desserts
Chocolate Crunch Shortbread
This Chocolate Crunch Shortbread is a deeply chocolatey, salty–sweet cookie with a tender crumb and crisp edges. Dark cocoa, chopped dark chocolate, and crunchy cocoa nibs make every bite intense and layered, while a final sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds sparkle and balance. The dough is rolled into logs, chilled, and sliced — yielding thin, elegant shortbread rounds that bake into perfectly rich cookies. Great for gifting, storing, or serving with coffee, these cookies are a RizzieFarms favorite for the holidays and beyond.
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup cocoa nibs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Sift dry ingredients Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift **1 3/4 cups flour**, **1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder**, and **3/4 teaspoon baking powder** into a large bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat **2 sticks unsalted butter** and **3/4 cup sugar** on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the sifted mixture in 3 additions, mixing after each until just incorporated.
- Add chocolate and flavorings Add **6 ounces chopped dark chocolate**, **1/2 cup cocoa nibs**, **1 teaspoon vanilla extract**, and **3/4 teaspoon sea salt**. Mix only until combined.
- Form dough logs Divide the dough into 3 parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a log about **1 inch thick**. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for **1 hour** until firm.
- Prep oven and pans Preheat oven to **325°F**. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly butter them).
- Slice and arrange cookies Slice each chilled dough log into **1/4-inch rounds**. Place cookies about **1 1/2 inches apart** on baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Bake Bake for **16 minutes**, rotating sheets halfway through. Cookies will still be soft; they firm as they cool.
- Cool Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack. Store once fully cooled.
Notes
- Cookies crisp up as they cool; avoid overbaking.
- For neat edges, reroll chilled logs briefly before slicing.
- Dough logs may be frozen for up to 2 months; slice and bake from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes.