Chunky Chocolate Chip Shortbread
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Butter, vanilla, and almond extracts create a rich base. Powdered sugar adds a subtle sweetness. Flour binds it into crumbly, tender shortbread. Mini chocolate chips for bites of melty chocolate. Chill dough to firm it up, making slicing neat. Bake until edges just brown—no browning or the texture flips to dry. Airy, golden cookies with a little buttery crumble. Perfect for dunking or snack attacks. Skip almond for extra vanilla if nut allergy. Use brown sugar instead of powdered sugar to add a hint of molasses and chew. Adjust baking slightly; ovens differ. Keep dough workable by warming hands or brief fridge returns. Rolls together thick, not greasy or crumbly. Cookies stay crisp yet tender.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
18 min
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#cookies
#shortbread
#chocolate chips
#baking
#desserts
#American cuisine
Butter, sugar, and flour. Basic shortbread? Nope. Toss in dual extracts—vanilla and almond—because one layer of flavor always feels weak. Powdered sugar instead of granulated for lighter crumb, but I’ve swapped in brown sugar before to add chew, surprising twist. Mini chips fold in pockets of melty chocolate, cutting the buttery richness. Dough thick and rustic, needs a long chill to firm up or slicing gets messy—been there, crumb everywhere. I learned the hard way: edges starting to brown means pull ’em pronto; one minute too long and they dry out. I keep the block sliced thicker when I want chewy bites, thin for crisp snap. Worth waiting the two hours in fridge; dough’s easier to handle and bakes up perfect. No dull edges, just buttery richness biting back. These with coffee? Life.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (swap half for browned butter for nuttier depth)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional; replace with extra vanilla if nut sensitive)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (can sub with finely ground brown sugar for chewiness)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (chopped bittersweet for bolder flavor)
About the ingredients
Soft butter is non-negotiable. I try to avoid the slip of too-warm butter making dough greasy and impossible to shape. When you beat butter with extracts first, it aerates mixture creating light texture. Almond extract optional; not a fan of nutty? Just double vanilla. Powdered sugar keeps the crumb tender, but if you want chew or a bit darker hue, brown sugar finely ground works—a subtle caramel note pops up. Flour chosen plain for neutral canvas; whole wheat or pastry flour create denser shortbread, so watch texture. Mini chips melt quicker and sneak into every bite; a mix of bittersweet and milk can punch bitterness or sweetness depending on mood. Work dough warm, chill firm, slice sharp. Isn’t rocket science but details make difference.
Method
- Mix softened butter and extracts in large bowl. Beat with hand mixer on medium-high until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Look for pale color and light texture.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, mix on low speed just until absorbed—don’t overbeat or it gets oily.
- Scrape down bowl sides with spatula. Add flour in batches, folding speed slowest setting. Stop intermittently, scrape well.
- Press dough with hands to gather. If still crumbly, keep working—warm hands help it coalesce into a solid ball.
- Fold in chocolate chips with large spoon gently—don’t overmix or chips break down.
- Form dough into rectangle roughly 1.5 inches thick, width size of intended cookies. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Press edges firmly on counter to get even block, no cracks. Refrigerate for 2 hours minimum. This firms dough for clean slicing and balances butter fat.
- When chilled, let sit room temp 10 minutes to soften edges just enough, easing slicing.
- Line baking sheet with parchment. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Using very sharp knife, slice dough into 1/4-inch thick rectangles. Place spaced well apart on pan.
- Bake 5 minutes, listen for faint crackle from butter melting. Rotate pan 180 degrees, bake another 4-5 minutes. Watch edges; as soon as they blush golden, pull cookies out. Avoid full browning; shortbread dries fast.
- Let cool 2-3 minutes on sheet to firm. Then transfer to wire rack to cool completely—crisp up, set texture.
- Store airtight. Use parchment between layers to save chips. Keeps 4 days but best fresh.
Cooking tips
Beat butter and extracts till fluffy until it looks lighter—more air folded in. When you add sugar, don’t go full throttle—low speed just to combine prevents greasy melting. Scrape often; flour likes to hide in bowl edges. If dough cracks or too flaky from mixing, press with warm hands gently; it will bind eventually. Folding chips last keeps them intact and pretty. Form the block flat and wrap tight; this step no joke—if loose, dough cracks during slicing or bakes unevenly. Chill minimum 2 hours or you risk smearing butter and uneven cookies. Before slicing, let sit to soften edges slightly—too cold and knife drags, ruining shape. Watch oven like a hawk at last minutes; I rotate pan halfway through so cookies bake evenly without hot spots. Pull when just turning color on edges, smells nutty butter and sugar caramelizing. Cooling on sheet firms cookies for transfer; crumbs still cling if moved immediately. Wire rack finish is a must—crisp coats kernel melt inside. Store airtight with paper between layers; chips stick.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter temperature crucial—soft but not greasy. Wrapped in plastic tight to avoid cracks during chill. Don’t rush fridge time or dough spreads more than wanted. I beat butter with extracts first to aerate—gives light texture but careful: overbeat sugar or grease happens. Use hands warm to fix cracks, press firmly to gather. If dough too sticky, add flour dropwise, don’t go wild.
- 💡 Fold chips last and gentle—not mashed. Bittersweet chips add boldness; mini chips sneak pockets of chocolate in every bite. Tried chopped bittersweet once—denser flavor but chips can break and stain dough. Using superfine brown sugar changes the chew—go slow on swap, affects biscuit browning and moistness. Almond extract optional but doubles vanilla brings sweetness layer, skip if nut allergy.
- 💡 Slice dough after 2+ hours chill. Use very sharp knife, serrated better for clean edges. Let block warm 10 minutes before slicing or knife drags and shreds edges. Dough rolled thick—not too thin or crumbly breaks. When baking, listen for faint crackle—sound is butter melting inside. Rotate pan halftime for even baking; ovens differ so watch color not timer. Pull edges just golden, no dark spots to avoid dry crisp.
- 💡 Cooling on pan to firm before transfer is key—crumbs stick if moved too hot. Then wire rack finish for all sides crisp up. Store with parchment paper between layers to keep chips from sticking. Dough can keep 4 days airtight but flavor fades quick. Tried overnight chill—flavor melding better, texture more stable. Watch for butter bloom if left too soft at room temp before slicing.
- 💡 Brown butter swap adds nuttier brittle cookie texture but risk overbaking brittle breaks. If dough sticks in fridge, short 5-minute warm-up on counter smooths handle. Dark pans bake faster; reduce time by 1-2 minutes. Avoid skipping parchment or bottom sticks bad; butter content high. Whole wheat flour makes dense cookie, stick to all-purpose unless rough crumb okay. Roll thickness affects chew and crisp balance—experiment small batch.
Common questions
Can I substitute almond extract?
Yes. Double vanilla instead. Almond adds nutty depth but skip if allergic. Vanilla keeps sweet note clear. Others try rum or butter flavor but affects classic. Works fine though.
Why dough cracks when mixing?
Butter temperature off mostly. Too cold or too warm breaks dough apart. Warm hands fix cracks pressing soft chunks. Add flour sparingly if sticky not dry. Folding improperly also can break texture.
How to tell when cookies done?
Edges just start to blush golden. No full browning or they dry fast right after. Listen for butter crackle sound early on. Rotate pan halfway to avoid hot spots. Timing tweaks by oven.
Best way to store baked cookies?
Airtight container for 4 days tops. Layer with parchment paper between to stop chips sticking or smushing. Freeze wrapped or in zip lock if longer. Thaw well before eating or lose crispness.
