Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
I’ve partnered with Social Stars and Whirlpool® to create these Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies as part of the Whirlpool® Every day, care™ Project. #EveryDayCare
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I’ve mentioned many times here on Spiced that I grew up in the South. I was born in Texas, and I’ve lived everywhere from North Carolina to Louisiana. My wife and I now live in upstate New York… which is a long way from the South. Truth be told, upstate New York is beautiful—especially in the summer! (I admit that the winters are a wee bit cold, though.)
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
But as we head into the Christmas season, this is the time of the year that I really miss my family. My family still lives down in Texas and Tennessee, and road trips to either state are pretty much impossible this time of the year. But that’s where these Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies come in. Shortbread cookies are my grandmother’s favorite cookie of all-time, and I love sending her little holiday care packages from upstate New York.
One of my favorite memories from childhood is going to visit my grandparents in East Texas. My grandmother is a pretty darned good baker herself, and she would always meet us at the door with a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. (To this day, I still haven’t found another chocolate chip cookie like hers…and I’ve eaten a lot of cookies!)
Since I grew up in Charleston, SC, it was a pretty big deal to make the trip all the way over to Palestine, Texas. I vividly remember reading Stephen King’s The Shining on the plane trip over to visit them when I was in 6th grade. (Seriously!? What kid reads The Shining in 6th grade?) My uncle and aunt would always come over to visit, too, and that’s when I first learned about 52 Card Pick-Up. I can’t wait until my new niece is old enough to play that game. Of course, there were always plenty of cookies around…and since I was at grandma’s house, I could eat as many as I wanted!
Just a couple of months ago, we moved my grandmother into an assisted living facility. Until this past October, she had lived in the same house for over 50 years. You can probably imagine how hard it was to make the decision to move her into assisted living. Caring for loved ones can definitely lead to challenges.
My grandfather passed away several years ago, and my grandmother has been living all by herself since then. In recent years, her health has declined significantly, and ultimately my family made the tough decision that an assisted living facility would be safer for her. She still isn’t a big fan of the change, and it’s been tough on everyone. But this was a decision that we made with her best interest at heart, and we all know it was the right one. Aging parents and grandparents is a fairly common problem in the US these days, and I’m guessing that many of you have wrestled with the same problem. How do you provide continuing love and support to your family?
I have some pretty great memories of my grandparents, and I only wish I was able to visit more often. Since I can’t get down there to visit her during the holidays, I decided to send my grandmother a little care package. Shortbread cookies are her favorite dessert, so I included a batch of my shortbread cookies for her. (I find it extremely gratifying to be able to repay the cookie kindness that she showed to me all through my childhood!) I also added a book-on-tape (err, DVD) and some other holiday goodies. Although it’s not the same as going to visit, at least I can let my grandmother know that I’m thinking about her during the holidays!
Did you make a batch of these Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies at home? Leave a comment! Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Cheers!
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 3 ounces white chocolate finely chopped
- red and green sanding sugar
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes on medium speed).
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and flour. Mix on low speed until a stiff dough forms. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough out to ~1/2” thickness. Cut cookies into 1”x3” rectangles and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Using a small fork, prick the tops of the cookies in several places.
- Place sheet pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Bake at 325°F for 26-28 minutes, or until edges of cookies turn light brown. Let cookies cool fully before dipping.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate onto the end of the cookies. Place on a cooling rack and sprinkle with red and green sanding sugar. Let cookies cool until chocolate has hardened (~20 minutes).
- Repeat process with the white chocolate and remaining undipped cookies.
Looking for more tasty cookie recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
My granny also made shortbread cookies every single Christmas. Hers however were not half as pretty as yours, and neither they were dipped in chocolate.
Soooo, would you mind sending me a box of those too? I like the mug as well… 😉
#WolfpackEats
Hmmm…well, the mug is already well on its way to Texas by now. But I bet I know where I can find another one. I’ll shove it full of cookies and send it down your way, Mike!
Great minds think alike! I was on pinterest last night ( as usual) and I saw a recipe for rosemary shortbread cookies. I was thinking, I needed to dust off my shortbread recipe this weekend and now I see your recipe. I think this is another sign I need to bake shortbread cookies!
Also, are you trying to make me cry this morning? What a sweet story about your grandmother and how very loving of you to send her a care package. My mother’s older sister had to transition to an assisted living facility a year ago. It was extremely difficult for us because my aunt has been very independent her entire life. I visited her over Thanksgiving and took her some of my pumpkin spice cake. When she opened it and only saw one big slice she asked me, “is that it?” LOL!
Yup, this is totally a sign that you need to make shortbread cookies this weekend. One reminder? Well, that could be a coincidence. But two reminders? That’s just too much to ignore! I bet your shortbread cookie recipe is amazing, too. Shortbread cookies and the holidays just go so well together. 🙂
I am not trying to make you cry this morning at all, Tamara! I promise! Aging relatives is such a tough situation. My grandmother is also very independent, but we didn’t know what else to do. It really is the best choice, but it doesn’t feel like it. And I totally laughed out loud at the “Is that it?” comment…don’t you love how older folks have no filter? It’s the best!
