Made with two types of cocoa, these Chocolate Shortbread Cookies have a deep, nuanced chocolate flavor. They're tender, melt-in-your-mouth, and downright irresistible.
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These cookies have a complex flavor profile due to some unique ingredients, (thanks, black cocoa!), and feature a soft, crumbly texture.
Similar to these Ted Lasso Biscuits and Shortbread Pistachio Cookie recipes, these cookies hover just on the edge of salty, which plays off the deep cocoa and (optional espresso) flavors and brings out the perfect balance of sweetness.
Simply put, these chocolate shortbread cookies are perfect for any occasion!
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
Please note: Given how few ingredients are in this recipe, if you make a substitution, then the recipe might not turn out as intended.
- salted Kerrygold butter (I really recommend sticking with this brand for this recipe. If you can't find it, Plugra, Cabot Extra Creamy, or Vital Farms are similar, but make sure to use salted)
- sugar: light or dark brown sugar and powdered sugar
- neutral oil (any oil that doesn't have a flavor is fine here; I used light olive oil)
- vanilla extract
- espresso powder (this is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor)
- coarse kosher salt
- cocoa powder (both black cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder are required for this recipe; see below for more info about black cocoa)
Truly, the butter is key for this recipe. I tried it with a few different brands, but unequivocally the salted Kerrygold butter proved essential.
The additional salt in the recipe, along with the salt in the butter, is what makes these cookies irresistible.
What Is Black Cocoa?
Black cocoa is a type of cocoa powder that has been heavily "Dutched," which is a process that alkalizes the cocoa to neutralize its natural acidity. The resulting cocoa is very dark, almost black (hence the name!), and has an intense, almost smoky, bitter flavor. It is used in cookies like Oreos to produce a deep, rich chocolate flavor and color. And that is exactly why this recipe calls for it.
Black cocoa is a specialty item that's not available in most grocery stores. It can be purchased online at King Arthur Flour or you can find it on Amazon.
How to Make Them
These shortbread cookies use a basic creaming method in a stand mixer.
While it is possible mix the dough by hand, the batter ends up being very stiff, so it's easier to do it with a stand mixer.
Step 1: Mix together all of the wet ingredients until smooth and the sugar has dissolved into the butter.
Step 2: Sift in the cocoa and powdered sugar to ensure no lumps in the batter.
Step 3: Mix until combined.
Step 4: Sift in the flour and paddle together until no flour spots remain.
This cookie dough is incredibly thick. The best way to get the dough into the prepared pan is to use your hands. Press the dough into the pan to an even thickness. If desired, use a flat plastic bowl scraper to even out the dough.
How to Tell When the Cookies are Done
It can be tricky to tell when these shortbread cookies are finished baking since they are a dark color, and they are baked at a low temperature.
Visually look for the cookie dough to turn to a matte texture and notice when the dough has uniformly puffed up, and the outer edges have started to deflate. This is the best time to pull the cookies from the oven to achieve that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Unbaked chocolate shortbread cookies.
Fully baked chocolate shortbread cookies.
Kelli's Quick Tips
- Don't skip the step of sifting in the cocoa and powdered sugar. If there are any lumps in those ingredients, they will not smooth out in the mixer and will remain as lumps in the final product.
- To get evenly baked rectangular cookies, it's best to bake them in a straight-sided 8-inch metal pan. If you bake them in a 9-inch pan, the cookies will be slightly thinner and might need less time to bake.
- Preparing a parchment paper sling in the metal pan allows for easy removal of the baked shortbread. To do this, lightly butter the pan (so the parchment will stick to the pan), then cut a strip of parchment to fit inside of the pan, with extra hanging over the edges as handles. I sometimes lay in two perpendicular strips, but this is optional.
- If you prefer a more traditional, dry shortbread that is more crumbly than melt-in-your-mouth, then I suggest baking the shortbread for an additional 10 minutes, until puffed and then fully deflated.
How to Cut Them Neatly
Some recipes call for scoring the shortbread cookies before cutting them, but I find this step unnecessary. All you need to get clean cuts is a good serrated bread knife and properly cooled shortbread.
The cookies can be cut into whatever size you desire, but I liked a 1-by-2.5-inch rectangle best.
To get it without a ruler, I sliced one side of the shortbread into thirds. Then I sliced the opposite side into eighths (making one slice down the middle, then cutting each half in half, and then each of those halves in half again).
Storage
Chocolate shortbread cookies are good on day one, but wait until you try them on day two or three! They get even better with age. They will keep well for 3-5 days in a covered container at room temperature. I haven't tried, but I bet they would freeze well, too.
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Full Recipe
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Made with two types of cocoa, these Chocolate Shortbread Cookies have a deep, nuanced chocolate flavor. They're tender, melt-in-your-mouth, and downright irresistible.
- Total Time55 minutes
- Yield24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 cup (235 grams) salted Kerrygold butter, divided and softened (see note)
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar (see note)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I used light olive oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ cup (28 grams) black cocoa powder (see notes)
- ¼ cup (28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2-¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan with a teaspoon (or less) of butter. Cut a sheet of parchment to the width of the pan and place it inside. This will help remove the cookie slab in one piece when it’s done.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1 cup softened butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, espresso powder (if using), and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Sift in the cocoas and mix until combined.
- Sift in the flour and mix until combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Using a small spatula (or your hands), press the dough into an even layer in the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the shortbread has puffed up throughout and has started to deflate around the edges, about 40 minutes.
- Let cool for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan.
- To remove, grab the parchment sling and evenly and carefully pull up the cookie slab.
- Place the slab on a cutting board. Using a bread knife, slice the shortbread into rectangles, approximately 1-by-2-½ inches.
- Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Notes
The extra teaspoon of butter is for preparing the pan. It does not need to be salted European butter; any butter will work to grease the pan.
Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
Black cocoa is heavily Dutch-processed cocoa powder with a nearly black color and an intense, slightly bitter flavor, the same cocoa that gives Oreos their deep color. It isn't sold in most grocery stores, but you can buy it online from King Arthur Baking or Amazon.
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:40
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American / Scottish
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terry oreilly
Do you know what black cocoa is??
terry oreilly
havent tried recipe because of lack of notes//
terry oreilly
What are the notes for black chocolate??
Avnee Gobin
Could you make this dough and freeze it and bake it when needed ?
Kelli Avila
I actually think the shortbread does better frozen fully baked, and then defrosting to eat.
Sherry Kosinski
Dark, rich, and not too sweet. Wonderful and easy to work with. Took exactly 40 minutes to bake.
Cyndie
I made it with 00 flour to be gluten friendly. It came out great. I like that it is deeply chocolate and not too sweet.
Juli
This is the best cookie I’ve ever made. No exaggeration. Its flavors are perfectly balanced and is so deeply satisfying to eat. OMG. This recipe will now go into regular rotation. So, so good!