Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Cookies
These Shortbread Cookies are made even better with the addition of chocolate chip and toffee bits. Melt in your mouth goodness, they will be gone in seconds!
I have to say one of my favourite if not my favorite Christmas Cookies are shortbread, any kind will do, from Cranberry Shortbread to 3 Ingredient Shortbread to even a bar cookie made with a shortbread base such as these Coconut Jam Squares.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – softened
- Sugar – powdered sugar also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar
- Vanilla – extract
- Flour – all purpose
- Salt
- Chocolate Chips – I like to use mini dark chocolate chips but milk will work also
- Toffee Bits – also known as Skor bits
Why use powdered/icing sugar?
Powdered sugar will help keep the cookies soft for longer and it helps to keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
What is the best flour for cut out Cookies?
Be sure to use a high protein, at least 11.5 – 12%, my flour is about 12%, a low protein flour will cause the cookies to spread, and believe me refrigerating the dough will not help.
How to make Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Cookies
In a medium bowl whisk the flour and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl on medium high cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy about 2-3 minutes.
Add the whisked dry ingredients. Beat on low until almost combined.
Then add the chocolate chips and toffee bits, combine to form a dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for approximately 60 minutes. If you want a more intense flavor then you can chill the dough for 12-24 hours before rolling.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, place them 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Gently flatten with fork or a lightly floured shot glass. Refrigerate while the oven is pre-heating, about 15-20 minutes.
Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
How is shortbread different from other cookies?
Most cookies have baking powder, baking soda and eggs in the recipe, they are usually lighter and sometimes chewy, whereas shortbread do not have baking powder or soda and contain few ingredients and they tend to be a tender, crumbly and melt in your mouth type of cookie.
And why is it called Shortbread
According to British Food History – Dating back to the 12th century , shortbread was originally called biscuit bread.
Why did my cookies spread?
Did you chill the dough for at least 30 minutes? Chilling it allows the butter to firm up so your cookies don’t spread. And be sure to use a flour with at least 11-12% protein, this also helps from spreading.
How to Store Shortbread Cookies
The baked cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I sometimes store mine in the fridge because I like cold cookies. They will last up to 10 days by storing them in the fridge.
How to Freeze the cookies
To freeze the shortbread cookies, place parchment paper in between the layers of the completely cooled cookies this prevents them from sticking together when they are in the containers for freezing, or you can also place the baked cooled cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then move the frozen cookies to either airtight bags or containers. Baked Shortbread Cookies will last up to 6 months in the freezer.
To thaw the cookies be sure to remove the frozen cookies from the bags or containers (this way no condensation will form) and let them thaw at room temperature. In our house no one waits for them to thaw!
FAQs
Can the dough be made in advance?
Yes you can make the dough in advance, wrap well and place in an airtight bag, it can be refrigerated for up to 2-4 days or frozen for up to a month in the freezer.
How do you know when shortbread is baked?
I like to bake my shortbread to a very light color, just when it starts to become lightly golden around the edges, whereas my daughter prefers them a darker golden brown. It’s up to you.
Does salted or unsalted butter make a difference?
In my opinion no, unsalted butter is not available in my area in Italy so I have never used it and I have never noticed a difference. Just be sure to adjust the salt accordingly.
What does shortbread taste like?
Shortbread has a buttery melt in your mouth crumbly texture. For some people it can even have a dry sandy texture.
Should I refrigerate the shortbread cookie dough?
I would advise refrigerating the dough for at least an hour and then refrigerating the cookies for about 15 minutes before baking. This can be done while the oven is pre-heating.
So if you are like me and you love shortbread, I hope you give these Chocolate Toffee Shortbread a try this Holiday Season and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
More Shortbread recipes
Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (11% protein or higher)
- 1 pinch salt*
- ½ cup butter (soft)*
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet mini chips)
- ½ cup toffee bits (also called Skor bits)
*If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon salt. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl on medium high cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy about 2-3 minutes. Add the whisked dry ingredients.
