Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

For the past few months, my fiancé Matt has been asking me to make “black and white cookies, you know…like at the grocery store!” With a description like that, I know you’ll be surprised to hear I had no idea what he was talking about. Not to worry though, his mom went to their local grocery store and snapped a pic of the label. Lo and behold, they were just chocolate dipped shortbread cookies.

I’m not a huge shortbread fan (unless I’m dipping it in coffee) so the addition of chocolate really sold me on these ones. I broke out my Linzer cookie cutter I’ve been dying to use and got to work.

Each year a big group of food bloggers join together and do a HUGE cookie swap. Each of us donates a small amount to Cookies For Kids Cancer, who help fund treatments for pediatric cancers, and it adds up to one big donation for a great organization. Plus we all get 3 dozen cookies and “meet” other bloggers! It’s a win-win for everyone.

I knew these cookies would go perfect for the swap this year. Sturdy cookies like shortbread will stand up to being thrown around by the post office and the amount of butter in them keep them soft for at least a week, meaning they won’t be hard as a rock when they arrive on the others’ doors.

These babies were headed off to Natalie from Whale and Wishbone in Queens, NY, Dani from Haute in Paradise in San Francisco, CA and Cassandra from The Chef in Pearls in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Isn’t this fun?!

The cookies I received were Cranberry Pomegranate-Filled Shortbread Cookies from Caroline’s Cooking, Caramel Ginger Cookies from A Kitchen Addiction and Caramel Stuffed Cocoa Cookies from Lexi Bites. They were all SO GOOD.

Can you believe Christmas is next week?! I sure can’t. I’m busy still scrambling to finish all my holiday baking and write all my cards. If you need any more treats to add to your cookie trays, don’t forget about these chocolate dipped shortbread cookies! Personally, I think a little addition of peppermint extract in the chocolate would make them even more festive but I was told not to mess with the original. Maybe next time…

~Stephanie

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

• 2 c flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate

1. Whisk together flour and salt and small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and continue beating until fully combined and pale, about 2 more minutes. Beat in vanilla.
3. Slowly add in flour mixture until just incorporated. The dough should stick together when you squeeze it between your fingers.
4. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
5. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and repeat until dough is gone.
6. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 12-15 minutes at 325 degrees, until edges are golden brown.
7. Let cool completely.
8. In a microwave safe bowl, slowly melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring each time and being careful to not let it burn.
9. Dip cookies into bowl or drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let chocolate cool and harden, then store in airtight container.