These chocolate-dipped chocolate shortbread cookies are incredibly buttery, rich and straight-up delicious! With fun add-ons, like dried cranberries and walnuts, they’re sure to be a favourite addition to your holiday baking list!
Have the holiday festivities begun in your home?
Just last weekend, we watched a couple of Christmas movies, enjoyed a big mug of hot chocolate, and put up our tree.
As I was unpacking the ornaments, I realized how many memories are contained in each and every one of them. Each ornament has a story. As I was grabbing each one, I was thinking about the wonderful memories associated with it.
Funny thing, when you first get an ornament, while they are special at the time, they truly mean that much more as the years pass. I love looking at our tree because there are so many happy memories and stories.
Food is like that too, don’t you think? Certain foods or meals are representative of a memory or special occasion. Every single year I make these cornstarch shortbread cookies and they always put a smile on my face.
Aside from the copious amounts of butter, cornstarch helps make these cookies flaky, light and kinda melt-in-your-mouth. Bottom line? So good!
Why We Love These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- These holiday cookies are made with less than 10 simple ingredients (including the chocolate dip and garnish).
- They can be customized to taste with other add-ons (instead of cranberries and walnuts).
- Shortbread cookies are super simple to prepare.
- Of course, they taste so good!
How To Make Shortbread Cookies With Cornstarch
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Start by making the shortbread cookie dough. To do this, in the bowl of your stand mixer (or use a mixing bowl and a hand mixer), mix together flour, cornstarch, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add softened butter, then blend everything together.
- Remove the shortbread dough ball from the mixer and wrap in plastic food wrap. Place into the fridge for a little while to chill (this makes the dough easier to handle).
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, remove it from the plastic food wrap, form into balls and place onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
- Flatten dough balls to form cookies and bake. Allow the cookies to cool after baking.
- Melt some chocolate. Then, one by one, dip the chocolate shortbread cookies into the bowl of melted chocolate (just on one side), allowing the excess chocolate to drip off, back into the bowl.
- Place the chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies on a wax paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with dried cranberries and walnuts. Allow the chocolate to set before enjoying.
Do Shortbread Cookies Freeze Well?
Yes! These chocolate shortbread cookies freeze really well!
Store cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, take them out of the container and place on a plate to thaw. They thaw super quickly and can almost be enjoyed right away.
Tips and Variations
- This shortbread cookie recipe can easily be halved if you want to make a smaller batch.
- A small pinch of flaky salt is a yummy addition. Add a little after dunking the cookies in the melted chocolate. Sweet and salty combos are delicious!
- Instead of walnuts, try almonds or pecans.
More Fun Holiday Recipes
If you make this shortbread cookie recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published in December 2016 but has been updated.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted (about 227 grams)
- 4 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped, if necessary, to make smaller
- 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for use shortly.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), mix together the flour, cornstarch, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
- Add butter to flour mixture and blend until combined and dough is soft. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic food wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes until dough is easier to handle (and form into cookies).
- Remove dough from the refrigerator, unwrap from plastic food wrap, and shape into balls (each ball about 2 tablespoons). Place balls onto a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Note: If the dough is too firm to handle, just let sit on your countertop for a little bit until you can roll into balls.
- To form cookies, gently flatten each ball with your hand. You want the cookies about ½-inch thick and about 2 inches in diameter. Cookies should be about 1-inch apart to allow for them to spread a little.
- Bake for about 22 minutes or until cooked through. Once done, carefully remove (as they are delicate before they cool). Remove the cookies from the sheet pan with a spatula and place onto a cooling rack to cool.
- Place a sheet of wax paper on a sheet pan. Once cookies are cooled, one at a time, dip cookies into a bowl of melted dark chocolate on one side (allowing excess chocolate to drip off back into the bowl). As you are dipping them, place cookies onto prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with dried cranberries and walnuts (gently pressing into chocolate, if necessary, to adhere).
- Once done, allow the chocolate to harden completely. To speed cooling and hardening of chocolate, place the sheet pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, heating for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring and mixing and heating for another 30 seconds until just melted. Note: it’s easier if the chocolate is roughly chopped first.
- This shortbread cookie recipe can easily be halved if you want to make a smaller batch.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Marissa
I’m a sucker for shortbread and chocolate, so you know I’m loving these! And that chocolate dip makes them so pretty!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thank you Marissa!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
These cookies are so festive, Dawn! Love the addition of the cranberries and walnuts!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Michelle! It makes these shortbread cookies extra special!
MaryAnn | The Beach House Kitchen
Holidays are in full swing here Dawn! Tree is up and cookies are already baking. Looks like I will be adding these to my list. I LOVE shortbread. Loving the cranberry and walnut toppings too!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Hope you enjoy!
