Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Espresso Shortbread
Perfectly tender espresso shortbread dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. These cookies are full of delicious flavors and have the perfect combination of textures. Simple to make and addictive to eat—you need these in your cookie rotation!
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Why this recipe works
First, the shortbread. This is one of my most beloved recipes. My secret is powdered sugar (or confectioner’s or icing sugar). It has a very fine texture, meaning you’ll get a smooth, fluffy dough without overmixing the dough. Additionally, powdered sugar has a bit of cornstarch. Cornstarch is that secret rising agent that gives just a slight poof. It keeps these cookies from being dense yet isn’t powerful enough to make them rise like a chocolate chip cookie. It creates that perfect in-between rise.
As well, European style butter is a game changer. It has far less water and is a MUCH creamier butter, making softer, more tender cookies. I usually use Kerrygold, but any European style butter will do. I often use salted butter, meaning I only add a pinch of salt. This is because I know Kerrygold and know how salty it will make my dessert. If you’re using a different brand or are unsure of the salt content, try to use unsalted so you can better control it.
Finally, the flavor. Oh my stars. This is probably my absolute favorite shortbread. The espresso is rich yet not overpowering. And it pair oh-so-well with the dark chocolate, giving a mocha-y flavor. Then that sea salt. Wow. It is the pop of something these cookies needed. It helps balance the richness of the cookie and draw out the sweetness of the cookie and chocolate, creating this perfect harmony of flavors.
Key ingredients
Butter. As mentioned above, always use European style butter in shortbread. It’s creamier and has less water.
Confectioner’s sugar. This is the secret to the tender texture and perfect sweetness of these cookies.
Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation.
Salt. Only use a pinch or so if using salted butter.
Flour. Optionally, you can sift this before using, making the cookies even more tender and delicate.
Instant coffee/espresso. Either one works well, although it’s easier to find instant coffee.
Dark chocolate. You can use semisweet or milk chocolate, but I love dark chocolate with espresso.
Flaked sea salt. You can use flaked sea salt for a more prominent look or use fleur de sel.
How to make dark chocolate sea salt espresso shortbread
1. Sift flour, salt, and espresso. Only for this shortbread do I suggest you take this extra step. This helps the espresso stay intact instead of dissolving into the dough. Reduce salt to a pinch if using salted butter.
2. Cream butter and powdered sugar. You don’t need to beat it for a long time, just make sure it’s well-combined and perfectly smooth.
3. Add vanilla. Be sure it’s very smooth so that the flour can be mixed in minimally.
4. Stir in flour. Don’t over mix. You want to see flecks of espresso in the dough.
Optional: You can chill the dough at this point, for 1 hour or up to 3 days, to make it easier to work with.
5. Roll out and cut. I prefer rolling these out between parchment paper before cutting out into circles. Don’t roll the dough too thin—somewhere between 1/8” and 1/4” is perfect.
6. Bake. I froze my dough for a few minutes before baking to ensure the cookies kept their shape.
7. Dip in (or drizzle with) melted dark chocolate. I like a dipped cookie with a small edge left bare so I can hold it without getting chocolate melted onto my fingers (unless you eat these in one bite, which I definitely will do).
8. Sprinkle with sea salt. I prefer flaked, but fleur de sel works, too.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
What do I serve this with?
Anything! This is perfect with coffee or tea—or hot cocoa! Or just to keep on the counter for a quick little something sweet. You can also make shortbread sandwiches with ganache or buttercream filling and dip the entire sandwich in dark chocolate. The possibilities are endless!
Do I have to use European butter?
Personally, I think it makes a huge difference. It’s creamier and has a very different consistency than sweet cream butter. Since you only have a few ingredients here, you want to make sure each one is of the highest quality. But don’t worry—you can often find it at places like Costco on sale!
What if I don’t have powdered sugar?
You can technically make your own, but I can’t vouch for its efficacy in cookies (it works well in buttercream). Simply place 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a blender and mix until fine—the texture of powdered/confectioner’s/icing sugar. You can of course increase the amount, but this will give you more than you need already.
Do NOT over mix!
These will become tough and lose their flaky tenderness if you mix them too much. As well, the espresso specks will end up dissolving and turning the dough a muddy color. Be careful to stir just until the dough comes together then stop. If you find any unmixed flour, you can pat that into the rest of the dough when you roll it out.
Is the dark chocolate necessary?
No, but why would you want to skip it??? You can definitely omit it, but there’s something extra special about the dark chocolate. Plus, it helps keep the cookies fresh longer as it seals them. However, if you want to use a glaze or would prefer these plain, that’s absolutely fine! They taste ah-mazing any way you eat them.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the dough and refrigerate it (well sealed) for up to three days. If you need to make them further ahead, you can shape them then freeze them. Freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a well-sealed container or freezer safe bag once they’re solid. They’ll last in the freezer 2-3 months. Bake straight from the freezer, as directed.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making these cookies. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a perfect shortbread)
Rimmed cookie sheets (for pre-shaped cookies)
Silicone baking mats or parchment paper (for baking and rolling the dough)
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Espresso Shortbread
- prep time: 10-15 minutes
- bake time: 10-15 minutes (depending on size of cookie)
- total time: 30 minutes
servings: 20-30 cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (284g) flour, spooned and leveled then sifted
- ¼ teaspoon (2g) finely ground sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) instant espresso or coffee powder
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted European style butter, softened
- ⅔ cups (87g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13g) vanilla extract
- 6 ounces (170g or 1 cup) dark chocolate chips or chopped dark baking chocolate (can sub semisweet or milk)
- flaked sea salt or fleur de sel
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and espresso. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer--I couldn't use mine because it does best with larger quantities), whip the butter with a handheld electric mixer on high until creamed, about 30 seconds. Add ⅔ cup powdered sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla then mix, starting on low then increasing to high to fully incorporate.
- Scrape the bowl then sift in the flour. Add the lemon zest and crushed lavender and mix on low until fully incorporated. It will be crumbly at first then will suddenly start to stick to the beaters and pull away from the sides of the bowl. At this point, stop mixing.
- Optional: you could chill the dough for 1 hour or overnight at this point, to make rolling easier. Otherwise, form into a disc, sprinkle both sides lightly with flour, then roll out between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Roll to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into circles or desired shape. Roll the scraps back out and cut again. Once you have just a small amount of scraps, you can shape that into a couple round cookies.
- Bake 10-12 minutes (up to 15 for larger cookies), until the edges just begin to turn golden. Let cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes then remove the cookies to a wire rack until completely cool.
- While cookies cool, melt your chocolate. You can use the microwave at half power in 30 second increments or a double boiler (which for me is just a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with 1” of simmering water over low heat). With a double boiler, stir constantly until the chocolate is mostly melted then remove from heat and stir until smooth.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, dip gently into the chocolate. I dipped about ⅔ of the cookie, but you could pour chocolate on top or dip just the top of the cookie. Totally up to your aesthetic. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and let the chocolate dry completely (you can speed this up by placing the pan in the freezer for 5-10 minutes).
Enjoy! Cookies will last, covered, for 3-5 days. An airtight container will actually cause them to soften after a day, so I prefer keeping these on a plate covered with foil.
