Once the flour is incorporated, I transfer the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper and fold the dough over itself a few times to make sure the dough is uniformly mixed (no flour streaks or butter streaks). The dough for the chocolate shortbread cookies will be soft and a little sticky too, so you have to make sure to handle the dough carefully. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that the dry ingredients are mixing uniformly through the dough. This is to prevent over-working the dough.Д«y stand mixer вЂ“ Add the dry ingredients in two additions, while the mixer is on the lowest speed. You can incorporate the flour either by hand or with your stand mixer.Д«y hand вЂ“ Make sure to fold in the dry ingredients in two additions. Sifted dry ingredients are easier to incorporate as well. Before you add the dry ingredients, make sure the flour and cocoa powder are sifted well to remove any lumps. The next step is to add flour and cocoa powder. You do not want too many sugar crystals in the dough, as this will give the cookies a spotted look after baking. If you live in a warmer climate, or if your butter is really soft, you can cream the butter and sugar together from the beginning.Д«ut if you live in a colder climate like I do, and your butter isnвЂ™t as soft, then cream the butter by itself first, so that it has a chance to soften.Д¬reaming the butter and sugar will take time! So please be patient until the butter is light and fluffy AND the sugar is also mostly dissolved. The sweet and tangy passionfruit flavor is perfect with the chocolate. I personally LOVE adding a drizzle of melted passionfruit callets from Valrhona on top. White chocolate is a great contrast against the brown cookie. You can use whichever chocolate you like. I really like adding a drizzle of chocolate on top of my chocolate shortbread. Melted chocolate вЂ“ This step is optional. Salt вЂ“ Salt is magic! The right amount of salt makes the cookie go from tasting blah to badass! I personally like to add a little extra because I love sweet and salty desserts. If you donвЂ™t have caster sugar, you can use confectionerвЂ™s sugar instead. You can also use cake flour, but make sure to use the same amount (by weight).Д«utter вЂ“ I prefer to use unsalted butter.Д¬aster sugar вЂ“ Caster sugar is sugar that is finer than granulated sugar. So make sure you like the taste of the coco powder, because this will be the central flavor in your chocolate shortbread cookies.ДЄP flour вЂ“ I use AP flour for my shortbread. I love the taste of this cocoa powder over many others that IвЂ™ve used over the years. Ingredients needed for this chocolate shortbread recipeД¬ocoa powder вЂ“ I use a dutch cocoa powder from Cacao Barry / Callebaut. Freezing the dough before cutting and baking the cookies will ensure that the cookies do not spread as they bake.Because the dough can be rolled out while at room temperature, itвЂ™s easier to roll, and thereвЂ™s less gluten formation too.This will prevent additional flour from being added to the dough, and give you an even cookie slab to cut out of. Use my gallon bag hack to roll out the dough in the bag.This will over-work the gluten and wonвЂ™t make the cookies nice and crumbly. DonвЂ™t over-handle / over-mix the dough.You can use natural cocoa powder or dutched cocoa powder in this recipe. I prefer Cacao Barry or Callebaut (which is a dutched cocoa powder). Since chocolate is the main flavor in these cookies, itвЂ™s crucial to use good cocoa powder. Make sure you use GOOD QUALITY COCOA POWDER.If you canвЂ™t find caster sugar, I will note other alternatives below. So it will melt in the butter as itвЂ™s being creamed and will also provide the best taste. Caster sugar tastes better, and has a fine texture. Caster sugar will give you the best results for these cookies.The heat from the bowl will help soften the butter in a few minutes.

Then microwave an empty large glass bowl, and when warm, place this bowl upside down over the plate of butter, making sure none of the butter is touching the bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and put them on a plate.In winter, this might be harder, so you can soften the butter in a different way. ItвЂ™s important that the butter is soft at room temperature. Use room temperature butter that is soft.These tips will give you a cookie dough that is easy to make, and easy to shape as well as hold its shape, and guarantee a gorgeous end product! Shortbread isnвЂ™t hard to make, but there are a few tips to follow to ensure fantastic results.

Shortbread cookie recipe