Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
These cardamom chocolate chunk shortbread cookies are simple to bake, one-bowl, and make a lovely addition to a cookie box! They're butter, dense, flaky, and have a gorgeous, floral spice from the fresh cardamom. The semisweet chocolate also adds a richness that makes these cookies decadent and beyond delicious. They're the best!
Ingredients
- 1 c unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/3 c dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cardamom, freshly-ground, divided
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c Turbinado sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, sugar, dark brown sugar, and the vanilla bean paste until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Next, mix in the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the freshly-ground cardamom, and Kosher salt until you have a thick dough. The dough should not be crumbly or too sticky. It will resemble Play Dough.
- Fold the semisweet chocolate chunks into the dough until it's evenly incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 loose discs.
- Lay 2 long pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap on the counter. Place 1 disc of dough onto each sheet of parchment or plastic wrap. Using your hands, roughly pat each disc of dough into a 12-inch log (they will be about 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter). Wrap the logs tightly in the parchment paper or plastic wrap, and roll until you have smooth, round logs (it doesn't have to be perfect). Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Once the dough is chilled and you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water until it's smooth. Toss the remaining cardamom and Turbinado sugar together, and evenly pour the mixture onto a plate or shallow dish. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap. Brush both logs with the egg wash and roll in the Turbinado sugar to evenly coat the outside of the dough (don't pack too much on or the sugar will bake into the pan instead of the cookies). Cut the logs in half, if necessary.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch cookies (you should get about 48 cookies). If you hit a chocolate chunk, gently saw the knife back and forth to cut through it. If it still crumbles apart, just push the cookie back together, the dough is very unfussy!
- Line the sliced cookies 1-inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Refrigerate the cookies for 10 minutes to prevent them from puffing up as much (totally optional - just if you want prettier cookies). Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are set and golden-brown on the edges.
- Let the cookies cool for 4-5 minutes on the sheet pans and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
If you can't find cardamom pods or don't want to grind it, use cinnamon instead. Start with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and add more, to taste.
For a more subtle cardamom flavor, omit the cardamom in the Turbinado sugar.
Don't let the dough get too warm or the cookies will lose their shape during baking.
To freeze the dough, wrap it tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place the logs in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for 1-2 hours before rolling in sugar, slicing, and baking.
I like to bake the cookies closer to 15 minutes to enhance the caramelized flavor. If you prefer a less 'crunchy' shortbread, bake the cookies for 12 minutes.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 9.7g, Protein: 0.8g, Fat: 4.6g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 40mg, Potassium: 19mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 5g, Calcium: 4mg
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