These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are so easy to make, and they never miss. They take a little time only because the dough must chill for several hours. However, the preparation and baking time are minimal. I like to top them with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, which blends nicely with the deep chocolate flavor, but you can use anything you wish. For a history of shortbread, click here.

In a stand mixer, cream the room-temperature butter and superfine sugar until very fluffy for several minutes. If you can’t locate superfine sugar—which is difficult these days—just run the sugar in a food processor for a few minutes. Add the vanilla on low speed.

Cream the butter and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. It’s important that you use a high-quality cocoa because this is the dominant flavor in this shortbread of few ingredients..

Whisk the dry ingredients.

On very low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture. Continue to mix until thoroughly combined.

Add the dry ingredients.

Spread a large 26” sheet of plastic wrap on your counter top. Scrape the cookie dough onto the plastic wrap.

Spread the dough onto plastic wrap.

Using the wrap, roll it into a 1 1⁄2-inch -diameter log about two feet long.

Roll into a long log.

If this is too long to fit in your refrigerator, make two 12- inch-long logs.

Or 2 short logs.

Wrap the log (or logs) securely in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. This will thoroughly chill the butter and keep the cookies from spreading during the baking.

Remove the log from the refrigerator and unwrap it. With a thin, sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 3/8-inch-thick disks.

Slice into disks.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Space the disks equally on the sheets.

Place cookies on parchment.

Bake on two shelves in a 350° oven for about 16-18 minutes (longer if you prefer a crispy cookie).

Bake on 2 racks.

The shorter cooking time will give you a nice crumbly cookie. Alternate the sheets on the shelves halfway through the baking. Place the baking sheets on cooling racks.

Whisk together the 1⁄4 cup of sugar with the cinnamon until blended. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the tops of the cookies, and let them cool thoroughly on the parchment paper.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Store Chocolate Shortbread Cookies in tightly covered tins.  They will keep for a couple weeks. Makes about 32 cookies.

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