Almond Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies. Buttery shortbread cookies feature brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, dark chocolate chunks, and Marcona almonds.
Another month that just seemed to blow by. Suddenly February is upon us. I’m excited as this month means pairing chocolate with a variety of my favorite flavors including cherries and strawberries. Valentine’s day approaches. Working on some possible product line desserts, including several tarts and dessert bars.
These shortbread cookies are a holiday cookie box favorite. And a cookie I make for myself because I love the crunchy texture and the combination of almonds and chocolate.
The buttery dough is rolled into tight cylinders, refrigerated until cold, brushed with egg and then rolled in sugar. The cookie logs are cut into rounds, and baked until golden around the edges.
The cookies bake up super crisp and crumble when you bite into them. The Marcona almond and chocolate combo with the buttery, rich shortbread is so good.
Because these almond chocolate chunk shortbread cookies relies heavily on the butter for its crumbly texture, choose a high quality butter. High quality ingredients produce a higher quality product.
Perfectly delicious without any embellishment, I usually drizzle or dip some of the baked cookies in a chocolate glaze. Gives them a different look and big extra flavor.
An optional step, I refrigerate the cookies up to an hour before baking, so the cookies set and brown well while baking completely through.
Find Tartistry on: Pinterest Instagram and Facebook. Please feel free to leave comments and questions below. I would love to hear from you.
Almond Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 255 grams high-quality salted butter (2-1/4 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 55 grams light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or extract (1 teaspoon)
- 325 grams all-purpose flour (2-1/2 cups)
- 140 grams semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate (5 ounces), rough chopped
- 80 grams Marcona almonds (3 ounces), rough chopped
- 50 grams egg (1 large), beaten
- 30 grams turbinado sugar (2 tablespoons), for cookie edges
- 5 grams flaky sea salt (1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste. Beat on low just until incorporated, about 15 seconds.
- Gradually add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, and beat on low, just until incorporated. Add the chocolate chunks and chopped Marcona almonds. If necessary, knead the dough on a smooth surface to ensure the flour, chocolate, and almonds are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough,
- Divide the cookie dough in half. Place one half on a piece of plastic. Roll into a log about 6-inhes log and a few inches in diameter. Wrap completely in the plastic and refrigerate for several hours. I like to place the logs in round drinking glasses, so the log takes the shape of the glass and does not have any edges that can flatten on a refrigerator shelf.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove one log of cookie dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap and place the dough on a cutting board and brush the sides of dough with the beaten egg. Roll the dough in turbinado sugar. Cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place the rounds on the parchment, 9 to a cookie sheet. I use the bottom of a flat bottomed drinking glass to lightly press the cookies down. I use my fingers to shape the cookies into perfect round circles, if not perfect when cutting. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges and tops begin to brown.
