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Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe That Melts in Your Mouth

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

Buttery slice-and-bake shortbread cookies are coated in coarse sugar, filled with irregular chocolate pieces, and finished with flaky sea salt. The recipe yields about 24–36 cookies, depending on how thickly the chilled logs are sliced.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (133 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) Packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups (about 285-293 g) All-purpose flour
  • 6 ounces (170 g) Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Finishing
  • 1 large egg Large egg, beaten, for brushing the dough logs
  • As needed for coating Demerara or other coarse sugar
  • As needed for sprinkling Flaky sea salt

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  2. Add the flour and mix just until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing, then fold in the coarsely chopped chocolate.
  3. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Brush the outside of each log with beaten egg and roll it in coarse sugar.
  4. Wrap the logs and refrigerate them until firm for at least 2 hours; chilling overnight is fine.
  5. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled logs into rounds about 1/2 inch thick and arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets with space between each cookie.
  6. Sprinkle the rounds with flaky sea salt and bake for 12–15 minutes per batch, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look somewhat pale.
  7. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They will firm as they cool.

Notes

Use coarsely chopped chocolate for thin shards and larger melted pockets. Chill the logs thoroughly for clean slices and less spreading. Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container.