Chocolate Chip Shortbread

My husband always requests chocolate chip cookies, but I usually want to try something more exciting. On the other hand, sometimes I just want to make something that is easy and that I have all the ingredients. This recipe is the perfect mix of the two. It’s basically a chocolate chip cookie, but it’s also shortbread, which is just a little bit different. Shortbread is very easy to make, but I haven’t made it too many times. I should really try making more shortbread.

This recipe uses mini chocolate chips, and that fits these cookies best. They’re quite thin and big chocolate chips would be overpowering. The recipe specifies that you bake the cookie in 8-inch round pans, which is what I did. That allows you to have neat looking triangles of shortbread. If you don’t have the right size pan, you could substitute another pan. The recipe isn’t that picky and if your dough is thinner or thicker you would just need to adjust the baking time.

Cutting them was a bit odd, I wasn’t sure about scoring them, afraid that I would cut too much. I shouldn’t have worried since these cookies were so forgiving. I scored them and then when they were cool they broke into perfect wedges. I don’t know what is so special about shortbread, but these still were fresh for a long time. Cookies don’t normally last that long at home, but I didn’t have anywhere to take them so there were still a few left after a week. There were still wonderful with a cup of tea.

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chip cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour and salt, beat until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half.

Press each half of dough into ungreased 8-inch round cake pan. Bake 12 minutes or until the edges are light brown. Score the shortbread with a knife, taking care not to cut completely through, into 8 wedges per pan. Let the pans stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the shortbread onto wire racks; cool completely. Break into wedges when completely cool.

Recipe from Favorite Brand Name Cookie Collection