Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Bren

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Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread is a simple and delicious gift you can bake in just a few minutes. Add afree printable gift tag for an easypresent you can make anytime.

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (1)

Shortbread Lover

My first taste of mocha shortbread was at a dear friend’s house in the Pacific Northwest. It was a cool and rainy winter day. We were drinking coffee while watching our toddlers play with cars and racetracks.

It was a perfect day in every way from the refreshments to the companionship.

Over the years I have baked coffee and chocolate shortbread many times. I have made these treats for cookie exchanges and to give to neighbors over the holidays… they are so good!

I’ve refined the simple recipe from a bar cookie to a more refinedchocolate dipped shortbread biscuit. It is delicious both ways, but I prefer the fancier presentation when using it as a gift.

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (2)

Easy Cookie Gifts

I enjoy baking Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies around the holidays. They are the perfect gift for all the coffee lovers in your life. I use round cookie cutter to make them fit into a beautiful coffee mug and adda delicious bag of coffee. It’s an affordable but touching gift.

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (3)

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Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (4)

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Cookie Recipe (Free Printable Gift Tag)

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 7 reviews

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 15 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

This Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe is perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gifts. Simple chocolate dipped mocha shortbread cookies are beautiful and tasty. Includes free printable gift tags for coffee lovers.

Ingredients

Scale

Coffee Shortbread

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules ((I use Starbucks Via))
  • 2/3 cup butter ((softened not melted))
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Glaze

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels ((mini chips, 8 ounces))
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Cream butter and vanilla together, slowly stir in flour, sugar and coffee granules.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (5)
  2. Roll dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is approximately 3/8-1/2 inch thick.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (6)
  3. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or drinking glass.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (7)
  4. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degree Fahrenheit until lightly browned and firm. Let shortbread cool completely.
  5. Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave proof bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir well and then heat in 10 second increments stirring well between each heating until completely melted.
  6. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a wire rack until chocolate glaze is firm.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (8)
  7. Store cookies in an airtight container once chocolate is solid. Place sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between layers to protect the glaze.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (9)
  8. Add a free printable gift tag, if desired.
    Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (10)

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 large cookie
  • Calories: 184

Recipe Card powered byCoffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (11)

I package the cookie filled mugs in cellophane or plastic and tie them with twine. Itis pretty packaging that also keeps the baked goods fresh.

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (12)

Free Coffee Themed Gift Tags

Download thefree printable gift tagshere. The coffee-related sentiments are perfect for these shortbread cookies or any coffee-related gift.

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (13)

The PDF download includes one page with the sentiments and one page of second layers. Print pageone (the sentiments) on solid colored card stock and page two (decorative layer) on patterned card stock.

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Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (15)
Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (16)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    These look delish. I make biscotti and dip the ends in chocolate. They freeze well with the chocolate on them. I will definitely try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  2. Jenny

    Hi!! Was just wondering how much of the butter would I have go use as a substitute for coconut oil in the chocolate ganache??

    Reply

    • Bren

      I would use an equal amount.

      Reply

  3. cari

    I baked the whole recipe in a glass pie dish. I did fork pokes all around. Baking time ended up being 31 minutes.
    Once pie dish was cool, I divided the dish into 16 wedges. This recipe was so easy and the end result was wonderful…rich, but delicate and lots of mocha taste.

  4. Corinne

    Do you have to refrigerate the dough before baking? I’m making these for a cookie exchange this weekend!! So excited!

    Reply

    • Bren

      You can refrigerate if your kitchen is super warm or the butter was extra soft but it is not necessary.