- Beat on low until almost combined then add the chocolate chips and toffee bits, combine to form a dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for approximately 60 minutes.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, place them 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Gently flatten with fork (dip lightly in flour so it doesn't stick to the dough) or a lightly floured shot glass. Refrigerate while the oven is pre-heating, about 15-20 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 320F (160C).
- Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Leave on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Absolutely perfect. Just the right balance of butter and sweetness. Thank you so much for a perfect recipe!
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care and have a great week!
These are delicious cookies, and a bit different from a traditional shortbread. They’re not as “short”. They’re firm, but it’s a soft firm. They’re buttery rich. The Skor bits add a hint of caramel to the flavour. I mixed the dough with a wooden spoon and it was great to work with. I didn’t chill the dough before rolling it into balls, but chilled the balls for 45 minutes before baking. The cookies held their shape and didn’t spread too much. A few of the bottom edges had to be reshaped when they came out of the oven where the Skor bits had oozed out.
Hi Sadie thanks so much for your thoughts on the recipe. Glad you liked them. Take care and have a great weekend!
These cookies were fantastically delicious! I used the mini semi sweet morsels and Heath Toffee Bits for baking. I noticed a comment below regarding the dough being too crumbly before putting in the fridge. After mixing all the ingredients together with a mixer, I then kneaded it with my hands to blend the butter in more, and the warmth of my hands helped it to stick together nicely then before putting it in the fridge. So I was able to form it into a nice compact ball of dough before putting it in the fridge, if that helps at all. After baking the cookies, while still warm, I sprinkled a little more of the Heath Toffee Bits on top of each cookie with a few mini chocolate morsels as well, which gave them an appetizing look, and I was able to use up the rest of the toffee bits that way as well. The heat from the hot cookies sealed the added toffee bits and morsels onto the cookies. Highly recommend these cookies! So glad I came upon this recipe, thank you!
Hi Joan, thanks so much, so glad you like the cookies, great tips you included and I love the idea of adding more toffee bits and chips. Merry Christmas!
Everyone loved these !
Hi Pam, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed them. Take care!
This cookie recipe is our new favorite. The recipe is very easy to follow and the cookies turn out fabulous.
I can’t wait to try out several of your other delicious cookie recipes. Thank you
Hi Debbie, thanks so much, so glad you all like it. Take care and Merry Christmas.
They spead all over the place
I know ptoblem was flour i live i. Small town didnt find any flour over 4
Will keep eye open for flour and try again
Hi Bonnie, yes that would happen to me also with low protein flour. If you can find bread flour, that is usually higher in protein. Or try patting the dough in a cake pan instead of forming into cookies, the cake pan or small pizza pan (even a foil pan would work) it should hold it in place and then you can cut it into bars once it is cooled. I would probably refrigerate it for about an hour after it has cooled to really firm it up. I just thought of doing that now. Let me know if you try it and it works. Take care.
Sounds lovely! Could I cut these into squares as well before baking?
Hi Genevieve, yes you could, instead of rolling place the dough in a pan instead. Let me know how it goes. Take care.
This one was for the books. I used 1 stick (1/2 c.) of Land O’Lakes unsalted butter, left on the counter all night in our 67 degree home in N ID. Flour was 11-1/2% per the label on the sack. Used mini chocolate chips and Heath toffee chips. Confectioner sugar appropriately measured. Have never baked cookies at 320 degrees, but did that. Put the crumbly ingredients into the fridge for 1 hour. Attempted to make the dough balls but nothing would hold together, so I squeezed each in my hand for a time to see if the warmth would help. There would have been no pressing on each with a fork or they would have disintegrated completely. I calibrated my oven 2 months ago when we moved into this home with brand new appliances, so that’s not an issue. I will send pictures if there’s a way?
Hi Jackie, I am sorry but the ratio of butter to flour is fine. If for some reason your cookies are too dry, you should add a bit more butter to bring it together, or maybe you didn’t combine it enough. And shortbread is always baked in a lower oven. Hope that helps.