Every time I open up the refrigerator, the stockpile of unsalted butter is staring me in the face. There is at least ten pounds of butter just waiting to be put to good use. With Valentine's Day right around the corner I thought maybe I should bake up some buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, dip them in luscious melted chocolate, adorn with some heart sprinkles, and send out a few surprise, unexpected Valentine Day packages. Not only would it be one way for me to start making a dent in my unsalted butter inventory (it would be a travesty for any of it to go to waste), it would give me the opportunity to share some homemade love.
I have made this shortbread cookie recipe before in a variety of shapes. However, these cookies would have to be heart shaped. Not just because we have long associated Valentine's Day with hearts, but because the heart has evolved over centuries into being one recognized across cultures as a symbol of love, charity, joy, and compassion. If my surprise tins of heart shaped cookies spark a little joy, then it would have been the best ever use of some of my ample supply of butter.
With the shaped of the shortbread decided, the next decision I had to make was 'to dip or not to dip' the shortbread in chocolate. Sort of a no-brainer one, right? Because what would Valentines' Day be without a little chocolate?
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Made with only five ingredients, shortbread (with or without chocolate) may be one of those cookies with the widest appeal. Crunchy, buttery, not too sweet deliciousness at it's best. When a cookie has very few ingredients, the quality of the ingredients matter. Using a European style unsalted butter and a good quality vanilla have the power to transform the ordinary shortbread cookie into an extraordinary one.
This shortbread dough doesn't require any chilling time (unless you are baking on a hot, humid day). Rolled out to at least a 3/8" thickness, the cookies bake up in around 20-22 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree (F) oven. When the edges and bottoms of the shortbread cookies are beautifully golden in color, they are done. After remaining on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes, the shortbread gets transferred to a cooling rack. The shortbread needs to come to room temperature before they are dipped in melted chocolate.
For the best chocolate flavor and most beautiful finish, use good quality melting chocolate. Do not use a bag of chocolate chips.
Ted Lasso's gesture of giving the gift of classic, homemade shortbread wrapped up in box and tied with a ribbon is an endearing one. Your gift of these Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies is destined to be an equally charming gesture of love and/or friendship. So, if you haven't yet figured out what to get or make for your friends and/or family for Valentine's Day, a tin of these cookies might just be the most perfect unexpected surprise!
But don't just make them for Valentine's Day. Put these epic shortbread cookies (with or without the chocolate) on repeat.
Recipe
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Makes at least 16-24 cookies, depending on size
Ingredients
3/4 pound (339g) unsalted European style butter, room temperature (see notes)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus more for finishing the cookies
1 Tablespoon good quality vanilla (e.g., Nielsen-Massey)
3 1/2 cups (455g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
10-12 ounces milk or dark melting chocolate (e.g., use chocolate disks from sold at some candy stores or use the Ghiradelli melting chocolate, do not use chocolate chips)
Sprinkles
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper set aside.
2. Sift together the flour and Kosher salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla on low speed, just until combined (do not whip).
4. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing just until the dough comes together. Large clumps should form.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 3/8" thickness. Cut out using 2" - 3" sized cookie cutters (hearts make for gorgeous cookies). Note: Before rolling out the dough, gently shape into a ball, then flatted to about an inch thickness before rolling out. I did not need to chill the dough before rolling it out. But if your dough is soft for some reason, chill only for 10 minutes before rolling out.
6. Carefully transfer the cookies to one of the baking sheets. Space the cookies at least one inch apart as they will expand slightly as they bake. Lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove the pan from the oven but keep the cookies on the pan. Immediately some additional spoon granulated sugar over each cookie (or over only half of the cookie if you are dipping in melted chocolate). Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. When the cookies cool, shake off the excess sugar.
8. Repeat with remaining dough.
9. Melt chocolate (using either the microwave or double boiler method). Dip half of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate. Optional: Put the remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe decoratively on the cookies. Before the chocolate sets, add the sprinkles, if using. Allow the cookies to set completely.
10. Serve the cookies room temperature. Store the cookies in a sealed container at room temperature or wrap in cellophane bags.
Notes: (1) I used Kerrygold unsalted butter and highly recommend. It's higher butterfat content helps to create the most flavorful shortbread as well as a dough with a great rolling out consistency. However, if you don't have access to a European-style butter, use a good quality unsalted butter. (2) It is not necessary to chill the dough before rolling it out. It rolls out beautifully. (3) I used these heart cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma.(4) I have made these shortbread cookies more than a half dozen times. Each time they came out as perfect as the first time.