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 or so 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 or so 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.
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!
Laura
These cookies look so delicious, Dawn! I love the idea of a chocolate shortbread, and have never seen a cornstarch + wheat flour recipe! Definitely going to give this a try! And I so agree about the Christmas ornaments – we have a huge tree this year and I truly love seeing each and every ornament – they do become more precious as the years go by!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Laura! They’re actually cornstarch and flour. Those ornaments truly do get more special!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
We have not put our tree up yet – hoping for next weekend! I love decorating and baking Christmas cookies to nibble on while we are decorating. These cookies look delicious. I’ve never added corn starch to my cookies before. I always love a crisp cookie, so I can’t wait to give these a try.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Same here! Thank you Kathy! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
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!
Emily Leary
These cookies are great! I love the combination of flavours – just right for Christmas which is suddenly not really that far away!
Girl Heart Food
So true! Thanks Emily 🙂
Holly
I love cranberries and chocolate together! I’m excited to give these a go this holiday season!
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thanks so much Holly 🙂
Nicole
This cookie has everything my heart desires. Chocolae, dried cranberries, and its a shortbread cookie! Love this!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks you Nicole 🙂 They are pretty tasty!
Julie
I love cookies dipped in chocolate – it always creates such a nice texture contrast. Add in the chopped nuts for crunch and it sounds perfect!
Sharon
These cookies look fantastic! The dark chocolate is a perfect addition to these. Great treat for the holidays for sure.
Anne Murphy
The cranberries sound just right! I love contrast flavors like that – add even more interest to what sounds like a lovely rich chocolate cookie~!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
Wow, these look sooo good! The perfect holiday cookie! Pinning to try soon 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much Sam! Enjoy!
Nicoletta Sugarlovespices
These cookies are not only beautiful but so delicious! They are perfect for every important occasion, sure to impress guests.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Nicoletta! I love making them every Christmas 🙂