“The cookie that broke the internet”! These Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread from Alison Roman’s new cookbook have gone viral, and for good reason. These cookies are slightly crunchy, but soft on the inside. They’re salty, sweet, and so very chocolatey. The dough is rolled in to a log, frozen, and sliced when ready to bake. Cookies on demand, anyone?
These are the cookies, you guys.
The ones that EVERYONE has been talking about.
Posting about.
Taking photos of
DEVOURING.
This recipe hails from Alison Roman’s “Dining In – Highly Cookable Recipes“. You should probably buy the book immediately, because every recipe is INSANE.
Just like these Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies! Oh my. These cookies. They’re crispy, salty, crunchy, and buttery. All while remaining soft on the inside, and freaking chocolately.
The recipe calls for chopping the chocolate, which I highly recommend. Don’t just take the easy way and throw chocolate chips in here. This is not the recipe for shortcuts.
By chopping the chocolate, you’re creating chocolate shards.
What does that mean for your cookie?
That the chocolate melts in to the dough as it bakes, so every bite is packed with chocolate.
Isn’t the extra step of chopping worth it now?
Thought so.
I brought these cookies (along with a few others!) in to work one day for taste testing. Aside from freaking out that these were THE cookies (I wasn’t kidding that everyone is talking about them!), everyone found these absolutely delicious.
They’re also pretty “small” when it comes to standard chocolate chip cookie size, which means no guilt having the whole cookie.
Not that anyone should ever feel guilty about eating a chocolate chip cookie. They’re like medicine for your soul.
Don’t even try to argue with me on that one.
There you have it! The recipe for the cookie that broke the internet. You’re officially “in”. Well, as long as you make these.
Enjoy friends!
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp(2¼ sticks) Cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 oz semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (but not too fine, you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
- 1 large egg beaten
- Demerara sugar, for rolling
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until super light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes.
- Using a spatula, scrape down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour, followed by chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
- Divide dough in half, then place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over to cover dough and protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form logs that are 2–2¼" in diameter. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet (two, if you’ve got 'em) with parchment paper. Brush outside of logs with egg wash. Roll logs in demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
- Slice each log into ½"-thick rounds. Arrange on prepared baking sheet about 1" apart (they won’t spread much). Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake cookies until edges are just beginning to brown, 12–15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.