I’m headed to Utah to visit friends and brought a batch of these cookies in my carry-on to share. I love sending baked treats — for birthdays, to say hello, or to cheer someone up. A box of cookies feels like a small, tangible hug: it says I’m thinking of you even when we can’t be together.
I originally adapted this recipe from a shortbread cookie I enjoyed at a cookie swap last year, then added colorful sprinkles and a dark chocolate dip to make them extra festive. A few months ago I met the folks from French Broad Chocolates at Food Blog Forum and they gave attendees a slab of excellent chocolate; using it made these cookies even better. If you want the cookies to taste truly special, choose a good quality dark chocolate for dipping.
The process is simple: a tender shortbread dough studded with nonpareil sprinkles is shaped into logs, chilled, then sliced and baked. Once cooled, I dip each cookie halfway in melted dark chocolate and finish them with a sprinkle or two on top. Chilling the dough makes clean, uniform rounds and keeps the sprinkles from bleeding into the dough while baking.
Little tools save time — I love a good set of measuring cups for faster, more accurate measuring. If you bake often, consider a few different sizes so you can streamline your prep.
Begin by whisking the dry ingredients together, then cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla until light. Add the dry ingredients in batches and mix only until combined — overmixing will make the shortbread tough. Fold in a generous amount of sprinkles so every cookie has a pretty, confetti-like interior.
Divide the dough, shape into logs, and roll the outsides in extra sprinkles so the edges are colorful. Chill the logs for at least three hours — overnight is even better. When you’re ready, slice the logs into 1/2 to 3/4-inch rounds and bake until the edges are just set. Let the cookies cool completely before dipping.
To finish, melt dark chocolate with a little vegetable shortening for a glossy, smooth dip. Dip each cookie halfway and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Add a few sprinkles on top of the chocolate while it’s still wet, then chill the cookies until the coating sets. I typically refrigerate them for 15–20 minutes; for shipping or longer transport, a brief time in the freezer helps them hold their shape.
These cookies keep well in an airtight container for several days at room temperature, and they freeze nicely if you want to make them ahead. Pack them carefully with parchment or wax paper between layers so the chocolate doesn’t stick.
I hope you try this Dark Chocolate Dipped Funfetti Shortbread Cookies recipe and share a batch with a friend or family member who could use a smile. They’re festive, buttery, and just the right mix of tender shortbread and rich chocolate.
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Dark Chocolate Dipped Funfetti Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks, 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- approximately 5 to 6 Tablespoons sprinkles, nonpareils, divided (plus more for sprinkling on top of chocolate)
- 6 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
Instructions
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Mix flour, cornstarch and salt with a whisk in a small mixing bowl.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together (until creamed) using an electric hand mixer, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
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Add dry ingredients in two batches to the butter and sugar mixture, mix until ingredients are combined (with hand mixer) but don’t over mix. Add 2 1/2 Tablespoons sprinkles to the cookie dough and mix with rubber spatula.
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Split cookie dough in half. Add first half to a long pieces of plastic wrap. Shape into 7-inch logs that are about 1 1/2 inches thick. Once shaped, remove the plastic and grab a new piece of plastic, add 1/2 Tablespoons sprinkles down the length of the plastic wrap, add cookie dough log and add more sprinkles so the outsides of the cookies have enough. Roll up and refrigerate both logs for at least 3 hours or overnight.
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Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut into 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick slices and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets for 10 to 11 minutes.
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While cookies are baking and cooling, melt chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power and in increments of 30 seconds at a time, mixing thoroughly between each heating.
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Dip cooled cookies into chocolate halfway and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Dip a few cookies and then add sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator to set the chocolate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes
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Disclosure: French Broad Chocolates provided chocolate for conference attendees. Opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains a small number of affiliate links.