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30 Minute Chocolate Shortbread Bars Recipe

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3.9 from 58 reviews

  • Author: Ezabella
  • Total Time: 30 minutes (without chilling); up to 2 hours with chilling
  • Yield: Approximately 30 shortbread pieces
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This 30 Minute Chocolate Shortbread recipe offers a rich, buttery, and tender biscuit with a deep chocolate flavor. It features a smooth cocoa-infused dough that’s versatile, allowing you to bake it in a pan, form it into logs and slice into bars, or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. The optional rich dark chocolate coating adds a decadent finishing touch. Perfect for quick baking with impressive homemade taste, these shortbreads are an ideal treat for any occasion.

Ingredients

Shortbread Dough

  • 200 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 110 g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • 3 g fine salt
  • 14 g vanilla extract
  • 1 orange, zested (optional)
  • 290 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 40 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted

Chocolate Coating (Optional)

  • 300 g dark cooking chocolate
  • 20 g vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Whip butter and sugar: In a medium bowl, cream softened butter, powdered sugar, fine salt, vanilla extract, and optional orange zest using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add dry ingredients: Fold in half of the sifted flour and cocoa powder to the creamed mixture using a spatula until a dough starts to form. Add the remaining dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. The dough should be soft and pliable. If the dough feels too soft due to warmth, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to firm up before shaping.
  3. Prepare baking tin (for dish baking method): Spray a 22cm x 31cm (9×13 inch) baking tin with oil spray, then line with baking paper leaving overhang sides for easy removal.
  4. Form the biscuits in the pan: Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking tin using your hands or the bottom of a flat cup for uniform thickness. Avoid pressing too hard to keep the shortbread light.
  5. Bake the shortbread: Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) with fan off or 130°C (265°F) with fan on. Bake the shortbread for 20 minutes, then remove and, while warm, score into 8 bars with a large knife and dock each piece 3 times with a fork. Return to oven and bake for another 20 minutes until lightly golden.
  6. Cool and separate: Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, run a knife along the cuts to separate the bars before serving.
  7. Form cookies into rectangles (alternative): Line two baking trays with baking paper. Shape the dough into a rough log approximately 20cm long, 6cm high, and 3–4cm wide. Use a bench scraper to flatten the sides evenly. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours.
  8. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F) fan off or 130°C (265°F) fan on.
  9. Cut and bake biscuits: Remove dough log from fridge, unwrap, and let soften 5 minutes. Slice into 1cm wide biscuits and place on baking trays spaced 2cm apart. Optionally, indent holes with the flat end of a skewer for decoration. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely.
  10. Use cookie cutters (alternative method): Divide dough into two portions and form flat oval shapes with hands. Place each between two large sheets of baking paper and roll out to 1/2 cm (0.20 inch) thickness. Chill rolled dough on baking trays in fridge for 1 hour.
  11. Cut cookies: Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F) fan off or 130°C (265°F) fan on. Use desired cookie cutters to cut shapes from chilled dough. Space cut cookies 2 cm apart on baking trays.
  12. Bake cookies: Bake for 20 minutes until cookies are lightly golden. They will be soft fresh from oven but will firm as they cool.
  13. Prepare chocolate coating (optional): Melt dark cooking chocolate and vegetable oil together in a heatproof bowl. Do this in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, or over a gently simmering water bath. Allow to cool slightly before using.
  14. Coat in chocolate (optional): Dip cooled shortbread pieces into melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on baking tray and allow to set before serving.

Notes

  • Softened butter means butter left at room temperature until easily spreadable, not melted.
  • Sift cocoa powder before adding to avoid lumps and ensure even chocolate flavor.
  • Dark cooking chocolate is preferred for a rich, slightly bitter contrast; choose 70% cacao or higher if possible.
  • If the dough becomes too soft during handling, refrigerate to firm up before shaping or cutting.
  • Variations include cutting into bars, forming logs to slice, or rolling and cookie-cutting shapes depending on desired presentation.
  • Docking with a fork allows steam to escape during baking and prevents excessive puffing.
  • The chocolate coating is optional but adds a delicious finishing touch and texture contrast.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20-40 minutes depending on method
  • Category: Dessert, Snack, Cookie
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Scottish/British

Find it online: https://kitchenloving.com/30-minute-chocolate-shortbread-bars-recipe/