![\"A](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Easy-recipe-for-chocolate-shortbread-cookies.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe basic recipe for shortbread cookies<\/a> is easy to remember because it follows a 1:2:3 ratio of ingredients with 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour, by weight. We take the classic shortbread cookie ratio and substitute a portion of the flour for cocoa powder to transform them into chocolate shortbread. It's that easy! Here's how to make them.<\/p>\n\n\n[feast_advanced_jump_to]\n\n You only need butter, sugar, and flour to make plain shortbread cookies. Here's what you need to bake the chocolate version:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Optional ingredients for jazzing them up include melted chocolate and some form of sprinkle, freeze-dried berries, or chopped nuts for dipping and coating the baked cookies<\/p>\n\n\n\n See recipe card for quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shortbread cookies are mixed using the creaming mixing method<\/a>, so you start by whipping together softened butter<\/a> and sugar<\/a>. You want the ingredients to be evenly mixed at this stage before introducing the flour to avoid overworking the dough after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rolling the dough between sheets of wax paper or parchment prevents sticking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The paper peels away fairly smoothly from the chocolate dough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n For rich butter cookies, you don't want to add more flour. Instead make sure to chill the dough and roll it out between sheets of parchment or wax paper. This allows you to make the dough thin without adding more flour so the rolling pin doesn't stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rolling between parchment or wax paper also allows you to easily transfer the dough to the fridge to chill whenever it gets too soft. All you have to do is slide it on a sheet pan or a large cutting board to get it back into the fridge when you need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use cookie cutters to cutout cookies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A mini offset spatula helps unstick the cookies so you can transfer them to a sheet pan to bake on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The cookies are baked on a parchment-lined sheet pan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Place into oven at 350 \u00b0F.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Hint<\/strong>: if the dough gets too warm or soft to handle, transfer it to the refrigerator. Chilling cookie dough prevents spreading<\/a> too!<\/p>\n\n\n Because of the simplicity of the short list of ingredients, substitutions are few. Proceed with caution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren't a fan of rolling and cutting out cookies, try these slice-and-bake chocolate sabl\u00e9 cookies<\/a>, which are very similar to shortbread cookies, but with chocolate chips in the dough and a crunchy turbinado sugar edge. Or try these buckwheat cookies<\/a> with cocoa nibs. The cocoa nibs add a deep chocolate flavour to the slice-and-bake shortbreads without extra sweetness.<\/p>\n\n\n Though you could make the dough by hand, I prefer to use a stand mixer. Here are my baking tool recommendations<\/a> for this recipe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Store all butter cookies, including these chocolate shortbread cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Humidity will make them softer. Shortbread cookies tend to be rather delicate, especially when rolled thin, so treat them with care.<\/p>\n\n\n Chill the dough so it's easier to roll out and manipulate. Chilling hardens the butter, which makes the dough less soft. You can roll out the dough between wax paper or parchment paper sheets, allowing you to roll it thin without using flour, which will alter the ratio of butter to flour, leading to a dryer or tougher cookie otherwise.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n You can use this chocolate cookie dough to make the chocolate version of these jam-filled shortbread cookies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Ingredients-to-make-chocolate-shortbread-cookies.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIngredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Rolling](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Rollling-out-chocolate-shortbread-cookie-dough-to-make-cookie-cutouts.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Rolled](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Rolled-out-shortbread-dough-between-two-layers-of-parchment-or-wax-paper.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Cutting](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Cutting-out-rolled-shortbread-cookie-with-heart-shaped-cookie-cutters.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Transferring](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Chocolate-butter-cookies-cutout-with-cookie-cutters.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Chocolate](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Cutout-chocolate-shortbread-cookies-before-baking.jpg\")
![\"Chocolate](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Cutout-chocolate-shortbread-cookies-after-baking.jpg\")
![\"Dipping](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Dipping-chocolate-shortbread-cookies-in-a-bowl-of-melted-white-chocolate-to-coat-them.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSubstitutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Dipping](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Dipping-chocolate-shortbread-cookies-in-melted-white-chocolate.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nVariations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Chocolate](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Freshly-baked-rolled-and-cutout-chocolate-shortbread-cookie.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nEquipment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Chocolate-shortbread-cookies.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStorage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Chocolate-shortbread-cookie-cutouts-dipped-in-white-chocolate.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTop tip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Chocolate-shortbread-cookie-cutouts.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTake this recipe one step further<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcd6 Recipe<\/h2>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Chocolate-shortbread-cookies-recipe-300x300.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nChocolate Shortbread Cookies<\/h2>\n