookie.
These shortbread cookies are extremely delicate. Like, extremely! They essentially melt in your mouth, and if you’re not careful, you might eat eight in a row before you realize it. But who’s to say? All I know is that these are definitely going to be my holiday cookie. And yes, I too think it is a little too early to start talking about the holidays, but I’ve already mentioned winter in this post, so we may as well talk about Christmas.
Christmas…?
I feel like everyone experiences a cookie swap/exchange during the holidays. Whether its gathering every type of cookie to take home from grandmas as left overs, or a legitimate cookie convention, everyone is eating darn cookies. And I’m telling you now, these will be my submission. By submission, I mean they will be the dessert I bring to my aunt’s house for my extended family. I know its not an *actual* competition, but who are we kidding, of course the family will judge them. But I will feel confident walking into that party with my plate of cookies because I know just how delicious they truly are. If you want this kind of confidence, then I recommend you bake these cookies. They’re delicious, a mood booster, and fantastically easy to make. Make these for your friends, family, coworkers, kids, etc. you can thank me later when they come back asking for more.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Peppermint Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Shortbread:
- ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- ⅓ cup Cocoa Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Almond Extract
For the Peppermint Drizzle:
- 4 ounces White Chocolate (good quality for melting)
- ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 1 drops Red Food Coloring (optional)
Instructions
For the Shortbread:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a medium sized bowl add the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk together to combine, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the almond extract and beat until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients until a thick dough forms.
- Roll the dough into a long, 1-inch diameter log. Wrap up and place in the refridgerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Once firm, cut ¼ inch thick slices from the log. Space them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool
- Once cool, add the peppermint drizzle if desired.
For the Peppermint Drizzle:
- Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler or in 30 second intervals in the microwave until no solid chunks remain. Whisk in the peppermint extract. Add a couple drops of red food coloring and stir until a couple of streaks appear. We aren't trying to make red frosting, we are trying to give a candy cane effect. Transfer the red-swirled white chocolate to a piping bag with a small hole in it. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies. Allow to set before enjoying!
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