Such a sweet gesture, David – I cannot help but think your grandma is gonna know y’all love her so much by sending her shortbread cookies -like she once made for you!
My dad suffered with congestive heart failure for the longest time – in January of 2014, after yet another hospital stint, his doctors advised us that he could no longer stay home with my mom and the rotation of caregivers who would come through the day – even though my mom is 20 yrs younger than my dad, her health wasn’t in the best shape either and as he needed 24-7 care, we had him moved to a nursing home close to my mom. My daughter and I visited him every weekend – and he loved it when we brought him anything sweet (he would have loved these cookies soaked in milk for sure)! My dad lost his battle this August – and I can honestly say, dealing with aging parents/grandparents is not easy – each family has to do what works best – there is no cookie cutter recipe for what should be done and what shouldn’t (no pun there). Awesome post, my friend!
Why thank you, Shashi! I remember when you were struggling with your Dad’s health. It’s never an easy thing, and it’s becoming more and more common these days for sure. We have to make the right decisions, even if they aren’t the easy ones. But that’s where we can step in with little simple acts of care. Something as easy as sending cookies or just a phone call can make someone’s day. It doesn’t take much at all! 🙂
I have never made shortbread before. I think it is because I usually make healthier versions of things and you just can’t make a healthier version of shortbread – it needs all the butter to be delicious!
I totally agree, Dannii! Healthy and shortbread just don’t really go together. That’s why I only pull these out for a special treat during the holidays. 🙂
What a sweet gift to your grandma, Dave. I didn’t have grandparents (they all died before I was born), so the first experience I had with aging was when my mom was diagnosed Macular Degeneration and Parkinsons Disease. She had been such a strong, independent woman, so it broke my heart (and hers!) to watch her decline to the point where she could no longer care for herself and my step-dad couldn’t handle the job either. It was just too dangerous.
My heart goes out to you and I hope that your grandma has lots of joy from receiving your package!
Thank you so much, Becca! I’m fortunate enough to have known all of my grandparents, although my grandmother that I mentioned in this post is my only grandparent left. Aging is such a difficult thing, and it’s so hard on everyone involved. Little things like making cookies for someone or doing their dishes can make a world of difference…and I’ve decided I want to do more things like this for the people I care about. It doesn’t take much!
Thanks for sharing this story with us, mate. What a great gift for her- You’ve inspired me to make something for my grandma, although maybe not these- She can’t eat anything too hard- Damn dentures!
Oh man, these cookies would totally be fine for your grandma, Arman. They are incredibly crumbly…and delicious! The only challenge would be not eating them all before you get them over to your granny! 🙂
Awww, you’re a cool grandson. Very kind indeed. Mine are all passed, but I do remember summers taking the train down from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo, visiting Avila Beach and going to Cal Poly to see the pigs with mine. I have her Toll House cookie recipe still! Shortbread cookies are a BIG weakness and these look fantastic, especially that opening shot in chocolate. 🙂
I was just talking with someone the other day, and these Cal Poly pigs came up. They must be some famous pigs!! And you’re preaching to the choir about shortbread cookies…I was a serious weakness for shortbread, and I’m pretty sure I ate an entire batch of these before I could ever get them packaged up. Good thing they are crazy easy to make!
You read The Shining in 6th grade?! You are made of sterner stuff than I am!!! I saw The exorcist at 10 and have been scarred for life!
These cookies look delicious and perfect for Christmas! It’s positively adorable that you send your Grandma some every Christmas. Love this festive buttery cookie! Pinned!
Geez…you beat me to it, Lindsey. How old are 6th graders? Probably older than 10! The funny thing? I can’t stand horror movies and stuff now. I can barely even watch the Shining, and I’ve read the darn book. I know what happens! Also, I won’t stay in Room 217 in any hotel. #WhatSuperstition
I have no idea how old 6th graders are! Let’s just say I didn’t sleep for months. I can still picture that one scene on the bed…and it’s been 20 years!!! I haven’t seen The Shining or I probably wouldn’t either!
David, as someone who absolutely adored her grandmothers and still feels their influence in my life, I loved this post. You’re a good grandson! And I love shortbread, too, so I’m making a note of this.
Thank you so much, Jean! It really is the little things that mean so much…and I always jump at the chance to bake anything and everything. These shortbread cookies are one of my favorites to bake around the holidays. 🙂
I spent quite a few of my formative years in the south (including Florida- which I know isn’t really the ‘south”.) But it means I get the aversion to chilly winters. I live in LA now. It’s expected to hit 78 degrees today! Merry Christmas indeed. GREG
I hate you. 78 degrees!?! Ok, I don’t actually hate you, Greg…I just hate the fact that it’s warmer than 25 degrees where you are right now. Remind me why I moved north again?? 🙂
I got to have this umm! looks so delicious!.
Thanks so much for visiting my site and commenting, Sarah! I definitely made 3 batches of these over the holidays. Actually, New Year’s is still a holiday…I’m thinking it’s a great reason to go ahead and make batch #4! Happy (early) New Year!