Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

When you unwrap the disk of hard dough, lay the sheet of plastic wrap over it, on your floured rolling surface. Take your rolling pin and whack it on the disk to help flatten it, before you start rolling it out. Don't hold back, it will be loud and the animals will run from the room. For more puffiness, when you beat the sugar and butter together, beat it until it turns white. It will take a little extra time, but your shortbread will puff like nobodies business. Novice, not for long.

For decades I've been rolling newly-mixed cookie dough between two sheets of wax paper, then chilling it on a flat cookie sheet. When it is thoroughly chilled, I place it on a counter, peel off the top wax paper and lay it back *loosely*, flip over the dough, remove the top sheet of wax paper, and use cookie cutters directly on it. Works very well. I gather up the scraps, re-roll between the same sheets of wax paper, and repeat. And I, too, do the same with pie crust.

This is a chocolate cookie - not shortbread, which follows a 1,2,3 formula. One part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour. Example: 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 1 cup butter 1.5 cups flour To make this recipe more like melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, just reduce the sugar to 100 g. The flour can remain the same because of the egg yolk, and the extra chocolate for dipping will make it plenty sweet.

For what it's worth...I made these with regular unsalted butter (upped it to 3/4 tsp) and non-Dutched cocoa and I forgot to roll 1/2 inch thick - mine are more like 1/4 inch. And they are STILL very good! Also I am a huge proponent of rolling the dough just after mixing, then freezing and THEN cutting. No bashing of the rolling pin, etc. I roll mine between two sheets of parchment (helps to buy the flat sheets, not the rolls - I buy on Amazon).

Chris, make sure your butter is room temperature before using. (You can bend the butter without breaking it). And swap your granulated sugar for confectioners. Using granulated sugar in shortbread will make it heavier and crumbly. Also, before refrigerating the dough, knead it for 3 minutes. Good luck! Bridget

I keep multiple types of butter: unsalted sweet cream butter, salted sweet cream butter, cultured butter (either variety I can find) and European high fat butter (again either variety). It can make a big difference in buttery baked goods. Delicate Madeleines, cultured or European; peanut butter cookies, salted sweet cream; The NYT’s Original Plum Torté, unsalted sweet cream or unsalted cultured) - now I need to pull some butter from the freezer.

Here's a nice overview of different butters... https://www.bonappetit.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-regular-cultured-and-european-butter

Forgot to add - some of the new ruby chocolate (now available at TJ'S), melted and put into a small plastic bag with one corner snipped, would make a gorgeous pink chocolate sqiggle on these hearts!

Trader Joes sells freeze dried raspberries. Also available on Amazon.

I agree with person who said to use powdered sugar. I make mine in food processor, takes literally 2 minutes. First blend/pulse all dry ingredients to combine them well, then add butter (Room temp) cut in 1/2 “ cubes, and pulse till dough comes together. Proceed as written, or just make a couple of two inch logs, chill, and cut into 1/2” slices. Lay out about 1” apart on parchment. ‘

In an effort to make rolling out cold dough, well, less of an effort, I usually roll it out, then place it between plastic wrap and chill it. Any idea if this changes the dough in any way? (I do the same with my pie dough)

I'll start by saying that these cookies are delicious and I was really happy with the finished product - light, buttery, crumbly with an intense chocolate flavor. The process however, as many have noted, was a real plain. The dough is frustrating to work with & does not stick together well, especially as you're rolling it out. I would recommend using room temp butter. Definitely let the dough warm up before rolling out after it's been in the fridge.

You are correct about the recipe being 1 2 3. However that would be by weight. Not Volume. All baking ratios are by weight.

Delicious with flaky sea salt! Is a bit time consuming but easier to do over a few days. I flattened the dough into a disc (about 2 in thick) before chilling then had to let it thaw a little before I was able to roll it out.

I made these per directions, yesterday. I weighed the ingredients and the dough came out fine. The cookies taste wonderful, but they are delicate. Once you dip the cookies in chocolate, place on paper versus wire rack as when the chocolate hardens, they will stick and are easier to remove from paper. (The recipe noted this, I thought wire rack would allow for drips-live and learn!) I used crushed peppermint & red sanding sugar to decorate. They are quite festive! Thanks, Melissa for the recipe.