Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe

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Easy slice and bake Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe

This never fail Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe is easy to whip up with just a few quality ingredients!

You’re going to love these delicious and easy to make slice and bake cookies. They’re so good you’ll want to keep this dough in the freezer for unexpected guests or to cure a wicked cookie craving that just won’t give in.

With the classic shortbread texture and a delicious buttery flavor, each bite is filled with chunks of rich semisweet chocolate, plenty of vanilla and a crisp coating of coarse sugar.

The basic dough is so versatile all you need to do is peruse your pantry and experiment with delicious variations.

Add a little powdered espresso to the dough for a mocha-licious treat, or substitute almond extract for the vanilla. You can also use chocolate chips if you want, toasted nuts of any kind, or toffee bits for a sweet crunch.

Roll  the dough in toasted, finely chopped nuts instead of sugar, they’re so good! Or, try drizzling a little simple icing on top of the baked cookies instead of rolling the dough in sugar. The possibilities are endless!

 I use a good quality semisweet baking bar to create the chocolate chunks in this shortbread cookie recipe.

My favorite go-to baking chocolate are the Scharffen Berger brand products. Chocolate chips are pretty great, but real fine artisan dark chocolate seals the deal for me.

If your grocery store doesn’t sell this particular brand, no worries. Just buy the best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate you can find.

TIPS for making the BEST Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie recipe:

• Don’t chop the chocolate too small, you’ll want some chunks, not just shards;
• Lay a ruler next to the cookie dough log and make hashmarks with a knife at 1/2-inch intervals. This makes it easier to slice the dough into similar size cookies.
• When slicing the cookies, use a sawing motion if you come to a large chunk of chocolate. If the cookie dough splits or breaks apart, just piece it back together into a round. No worries!
• You can substitute chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate in a pinch, but the big chunks of rich chocolate is part of the appeal of these cookies.
• The cookie dough is easily made ahead and stored tightly wrapped in parchment paper and plastic wrap for up to 4 days before baking.
• The well wrapped dough can also be frozen for up to a month. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator for about 4 hours before slicing and baking.
• Sprinkle the unbaked cookies with a few flecks of flaky sea salt, if desired. It’s just enough to enhance the flavor of the chocolate without overpowering the cookie.

With the universal appeal of a great chocolate chip cookie and the texture of amazing shortbread, these cookies are just so darn good.

Shortbread is typically an eggless cookie dough made with butter, flour, sugar and a few other pantry ingredients. One of our favorite shortbread cookie recipes is for Pecan Sandies.

These perfect anytime cookies are filled with toasted pecans and vanilla beans with a crisp coating of coarse sugar on the outside. Another favorite: Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. They are loaded with buttery flavor, vanilla beans and plenty of pistachios.

Cookie Recipe Inspiration!

The inspiration for this shortbread cookie recipe came from an email I received from The New York Times. A cookie recipe, by the same name, created by Alison Roman ranked as one of their top 10 recipes during 2018. I thought I’d create my own version and am thrilled with this final recipe. Grab a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Thanks for PINNING!

NOTE: After receiving several comments that the cookie dough was too dry, we re-tested the recipe numerous times adjusting both the butter and flour amounts to find the perfect combination. By slightly reducing the amount of flour in the recipe the cookies still came out just as good as the original recipe only easier to form into a log. This recipe has been updated and also independently tested with great results. Enjoy and thanks for the feedback!

Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Total Time: 38 minutes mins

Yield: 24 cookies

Course: Cookie

Author: Tricia

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5 from 30 votes

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Classic delicious buttery shortbread cookies filled with chunks of rich semi-sweet chocolate, plenty of vanilla and a crisp coating of coarse sugar around the edges

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
• ½ cup powdered sugar (57g)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed (30g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (192g)
• 4 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate (or 2/3 cup chocolate chips chopped)
• 1 large egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for coating the dough log)
• ¼ cup turbinado or other coarse sugar for rolling
• Fine flake sea salt for garnish optional

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend on medium until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and blend again.
• Add the flour in four additions and mix on low speed until incorporated. The dough will seem a little dry, but keep mixing as it comes together.
• Add the chopped chocolate to the cookie dough and mix together using a wooden spoon, or you can fold it in using your hands.
• Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Press and form the dough into a log 12-inches long and about 1 1/2-inches thick. Wrap the dough tightly in the parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To bake preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator while preparing the egg wash. Whisk together the egg and water. Lightly brush the entire log with the egg wash. Pour the coarse sugar down the middle of a piece of parchment or wax paper. Roll the dough log in the sugar to coat, pressing down firmly to adhere. Let the dough come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to make it easier to slice.
• Using a large, thin, sharp knife, slice the log into 24 (1/2-inch) rounds. Place the cookies on the prepared cookies sheets, about 1-inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with sea salt, if using. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the they start to brown on the bottom and the cookies are set. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

• The butter must be very soft or the dough won't mix well and may seem dry.
• Don’t chop the chocolate too small, you’ll want some chunks, not just shards.
• Make sure to properly measure your flour. Stir the flour first to make sure it is not packed. Lightly spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top with the dull side of a knife. The dough will be too dry if you add too much flour.
• My favorite baking chocolate is Scharffen Berger Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate.
• Lay a ruler next to the cookie dough log and make hashmarks with a knife at 1/2-inch intervals. This makes it easier to slice the dough into similar size cookies.
• When slicing the cookies, use a sawing motion if you come to a large chocolate chunk.
• If the cookie dough splits or breaks apart, just piece it back together into a round. No worries!
• The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored tightly wrapped in parchment and plastic wrap for 4 days before baking.
• The dough can also be frozen for up to a month. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator for about 4 hours before slicing

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg