The cookie that broke the internet. Alison Roman posted this a few years back and this became the blue print for a viral recipe. Worth the hype, in my opinion.
This makes a tally of four, yes, FOUR different recipes for shortbread on my blog. A shortbread fan-girl. This is my favorite. A perfectly satisfying re-brand of the two best cookies coming together – no short-cuts of store-bought chocolate chips here.
Another great thing about shortbread dough is in the simplicity of ingredients – you’ll likely have everything you need right in your pantry. The dough freezes beautifully, and keeps forever.
hungry wishful customers.
Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
The cookies that broke the internet
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 sticks cold salted butter chopped into 1/2" pieces
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 6 oz semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate chopped (but not too fine, you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
- 1 large egg beaten to blend
- 3 Tbsp turbinado sugar for rolling
- 2 tsp Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
- Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but I find using plastic wrap easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form two logs 2 to 2¼ inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the turbinado sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
- Slice each log into ½-inch-thick rounds, place them on the pre-pared baking sheet(s) about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much), and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.
Notes
This recipe is from Alison Roman, a favorite of mine - find recipe here - https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/salted-butter-chocolate-chunk-shortbread
The dough keeps great in the fridge for a couple of days, and can also be frozen - just defrost before rolling in egg wash, sugar, and then bake.
