Flavorful Toffee Shortbread Cookies showcase crisp sugared edges dipped or drizzled in chocolate. They’re the perfect holiday cookie!
For similar shortbread-style cookies, try these Thumbprint Cookies (raspberry-almond flavored), Coconut Thumbprint cookies, or my ultimate “plain” Shortbread Cookies!
Toffee Shortbread Cookies
And we’re to the final day of Christmas cookie recipes! Today’s cookie: Toffee Shortbread Cookies! To me, any kind of shortbread cookie is a Christmas classic and these are perfect for the holiday season. This shortbread recipe is based on one of my favorite cookie recipes ever — from Alison Roman’s “Dining In” Cookbook. Her chocolate chip shortbread cookie went viral a while back and so of course I had to try it. I’ve yet to have a shortbread cookie I like as much and so this recipe is adapted from her cookie. It’s super buttery, flavorful, and stuffed to the brim with toffee! And a drizzle of chocolate over these cookies takes them to a whole new level.
How to make Toffee Shortbread Cookies:
- Cube COLD butter: Remove the butter straight from the fridge and cube it into small pieces. Cold butter is ideal when you want baked goods to be crispy (NOT chewy). When you use cold butter straight from the fridge, it never fully incorporates into the batter and instead is broken into tiny pieces throughout the dough. When you bake the dough, the steam released from the butter is going to create pockets in the baking which– will create flaky layers — exactly what you want with shortbread!
- Beat in sugars: We’re adding mostly white sugar (crispier cookie) with a little brown sugar for a depth of flavor. Cream the two together with the butter!
- Add other ingredients: Add in everything else except the flour: vanilla extract, almond extract (if desired), cornstarch, and salt for flavor balance.
- Mix in flour: Mix in the flour until everything is *just* combined. You don’t want to overmix the flour in these cookies. Gently fold the chopped toffee into your dough.
- Gently shape the dough (avoid getting that butter too warm!) into two long cylinders. Each cylinder should be around 9 to 9.5 inches long. Wrap the cylinders tightly and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
- Bake: Brush a beaten egg around the dough cylinders, roll in cane sugar (crispy, sugary edges!), and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Bake in a preheated oven.
- Add some chocolate: If desired, add a chocolate drizzle to the completely cooled Toffee Shortbread Cookies!
Tips for making Toffee Shortbread Cookies:
Tips for making Toffee Shortbread Cookies:- Use high-quality butter: The main ingredient in shortbread cookies is butter, so use a good brand and avoid margarine or butter spread.
- Don’t skimp on the chilling time: Chilling shortbread cookies is vital to the texture and flavor of shortbread cookies; don’t rush this step!
- Roll even “logs” of dough: The more even and uniform the logs of dough are, the better the final cookies will look.
- Roll cookies in sugar before baking: This is one of the “secrets” to Alison Roman’s famous cookies! She brushes a beaten egg on the edges of the cookies and then rolls in sugar. This will give you a deliciously crispy edge. I highly recommend this method, but as a quicker alternative, you can quickly toss the cookie slices into regular granulated sugar (no egg or liquid needed).
Storage Tips:
- Store cookie dough (tightly wrapped) for up to 1 week in the fridge.
- To freeze: Cut chilled dough into rounds and freeze individual rounds on a sheet pan in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container or in plastic wrap at room temperature.
And that’s a wrap for our Christmas Cookies series! While I still seem to make cookies just about every day in December, I’ve already begun photographing and wrapping up the final tests for some amazing (and HEALTHY!) recipes come January. I can’t wait to share with you what we’ve been making and hopefully we can all get a (delicious) detox from a few too many cookies. (I know I will need it!)
But, until then, I’m relishing every single Christmas tradition and cookie that comes with it. 🙂
I’d love to hear what cookies you’ve tried so far this holiday season! Which have been your favorites?
Obviously, I love chatting about cookies. They’re my favorite treats!
More delicious cookie recipes:
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No-Bake Oreo Truffle Cookies (SO easy!)
- Almond Joy Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Brownie Cookies
Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Plastic Wrap
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk chocolate toffee bits or 5 to 6 chopped Heath Toffee bars
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup cane sugar for rolling cookies in
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet or dark chocolate, whichever you prefer
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), beat together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and cornstarch just to combine. Add in flour and again beat to just combine. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the chopped toffee and gently knead the dough together. It will seem crumbly at first!
- Divide dough in 2 equal halves. Form each half into a log shape that is 9 to 9.5 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Roll it on the counter to help smooth it out. (Use plastic wrap to avoid touching the dough with hands and warming the butter too much.) Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pour the cane sugar onto a large, flat plate and set aside. Remove one log at a time from the fridge and remove plastic wrap. Brush the outside of the dough with the beaten egg. Immediately roll the dough log in the cane sugar on the plate.
- Slice each log into 1/2-inch thick cookies. Place cookies on the prepared tray. Bake until edges are just beginning to lightly brown, about 8–11 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid overbaked cookies!
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
- Add chocolate to a bowl and microwave (at 50% power) in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring between each burst for 15 seconds until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Transfer the chocolate to a resealable plastic bag and cut off a corner. Drizzle completely cooled cookies with chocolate and allow chocolate to harden at room temperature.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These Toffee shortbread cookies are our absolute favorites! Not only are they insanely delicious but they come together so quickly! If you’re looking for a good shortbread cookie recipe look no further
So glad to hear it! 🙂 Thanks!
I have made plain shortbread cookies so excited to make these