Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

Nothing says the holidays better than Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread! These rich and buttery cookies are a must for your holiday cookie tray!

It’s four days til Christmas!! You have been decorating the house, Christmas shopping, writing Christmas cards, going to parties, buying a Christmas tree, decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping presents, going to more parties and doing more Christmas shopping!  WOW, that’s lots of stuff you’ve been doing! I think that calls for a cookie!!  And maybe a glass of wine, but since this is a food blog let’s go with the cookie ok?! Are you with me?? Of course you’re with me, anything beats doing more Christmas shopping right?!

This cookie is one of my holiday favorites. Nothing beats a chocolate-dipped shortbread cookie. It’s a rich, buttery, satisfying cookie that stands out from the long list of holiday cookies in my opinion. You only need a few ingredients, two bowls and a tart pan. The added bonus is that the ingredients are probably ones you already have at home so that’s one less trip to the food store. YAY!  What could be easier? Sometimes after I dip my cookies in the chocolate I then like to dip them in sprinkles, toasted coconut or toasted pecans.  Whatever you choose, totally plain or chocolate dipped it is one delicious cookie.

Come on, it’s been a busy few weeks. It’s time to treat yourself. So after you bake these babies up, get into your favorite sweats, fluffy slippers, comfy chair and turn on your favorite holiday movie (that would be Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire for me) and enjoy a shortbread or two!  You deserve it!

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Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

Course: 1 hour

Servings: 12

Author: Mary Ann Dwyer

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar optional
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in middle of oven. You will be using a 9 inch tart pan that has a removable bottom.
2. In a large bowl sift together flour and cornstarch. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add vanilla. Continue to beat until mixture is smooth and creamy white. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter. Continue to mix until the dough comes together in large clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and press into the tart pan. Press down until it fills out the pan and is even and smooth. Prick the entire surface with a fork about 1/4 inch down into the dough (see photo). Sprinkle the shortbread with the granulated sugar (optional).
3. Place the tart pan onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until nicely golden brown. When you remove the tart pan after baking immediately cut the shortbread into 12 wedges. Let the wedges cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove the pan sides and carefully remove the wedges from the bottom of the tart pan.
4. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl at 50 percent power in 20 second intervals until smooth. Dip each wedge into the chocolate (see photo) and place on a sheet of wax paper until the chocolate sets.