      Reply

  5. Diane Watson

    So I was searching for a coffee flavored cookie to make and stumbled upon yours. My brother and SIL were coming to visit and they both love coffee and shortbread so this was the clear choice.
    Even though I totally botched this. And used more customary ratios (but ended up using too much butter to flour still anyway). They spread and kind of joined together and were ugly and misshapen, but I was short on time…rushing as usual, and I did the chocolate and put them in a container on the counter. Wasn’t long before my brother was poking around and opened the container asking what they were, I apologized for how terrible they looked, but he could not have possibly cared less and he said “Wow, these are good”…my SIL was next. She asked for the recipe. I explained my miscalculations but also my additions. To ensure it was a good coffee flavor I also used some coffee extract (lessening the vanilla and doing about 50/50) I also added some of the coffee granules to the melted chocolate (for both the dough and the glaze I put them in the coffee grinder to make it into a fine powder for the sake of mixing more uniformly).

    I will be making these again for a ladies gathering, but will be taking my time and making sure presentation is up to snuff. Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply

    • Diane

      Just to clarify, I did use instant coffee, but I still put it in the coffee grinder just to give them a quite whiz and get it to a fine powder.

      Reply

  6. Francesca Bruzzese

    Did you use salted or unsalted butter here? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Bren

      Unsalted, I prefer to add my own salt if needed.

      Reply

  7. Katie

    This looks great! I’ll be making them this week. Are these doable with ground regular coffee beans, or does it need to be instant coffee for a specific reason? Texture maybe? I’m trying to figure out if I need to buy more ingredients. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Bren

      Regular coffee grounds are too hard and bitter (they are ground beans). Instant coffee is brewed coffee that is dehydrated so you get the coffee flavor with no bitter beans.

      Reply

  8. Jen

    May I ask how Long can we keep these cookies as well as the cookie dimensions before baking? Otherwise, I’d really like to try this recipe!

    Reply

    • Bren

      The circle cookies pictured are about 4 inches in diameter and 3/8-1/2 inch thick. The size does not change much when baking. I store the cookies for about 5-7 days on the countertop (covered) or 2 weeks in the fridge (covered). (Though I’m not sure a batch has ever lasted 2 whole weeks!)

      Reply

  9. Jennifer

    How long does it take the glaze to harden? Mine is still soft and it’s been 3 hours. Would it be okay to refrigerate so the chocolate hardens?

    Reply

    • Bren

      It depends on the room temperature. Yes, you can refrigerate to speed up the process.

      Reply

    • Bren

      I’ve never tried freezing the cookies, if you want to try I would do it without the glaze.

      Reply

  10. Connie

    Can’t wait to make these shortbread cookies, can you double the recipe. 😀

    Reply

    • Bren

      Yes, you can double the recipe.

      Reply

  11. Lynn L Nguyen

    Bren, does your recipe use salted or unsalted butter? I’ve seen recipes go either way.

    Also thanks for the tip about adding coconut oil to the glaze! Makes it so much smoother looking!

    Reply

    • Bren

      I generally use unsalted butter. I’m glade the glaze worked well for you!

      Reply

  12. Maria Torres

    Finally a recipe for sure I’m ready to make today.
    for the chocolate glaze I don’t have coconut oil, what can I you use? Thank you.
    Happy Holidays 🎄🥛🍪.

    Reply

    • Bren

      You can thin the glaze with butter if you don’t have coconut oil. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  13. Brian

    Excellent recipe, just the right amount of coffee. I could not keep mine from spreading a bit, even after refridgerating the dough, but still great looking and tasting cookies!

    Reply

    • Bren

      Thanks for commenting, Brian. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply

  14. Erica

    I like your recipe but in the future I will use 1/4 less butter and some milk. Also, the glacee was too moist. In the future I will use milk chocolate w/o extras. Nice webpage. I like how it adjusts the measurements to the # of cookies wanted

    Reply

    • Bren

      Thanks for commenting, Erica. Glad you tried the recipe.

      Reply

  15. Stephanie

    I love, love, love this recipe! Shortbread is my favorite and with this the flavor possibilities are endless. The shapes I chose baked perfectly. Thank you for sharing this.

    Reply

    • Bren

      Thanks, Stephanie! It’s one of my very favorite cookie recipes. I am so glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply

  16. Stephanie

    I love coffee and I love shortbread. I came across your recipe, made it and fell in love. I’m not sure my waistline is going to like it though!

