Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

Remember my friend who gave me the whoopie pie recipe book? Well today is her birthday :). March is a big month for birthdays with my friends, so I get to do a lot of baking. Anyway, I made some yummy shortbread cookies for Alyssa, with a twist! They're dipped in chocolate. If you don't want to dip them in chocolate, I also included instructions for how to make them the original way. I used a different recipe from the chocolate chip shortbread cookies I made a few weeks ago, because those were meant to be chocolate chip. This recipe is simple and delicious shortbread. Shortbread has so few ingredients, but it's so delicious. I'll never get tired of it.
First, beat the butter until creamy.

Next, beat in the powdered sugar and sugar until no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers. This is crucial for the proper texture.

Mix in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and the salt in a separate bowl, and then gradually beat it into the butter mixture. Do not overmix.

Press the dough into a pan lined with parchment paper with your fingers until relatively flat and smooth.

Use a fork to make holes in the dough, in uniform lines. This makes it look fancy :).

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, or until the edges are golden.

Remove from the oven and immediately use a thin, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3x1 inches. My mom and I used a ruler to make sure the strips were even.

Let them cool for a little while (I did 30 minutes) and then carefully remove them. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. When you are ready to start dipping them, chop up your chocolate and put it on a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.

Stir until completely melted and smooth.

Now dip the shortbread into the chocolate, scrape the chocolate off of the bottom using the edge of the pan, and then set on a sheet of waxed paper. I poured my chocolate into a smaller container so that it would be deeper and thus easier to dip. Let sit for a little while so the chocolate hardens.

YUMMY. This is probably my favorite cookie recipe. The shortbread is perfect: buttery, flaky, and oh-so-good. You won't be able to eat just one. If you don't want to dip the cookies in chocolate, then before baking, sprinkle the dough with a tablespoon of sugar, and bake according to instructions.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 t vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 t salt

8 oz. semi sweet chocolate

Instructions:

1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Next, beat in the powdered sugar and sugar until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers. Mix in the vanilla.
2. Sift together the flour and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper, and then gradually beat it into the dough until just combined.
3. Press the dough into a 9x9 inch pan lined with parchment paper until the dough is flat and smooth. Use a fork or a toothpick to give the shortbread a pattern of dots.
4. Bake for one hour, or until golden brown around the edges, at 300 degrees. Remove from the oven and immediately use a sharp, thin knife to cut the shortbread into bars 3"x1". Let cool for 30 more minutes in the pan, and then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Chop up the chocolate and melt over a double broiler with hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate. Scrape the chocolate off the bottom of the cookie using the edge of the pan, and then set on a piece of waxed paper to harden.
6. Eat.

Source: Williams Sonoma