Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

Recipe Created By: Alison Roman

PREP TIME

2 hrs

COOK TIME

12-15 mins

YIELDS

24 Cookies

Mitch Hawes

The Owner behind BCause who has a love for all things baking!

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/255 grams total salted butter (2¼ sticks), cold (room temperature if you're using a handheld mixer), cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
  • ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup/55 grams light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (VanillaBlossom's Vanilla Bean Paste is great for this recipe!)
  • 2 ½ cups/325 grams all-purpose flour (see Tip)
  • 6 ounces/170 grams semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (not too fine; you want chunks, not little shards) I like to use Wallace Craft Chocolate
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Demerara sugar, for rollin
  • g

    Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

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About this Recipe

Do I need an excuse to make cookies? No.

Do I use the guise of unexpected holiday visitors as a thinly veiled excuse to keep our cupboards bursting with holiday cookies and goodies? Abso-freaking-lutely!


If you're familiar with the world of internet-famous chefs, you're probably no stranger to Alison Roman. She's a staple in my proverbial recipe Rolodex (which is just a bookmark folder on my phone, but that doesn't make for very good imagery). I've made dozens of her recipes over the years but this quick and super easy salted chocolate shortbread cookie has become a staple during the holidays. It's got crunchy sugar on the outside, buttery shortbread with a hearty amount of rich dark chocolate, and just the right amount of salt to bring it all together.

It comes together in no time, the hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill and while you may be tempted to skip the cooling, have faith in the fact that I've made that fatal error so you don't have to. A properly chilled dough is crucial to ensure all the butter doesn't just melt into a pile of sadness.

Directions

Step 1

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes for a stand mixer; 6 to 8 for a hand mixer). Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and mix just to blend. If necessary, knead the dough with your hands to make sure the flour is totally incorporated. At this point, the dough should be smooth and feel like Play-Doh with no pockets of flour.

Step 2

Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. (Don't be afraid to make them compact. Shortbread is supposed to be dense. That's part of why it's so good.) You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but plastic wrap is easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form a 6-inch log, 2 to 2¼ inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.

Step 3

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious, crisp edges).

Step 4

Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each log into ½-inch-thick rounds (if you hit a chocolate chunk, slowly saw back and forth through the chocolate). If the cookies break or fall apart, just press them back together — the dough is very forgiving. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

TIPS

The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. Cookies can be baked and stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container for 5 days.