I have a slight obsession with shortbread. I’m fascinated by how its simplicity translates into so much flavor.
I also have more than a slight obsession with the combination of sweet and salty. I even dedicated a BoB Collection to that magical fusion of flavors.
These shortbread cookies are the blessed union of those two addictions.
As much as I adore shortbread, it can be a frustrating business unless you accept that the dough is going to be crumbly. And, maybe your cookies will be fragile. Once you come to terms with that, you’ll be golden.
These are subtly sweet and a little salty. Make them more or less salty to your taste. There’s a little extra salt in the dough, so you can omit the sprinkling of salt on top if you prefer.
Chocolate-Speckled Salted Shortbread
Chocolate-Speckled Salted Shortbread is simple to make and so, so good. A must for sweet and salty fans!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 & 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces (56g) dark chocolate, very finely chopped*
- 1 tablespoon water, if necessary
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, such as fleur de sel
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate.
- The dough will be crumbly but should hold together when pinched. If the dough is not holding together, continue mixing and (only if necessary) mix in 1 tablespoon water.
- Form the dough into 2 balls and flatten into discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1"x 2" strips. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the pans for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
- Repeat the rolling and baking process with the other disc of dough.
Notes
*I used Scharffen Berger 70% chocolate.
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15 Comments on “Chocolate-Speckled Salted Shortbread”
Those look amazing. Simply put. I have nothing more to say!
These look fantastic! Love the addition of chocolate and sea salt!
Love shortbread, love these speckled ones!
Wish I had a glass of milk and a couple of these right now while I type up notes at my computer. These look yummy!
I always love that salty taste that comes through the sweet crumbly shortbread, almost as though you are tasting one salt crystal at a time. And I love that you say you just have to accept the crumbliness–I always thought I was the only person who couldn’t figure out shortbread!
Yum, they look delicious 🙂
I LOVE sweet and salty together!! And I am also amazed at how buttery-flavorful shortbread is. This version looks amazing!
Looks absolutely delicious! I would so love to try some. I am sure they taste amazing.
this shortbread looks amazing! It’s one of my favourite treats with a cup of tea, and I love your mixture of flavours
Such a lovely recipe! I made them with 55% chocolate, a splash of Cointreau instead of water, and the zest of an orange. Really fantastic.
This is part of the dream dinner I wish I could eat today…
http://saltedspoon.blogspot.com/2013/01/if-i-could-eat-at-other-tables.html
Uhhh, yeah, this is a no brainer…Bookmarked!! Because who can ever say no to shortbread, particularly the chocolate + salt combo? Double whammy. Yum!
These shortbread cookies are so lovely! I love the combination of sea salt and chocolate so I will be pinning these to make!
These cookies are amazing! They taste even better after two to three days. They are a great make-ahead cookie option and my family always requests them. I also like that I can make them small and get a lot in one batch. Thank you so much for this recipe. I have been making it for years and just decided to post today when I came back to it to make once again for our family weekend.
Thank you so much for letting me know how much you like these cookies, Julie! I’m glad to hear that they’re a favorite for your family.