Scottish shortbreads are of my favorite cookies. Good shortbread will literally melt when you take a bite. Mocha Shortbread Cookies are popular at Solstice/Christmas parties and great for small gift packages too.
If you make these cookies with salted butter you will be disappointed. If you use a cheaper Vanilla extract rather than the best premium Vanilla extract you will be disappointed. So use the best and don’t change a thing and your mocha shorbread cookies will be perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar
- 3/4 cup (60 grams) cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (25 grams) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (8 grams) instant espresso powder
Garnish
- 3 ounces (75 grams) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Lightly butter (or spray with Pam) a 15 x 10 inch (38 x 25 cm) baking pan.
In a small bowl, sift the confectioners sugar with the cocoa powder. Set aside. - In another bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth (about one minute). Add the sugar and cocoa mixture and beat until fully incorporated (about 2 minutes).
- Add the vanilla and espresso powder and beat until incorporated. Then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until the dough just comes together.
- Spread the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press the dough, with your fingertips or the back of a spoon, to form an even layer. Then, with a sharp knife, score the top of the shortbread into approximately 3 inch x 1 inch (7 x 2.54 cm) fingers.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. While the shortbread is still warm, re-cut the shortbread into fingers. Cool completely before removing from pan.
- If you want to garnish the shortbread fingers with white chocolate; in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate with the vegetable shortening. Then place the melted chocolate into a paper cone or pastry bag fitted with a 1/16 inch tip. Carefully pipe a thin line of chocolate across the center of each cookie and then pipe another line across the first one to make them look like presents. Don’t worry about making your lines exact.
- Makes about 50 – 3 x 1 inch (7 x 2.5 cm) shortbread fingers. This recipe comes from a great little baking book called Cindy’s Itty Bitty Baking Book.
Related holiday recipes:
Holiday Eggnog and Eggnog Truffles
Three Cranberry Coffee Cake Recipes
Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
TiTi, the header on this fantastic recipe says “If you make these cookies with unsalted butter you will be disappointed.” And then in the list of ingredients you specify UNsalted butter! Could you have meant *salted* butter in the header?? A little salt brings out the chocolate flavor but too much can unbalance it! Miss Maura (and Trained Chef) in Charlotte, NC
Drea Miss Maura,
Great spotting! I made a mistake. Thanks for much for telling me about it. I corrected it.
Pingback: Glazed Lemon Shortbread « Spoon Feast
Shortbread is my absolute favorite! I am thrilled to have this recipe for Christmas baking!!
Hi there Judie,
I’m so happy to hear that you have good taste ;) I have some other recipes I will publish as I make them in the next 2 weeks.
What a lovely surprise – These sound delightful – I feel another batch of cookies on the way. Seasons greetings to you TT :)
Hello Joanna,
There’s always time for one more batch of cookies at Christmas time, right? :)
You put the ‘mmmm’ in Gimmmme!
Hey Pete,
I always made a double batch because these little melt in your mouth goodies disappear fast. Do you cook and/or bake? My husband is a better cook and baker than I am. He’s great at inventing recipes – I’m not. I love this season .. fa .. la … la ..la ..la la ..la ..la :)
I am actually quite a good cook, which is why I was always forced in the kitchen when I worked in the hotel I used to work at, I don’t often cook anymore though as I have people to do it for me haha :) But I might give these a try! (I doubt they’ll come out looking as awesome as yours though!)
Hi Pete,
They aren’t hard to make provided you don’t start eating the batter. lol :D
Oh, this is just delicious! For years, I made my own vanilla extract. Then my daughter-in-law, who is a pastry chef, introduced me to vanilla bean paste. You use it teaspoon-for-teaspoon just like extract, but it’s full of the beans as well. You’d love it!
Hi Ann,
It’s so good to see your avatar again. I worked flat out for 2 months with my husband. I was distant from both my blogs and the kitchen It’s so good to be able to spend some time making goodies and having enough time to share this recipe. I have more recipes I’ll be posting too.
If you are a shortbread lover then try this recipe. Vanilla bean paste hmmm … that sure got my attention. I haven’t tried it so I’m noting that on my list. Madgascar Bourbon, of course. :)
Thanks for the visit and comment too.
Hi Time thief! The vanilla bean paste IS Madagascar Bourbon! If you’re interested, I can pass along an on-line source….just shoot me an email!
I’ve missed visiting – I’ve been crazy busy, too! Blogging like mad, but loving every minute of it!
I look forward to your next recipe – if they’re anything like this one – I’m in for a treat!
Warmest Regards~
Hi Ann,
Aha! Too late Ann I already found it but thanks for the offer. If I hadn’t found it I would have emailed you. :)
Love,
TiTi
These sound yummy. I’ll have to try them.
Do try them because they are delightful little morsels. :)