    Reply

    • Bren

      It can be dangerous! 🙂

      Reply

  17. Debora Hill

    Love shortbread….. am making these now. But I like to make them into a long roll, chill dough then slice! Always has done well wit shortbread recipes almost identical to this one. I sprinkle some powdered sugar on wax paper and my hands and it helps with dough. I’m sure these coffee cookies will be fantastic

    Reply

    • Bren

      Great idea, Debora! Hope you love the flavor.

      Reply

  18. Jen

    So mine was way too moist to be rolled and cut with a cookie cutter? Do you know what I did wrong?

    Reply

    • Bren

      I’m not sure, Jen. It’s hard to tell over the internet. Maybe your butter was too soft? You can refridgerate the dough until it is more firm. Good luck!

      Reply

  19. Autumn

    Is the recipe above you missing any ingredients? The mixture seems extremely dry

    Reply

    • Autumn

      Never mind! I just realize it’s 2/3 cup of butter not one third !!

      Reply

      • Bren

        Hope you like the recipe!

        Reply

  20. Lisa Sharp (@retrohousewife5)

    These sound delicious and what a cute gift!

    Reply

    • Bren

      Thanks Lisa!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

Why do you put an egg in shortbread? ›

Adding hard-boiled egg yolks to a basic shortbread recipe makes cookies more tender with the perfect buttery-soft texture. The addition is a sure-fire way to improve the texture of your cookies, but perhaps not always worth the extra time and effort.

What's the difference between shortbread and butter biscuits? ›

The difference between these cookies come down to the ratios of flour, eggs, and sugar. Due to differing ratios, shortbread cookies are crumblier and more "sandy" than butter cookies, which are firm and solid enough to be iced.

What is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking. Notice I'm using powdered sugar here. You'll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar.

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? ›

Why do you put shortbread cut-out cookies in the fridge before baking? This is to resolidify the butter. The butter is at room temperature when making the dough resulting in a soft dough. If baked straight away, the butter would melt away immediately when hitting the hot oven and the shortbread would spread.

Why does shortbread have holes in the top? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

Why is shortbread called petticoat tails? ›

It has been suggested that a French term for the wedges of shortbread was petit* gâteaux or petites gatelles – little cakes, and this became "petticoat tails". It is now thought the Scots term derives from the decorated round edge of the segments which resemble petticoats.

What brand of butter is best for shortbread? ›

Spend extra when it really counts: If you're making a recipe where butter really is the star (think shortbread or biscuits), splashing out for a package of Kerrygold or Vital Farms is worth the expense. The fine differences in the flavor are most impactful in these recipes.

What is the new name for shortbread? ›

Samoas are now “Caramel deLites.” Do-si-dos are “Peanut Butter Sandwiches.” Tagalongs are “Peanut Butter Cookies” and Trefoils are “Shortbreads.” But how are we going to move cookies with dull names like “Peanut Butter Patties?” And won't we get tired of explaining to customers what happened with the names?

What do Americans call shortbread? ›

Americans are the outlier on how we use "biscuit"

To most of the rest of the English-speaking world, a biscuit is what Americans would refer to as either a cookie or a cracker. Biscuits can be sweet (shortbread) or savory.

Why did my shortbread fail? ›

Nigella Lawson explains that they can turn out with the dreaded soggy bottom if they're pressed too thickly in a pan, cooked at too high a temperature, or cooked in a non-metal pan that doesn't quickly distribute the oven heat.

What happens if you over mix shortbread? ›

It's important to avoid over-mixing shortbread dough, which will develop gluten and make the finished product tough, not tender. To make sure that the flour mixes completely with little effort, sift the flour first to get out all of the lumps.

Should the butter be cold when making shortbread? ›

If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent.

How can you tell if shortbread is underbaked? ›

Begin checking at the tail end of the cooking time. Undercooked shortbread will be doughy and chewy. Slightly overcooked and it will become chalky, brittle and hard.

References

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