I thought I was too good for shortbread. I thought surely I could make something better than a simple cookie that just combines butter, flour, and sugar. I mean, how good can those 3 things taste in combination with each other? Becky's easy Butter Cookies Recipe made me start to think about this.
SO GOOD. I'm a shortbread convert. I am a believer now! This batch of shortbread that I spiked with honey and vanilla is like a giant buttery graham cracker. It hit my taste buds like a slap in the face. A slap in the face that I needed, by the way. What was I thinking, acting like I was too good for a simple cookie? Simple is gooooood.
These cookies only have a handful of ingredients, but when they bake up in the oven and develop that brown crust, they start to taste like toffee and caramel. And graham crackers. And then you start craving a toasted marshmallow to sandwich between them.
You don't have to dip them in chocolate, but I think it really drives home that s'mores flavor. The cookies are just as good plain. I ate the first batch plain. And then I had romantic notions of summer being on its way and dreamt up adding chocolate and toasted marshmallows. Not a bad dream at all.
You might also love my Lemon Shortbread Cookies, too!
Honey Shortbread
Honey shortbread in a 9" pan.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey (your favorite variety)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly spray a 9” round springform pan with cooking spray. (You can also use a regular round cake pan, but be sure to spray it very well. If the pan isn’t nonstick, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper).
- Slice the softened butter and add it to a medium bowl. It should be soft to the touch, but not room temperature. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until homogeneous, about 1 minute.
- Next, add the flour and beat until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer the dough to the cake pan. Dip your fingers in flour, and use them to push the dough out into an even circle. It should be about ¼” thick. It is important to ensure an even height across the pan.
- Next, prick the dough all over with a fork, about 25 times.
- Place the cake pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 32-34 minutes. Do not be afraid of a golden brown color—this is what gives the cookies caramel and the best flavor.
- Let the shortbread cool for 1 minute, then pop open the springform pan (if using). Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 8 or 10 slices, however big you like your shortbread cookies. If using a regular cake pan, careful tilt the shortbread out of the pan, and then remove the parchment paper. Slice into 8-10 slices.
- Let the shortbread cool completely.
- In a small glass bowl, add the chocolate and coconut oil. Pulse in the microwave for 20 second pulses, stirring between each pulse, until the chocolate is almost melted all the way. Remove it from the microwave, and stir to melt the chocolate fully—the heat of the bowl should melt it completely.
- Dip each shortbread cookie in the chocolate, and move to wax paper to set. To speed up setting, place in the refrigerator to set.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I'm not usually crazy about shortbread either but this looks EXCEPTIONAL!
amanda @ fake ginger says
Shortbread is my fave! Gotta try your recipe!
Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says
absolutely yummy and delicious. HAPPY ST.PATTY'S DAY TO YOU!
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes says
SO symmetrical! I could never cut anything this neat, I'm as total hack job every time, no matter how hard I try lol.
Nicholle @ Sealed With a Whisk says
Shortbread is the shizz! And psssst! try using almond extract instead of vanilla. It's serious foodgasm. As far as not having to dip them in chocolate... um yes, you do. And I totally pictured a Ryan Gosling meme when I read that: "Hey Girl.... you don't have to dip me in chocolate.... but why wouldn't you?" LOL! XO you cutie momma!
Amanda says
I LOVE this shortbread!!! Fantastic!!!
Danielle @So Munch Love says
Wow, how serendipitous that I would run across your post. I had pinned the picture of this shortbread a week or so ago and ran across it here again today by jumping from food blog to food blog. Your photo caught my heart and this recipe definitely has my mouth watering. Excellent job!
Joanne says
I recently made shortbread after a lifelong hiatus and, uh, yeah. SO GOOD. I was amazed. Your graham crackery version, though, takes the cake!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
These look amazing! Sounds much more flavorful than the last batch of shortbread cookies I had...you could taste the flour...bleh. Love the idea of getting out the marshmallows!
Purichan says
"Place the cake pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 32-34 minutes. Do not be afraid of a golden brown color—this is what gives the cookies caramel and the best flavor."
:( Nope. Just nope. I personally have a problem on blindly and faithfully following along with recipes and it's gotten me in a pickle more than once. Cookies are always hard for me too, I'll always prefer underdone to overdone but then I make something odd like this and it browns different that most others that I bake so I went with it. Be smart and check your times folks! In my oven (that I monitor the temp of) these probably should have been pulled out closer to 28 minutes or so. I got really crunchy hard cookies instead, but I could tell they had a winning flavor. Thank goodness they're simple (besides handling the dough of course, so sticky!) and don't require many ingredients. Attempt #2, soon.
Christina Lane says
Hi Purichan--I'm sorry your oven is different than mine. I hope you enjoy batch #2.