David @ Spiced
We just decorated our tree last weekend, too! We did have to add a few basic ornaments (balls, etc.) as we moved to an artificial tree this year that was much larger than what we’ve done before. Either way, having cookies like this around is perfect for the holiday season! I do love shortbread cookies, and the chopped cranberries and walnuts here look amazing. Well done, my friend!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
How exciting! Thank you David!
Valentina
These cookies are the essence of the holiday season. Pretty, festive, fun, chocolatey and delicious! I could eat a dozen. Or Two! And I just love baking cookies this time of year. It’s a must! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Agreed! Thanks Valentina!
Muna Kenny
Light and sweet post, just like your delicate and yummy looking shortbread. I love the old fashioned shortbread but when I tried the chocolate version I was amazed. I know I’m going to bake a batch using your recipe soon 🙂
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
Shortbread cookies are MY FAVORITE!!! And omg- I didn’t even know chocolate shortbread was a THING! I need these… preferably now. Who cares that it’s still breakfast time lol
Girl Heart Food
Me too, Sarah! Easy to make and easier to eat, lol. And cookies are totally acceptable for breakfast, especially during the holidays 😉
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom
That’s one of the things I love about decorating the Christmas tree too – unpacking all of the ornaments that you made as kid, ornaments friends and family got you over the years, ornaments you purchased at special places or during special times… they each seem to tell a story. Christmas cookies do the same thing – and I could definitely see these little beauties becoming part of a delicious tradition of Christmas cookies that get made throughout the years.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much, Kathleen! Hope your having a lovely weekend 🙂
Kevin | Keviniscooking
I used to have a box of old-fashioned Christmas tree ornaments and when we re-modeled the house a few years back things got moved to our new attic and the box got munched under another heavier one. We have since skipped putting up a tree. Sad face. But about these cookies. Shortbread are one of my all-time favs as you know and chocolate makes it all better, right? Love that touch of dried fruit on there. Beautiful Dawn! Thanks for the shout out, too. Have a great weekend friend. 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Oh no!! That’s too bad!! Thanks Kevin 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend too!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat
Oh my gosh I love how you mentioned those types of movies! My mom and I always make fun of them because they all have the same title (especially on Hallmark). A husband for Christmas, A family for Christmas, A prince for Christmas… too funny! My mom is into Lifetime movies and I always get sucked into those too! They are just so bad but so entertaining!
Girl Heart Food
So true!! And once I turn them on, I can’t turn them off, lol. Thanks Shelby!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These cookies look amazing. I love the chocolate shortbread….and those moose glasses! Too cute 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kathy! I love those glasses! I always break them out at Christmas 🙂
Jolina
Looks like another lovely weekend Dawn! We’ve always had an artificial tree. I’m allergic to pine and trees and the great outdoors it seems lol. And yeah, some meals are just so full of memory and history, those are the best kinds 🙂 These cookies look so amazing! Love the addition of cranberries.
Girl Heart Food
It was! Oh no! Allergic? Well, I guess you get to spend more time inside baking 😉 Thanks Jolina! Have a lovely weekend!
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table
Aww, I love that the ornaments hold so many memories for you! Ours are that way too – we have some basics that we put up and then all the “special” ones – gifts, mile markers in our lives, ones our kids have made and a bag full of ones from when I was little. They do make the tree all the more magical looking and festive! And these cookies – I love how chocolatey they are and that they have all the fun toppings! YUM!! Hope you have another great weekend! XO
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kathryn! Hope you get to try these cookies 🙂 They’re pretty delicious! Have a great weekend too! XO
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
I love Christmas specials but the old school 70s ones. We have a real tree every year and we decorate it with clear lights, wooden red beads, and every ornament of ours has a story.
Girl, these cookies are the bomb! Chocolate shortbread is super tasty and loving the cranberries and walnuts in there too. I’ll have to leave off the walnuts for J but that’s means double nuts on my cookies!! WOOOOOHOOO! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Old school is the BEST!! I’m with you! Yay! Thanks girl! No walnuts for J? That’s one of the best parts, I think 😉 But, like you said, more for you….hehehe! Can never have too many nuts… or cookies 🙂 XOXO
Adina
It’s nice that you all have your Christmas tree standing already, there is more time to enjoy it this way. We only get it on Christmas Eve day or maybe a day before and it’s already gone on the 3rd or 4th of January. The cookies are lovely, I like using cranberries in baked goods, their sourness cuts so pleaseantly through the sweetness.
Girl Heart Food
Years ago, growing up I remember we were a lot later putting up our tree, but these days it seems that a lot of people are putting it up earlier and earlier….some even in November, but that’s a little too early for me. I just love the ambiance it creates in the room with all the coloured lights. Thanks so much, Adina!! Have a great weekend 🙂