"Hi!" said my friend "It's about time you called." "Oh?" "I've practically gobbled up half this cookie dough already. Talking to you is the only way I'm going to stop eating it!" This dough really is good, and the baked cookies are even better. While I adore a good butter cookie—and am constantly amazed by the number of bad butter cookies out there—I've never been much of a shortbread fan. And maybe it's just me, but shortbread recipes often seem rather fussy.
These buttery little cookies are so cute—and you know how we love cute!
This dough comes together in less time than it takes the oven to heat up, and there's no patting anything into a pan or making decorative designs with a fork.
These cute little cookies are a like scrumptious cross between butter cookies and shortbread, combining the best qualities of each. They go well with mugs of hot coffee or cold glasses of milk, would make a dainty addition to an afternoon tea tray, and travel well so they're perfect for toting to picnics and potlucks.
I usually make my cookies extra large, but after doing some experimenting, I've decided that these taste best when small. I also applied my More, More, More philosophy, upping the mini chocolate chips and toffee bits, but ultimately reduced the amount called for in the original version. That way you taste more of the buttery cookie.
Like most shortbreads, these will keep for several days (which makes them a wonderful choice for holiday goodie boxes mailed to faraway loved ones), and I think they taste better the day after baking. They also freeze beautifully. Pack them in little cello bags tied with a colorful ribbon for handy gifts, perhaps tucked into oversized cappuccino cups. Everyone loves them.
I have no idea if they're good warm from the oven, because by the time they've finished baking I'm always way too full of batter to want one.
Baby Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips and English Toffee Bits
Makes about 4 dozen 1¾-inch cookies — Adapted from the kitchn
**Click here to print this recipe**
The original recipe has you shape dozens of spoonfuls of dough into tiny balls and then press them lightly onto the baking sheet to flatten the bottoms. I don't have that kind of patience, so I just use a little scoop instead.
I also skipped the part where you dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate because I've never been able to do that without making a big mess, plus my chocolate never seems to completely dry. If you want a fancier looking cookie you might try it, though I think they're perfectly fine without.
I'm a sucker for any recipe that calls for English toffee bits, but these would also be good made with all mini chocolate chips or mini chips and finely chopped pecans. And for shortbread purists, I bet they'd be very nice without anything extra added at all.
1 cup (2 sticks/8 ounces) organic butter (I use salted), softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup English toffee bits, such as Heath (the ones without chocolate)
Heat the oven to 350°.
With a hand held electric mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla, and then add the flour and salt. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the mini chocolate chips and toffee bits.
With a
small stainless steel scoop (these are so handy; for this recipe I use one that's1¼" across), drop cookies onto a heavy duty baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper. (I love my commercial half sheet pans and have been using some of them for 20 years, for everything from baking lemon scones to roasting Brussels sprouts. Two dozen of these cookies will fit on one sheet, so the whole batch will bake on two trays. Unbleached parchment paper is wonderful stuff, and you can reuse each sheet several times.)Bake until the edges are just starting to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container or freeze.
Still have a sweet tooth? You might also enjoy these:
Cookies and Bars
Molasses Ginger Spice SnapsChocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies (and how to hug a sheep)
Yip Yap Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Snaps
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy CookiesBlueberry Breakfast Bars
Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Apple Blueberry Crumble Bars
Muffins and Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins100% Whole Grain Bran Muffins (four different flavors)
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
White Whole Wheat Scones with Currants and Oats
Cakes, Tarts, and More
Autumn Pear and Apple CrispQuick Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Easy Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
Heavenly Lemon Coconut Quick Bread
Chocolate, Cinnamon & Banana Mexican Monkey Cake
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Still hungry? You'll find links to all of my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.
© FarmgirlFare.com, the dessert first foodie farm blog where we sometimes start the day by eating cookies for breakfast—with a big glass of milk to make them healthy of course.
