Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (Easy Button Cookies)
These rich and buttery Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are made with cocoa powder and shaped into adorable little buttons. Perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday tea parties, and homemade gifts.
Servings: 36 Cookies
Calories: 83kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dark or Dutch cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process for 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Continue processing until a ball of dough starts to form, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refridgerator.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the Cookies
- Roll the dough to ½-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Use a small cookie cutter or other round container with straight sides to cut out 2-inch circles, then gently use a spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
- Use a lollipop stick or skewer to create button holes in the dough.
- Use a smaller round cookie cutter or circular container to press about halfway into the dough to mimic the ridges of a button.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the shortbread is just beginning to crisp and lightly brown on the tops.
- Cool on the pans for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Cool completely, then serve or package for gifting.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the shortbread dough with a stand mixer or hand mixer. You can also mix by hand, although it’ll require some extra elbow grease.
- Be sure to chill the dough before rolling it, so that the cookies will maintain their shape. If you find that your dough is too soft after rolling and shaping, pop it back into the fridge for a bit. You can also chill the shaped button cookies on the baking sheets before putting them into the oven.
- As you can see in the photos, I didn’t use cookie cutters to make my buttons. I used a plastic toothpick container to cut the main circles, then used the lid of a spice jar to create my button ridges. You can use any circular object you can find in your kitchen to make your buttons.
- Be sure not to press too hard when pressing your button ridges. You want an indent, not two separate pieces of cut dough.
- Be sure to watch your time closely while baking your cookies. Shortbread dough can go from underbaked to burnt in a matter of a few minutes. When in doubt, err on the side of underbaked dough, then stick them back into the oven for another minute or two if needed.
- The cookies will crisp as they cool. Be sure to let them cool completely before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, but keep in mind that they may soften a little toward the end of that timeframe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
