Heads up – these Chocolate Espresso Shortbread Cookies are addictive! They are the perfect balance of sweetness and a slight kick of espresso. You’re just going to love them.
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Let’s rattle some feathers shall we? The best part of a pie is the crust. There I said it! Lets incite even more riots! I was, and still am, the heathen that will eat the crust around a Pop-tart BEFORE I ever bite into the filling. Which brings me to my point; this cookie tastes like the crust of a Chocolate Fudge Pop-tart.
I have to tell you, I threw myself into the kitchen trying to figure out this recipe. I knew I wanted a chocolate shortbread, wanted it to be simple and straightforward. Also, I knew that I wanted to create an obnoxiously oversized cookie; the sort of cookie that would make a statement. So I set out to find a jumbo cookie cutter, and boy was I not disappointed! It’s hard to tell in the photos, but these cookies are huge, satisfying, and I will not make apologies for them. 🙂
Tips for making these Chocolate Espresso Shortbread Cookies:
Use salted butter. I know it may sound counterintuitive, but you’ll notice there is no additional salt in this recipe. I’ve tried using unsalted butter and adjusting the salt levels accordingly, but it never seems to come out the same way.
Don’t over-mix. We want our shortbread to be crumbly and flaky. If you were to over-mix the dough, you would begin developing the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tougher cookie. Mix until the dough is barely combined and looks a bit shaggy and soft. It will all come together on the board when you start rolling.
If possible, use a good Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder that has a higher fat content. This will give a richer chocolate flavor to your cookie.
Obnoxious cookie cutter that I wholeheartedly love can be found here 🙂
Chocolate Espresso Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup powdered sugar plus 2 tbsp
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the butter, light brown sugar, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until light in color. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour a cup at a time. Continue to mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll out to ½ – inch thickness. Cut out cookies using a heart shaped cookie cutter.
- Transfer the cookies to a baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies at 325°F for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying.