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These Mint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies have a soft, buttery shortbread bottom and are topped with smooth white chocolate and crunchy peppermint pieces. Perfect for any time of the year, but especially during the holidays!
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I’d eat just about any kind of cookie (hellooooo sweet tooth!) but there’s just something so simple yet unique about a shortbread cookie. They’re buttery, crunchy yet soft, and lay a canvas for other flavors and textures to play along.
My love for the mint and chocolate flavor combination must have come from my mom – lover of shamrock shakes & mint Oreo Blizzards. What can I say, she’s got good taste! 😉
So when the holidays roll around, something mint chocolate has to be on the docket! There’s just nothing better than chocolate combined with the peppermint crunchies on top…..ok, now I’m craving (yet another) cookie. One for me, one for baby, right?! 🙂
How do you know when chocolate cookies are done?
Chocolate cookies can be difficult to determine doneness, because you can’t SEE that golden brown color like in other cookies.
So how DO you know when these cookies are ready to escape the oven? It definitely takes some practice, but here’s what I do. When the timer goes off, I’ll pull the pan of cookies out of the oven a bit and take a look at the appearance of the cookie.
If the cookie is still really shiny (almost wet looking), it’s not done yet. If it no longer has that shiny, wet appearance, I’ll press the top of a cookie with my fingertip. Yes, it’ll be hot. But make it quick and you’ll be just fine!
First, press on one of the cookie’s edges. It should feel dry and hold its shape when touched. Then, touch the center. If it feels really soft and almost gooey, it needs some more time. However, if it’s soft but not gooey and the outer edges feel done, they’re good to go!
Can I use white chocolate chips instead of the white almond bark?
Yes! You can, however I do find the almond bark easier to work with. It tends to melt a little more smoothly and is less likely to become grainy when being melted.
And if you’re not a big fan of white chocolate, go for milk, semisweet or dark chocolate! They’d all work great!!
How should I store these cookies?
Once the cookies are completely set, I store them in an air-tight container with sheets of waxed paper between layers. Although they don’t need to be, I like to keep them stored in the fridge. I like how the cold air hardens the white chocolate more and makes it the perfect crispy yet soft cookie!
These also freeze well. I typically use freezer bags when storing in the freezer, but they can also be kept in an airtight container. They’ll stay good for up to 2 months in the freezer. Simply pull from the freezer, give them time to thaw a bit and enjoy!
What are some of my other favorite holiday treats?
Grandma’s Spritz Cookies – These buttery spritz cookies have the most delicious frosting and can be decorated however you’d like!
Praline Crunch – This sweet and salty caramel mix is the ultimate holiday treat! But consider yourself warned – it’s highly addictive!!
Cookie Dough Truffles – What’s better than cookie dough?? Cookie dough dunked in chocolate! Yes, please!
Print the recipe for these Mint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies:
Mint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- white chocolate almond bark
- crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and flour until combined.
- Pat the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper to about 1/4 inch thickness and use a round cutter (or any shape!) to cut the cookies out. (If the dough seems a bit sticky, sprinkle some flour on it).
- Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until firm.
- Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are cool, melt one or two squares of almond bark.
- When the almond bark is melted, spoon it into a resealable baggie, snip the corner off and drizzle over the cookies.
- Sprinkle the crushed candies on top and let cool to set up.
Nutrition
Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck.
Instead of rolling out the dough, could I shape it into a log, refrigerate it, and then slice it?
That should work!! Let me know if you give it a try! ~Kelsey