Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies
A chocolatey twist on the classic shortbread cookie, these crispy chocolate heart shaped cookies with a gorgeous red tint and drizzled in rich chocolate are full of melt in your mouth goodness! If you are in need of valentines day baking ideas, look no further, these cute aesthetic cookies will be a hit in your valentines box!
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Why you’ll love red velvet shortbread cookies
A chocolatey twist on the classic shortbread cookie, these crispy chocolate heart shaped cookies with a gorgeous red tint and drizzled in rich chocolate are full of melt in your mouth goodness!
These shortbread cookies are very cute and aesthetic and sure to win your valentine’s heart!
Recipe Tips for the best red velvet shortbread cookies
Be careful not to overmix the dough, mix ingredients just until ingredients are well combined and dough sticks together. That will ensure the flakey texture that is signature to shortbread cookies.
It can be difficult to tell when chocolate cookies are done - touch the top of one of the cookies and if they still feel doughy, they need a few minutes longer. If they are puffed up and have a light soft crust, they are done!
Recipe Variations
Shortbread cookies typically aren’t very sweet, however, if you prefer a sweeter cookie, try reducing the brown sugar to 1/3 cup and adding 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
You can easily make these cookies vegan, just swap the butter for your favorite vegan butter and switch out the chocolate for vegan chocolate chips and voila! (Just add a little vegetable oil to the vegan chocolate chips during the melting process - about 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it reaches a drizzle consistency - and this will make the chocolate easier to dip and drizzle and help it harden faster.)
FAQ
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Electric stand mixer or hand held mixer
spatula
parchment paper
Rolling pin
3 inch heart shaped cookie cutter (or cookie cutter shape of choice)
2 small microwave safe bowls
2 sandwich bags
Ingredients
Dough
1 3/4 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup salt
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon red food coloring
Topping
¾ cup dark chocolate melting chips
¾ cup white chocolate melting chips
How to make red velvet shortbread cookies
Prep
Soften the butter by letting it stand at room temperature for about two hours or place it in the microwave for 5 second intervals until it reaches a soft room temperature consistency. It works best to turn it over each 5 seconds so it softens evenly.
Make the dough
In a large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and mix well. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on medium until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on medium until well combined and the dough starts to form and stick together.
Roll the dough into a ball and cut the ball in half. Sandwich one of the dough balls between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until the dough is evenly about ⅛ - ¼ inch thick.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place them on the pan about 1” apart. Repeat this process with the other dough ball until you have used all the dough. Place the pan(s) in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
While the cookie dough is firming up in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350℉.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until cookies puff up in the middle.
Let the cookies cool completely.
Make the topping
Prepare a piece of parchment paper or wax paper for placing the cookies on once they are dipped in chocolate.
For the chocolate dip: add ⅔ cup of either the dark or white chocolate melting chips (depending on your preference) to a microwave safe bowl and heat them for 30 seconds. Stir and if they are not completely melted, put them in the microwave for another 15 seconds. Repeat until they are melted but be careful not to overheat.
Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and shake any excess chocolate back into the bowl. Place each cookie onto the parchment paper. Let the chocolate cool and harden completely, at least 1 hour before moving on to the next step.
For the chocolate drizzle: repeat the steps above using either the dark or white chocolate (whichever one you haven’t used yet). Instead of dipping the cookies in the chocolate, add the melted chocolate to a sandwich bag and trim the tip of one corner off to create a piping bag. Squeeze the chocolate through the hole to drizzle it onto each cookie.
Let the chocolate harden completely before storing the cookies.
How to Store
Store red velvet shortbread cookies at room temperature in an air tight container for up to two days, or store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If stored in the refrigerator, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or pop in the microwave for five to ten seconds to warm to room temperature.
Can I freeze red velvet shortbread cookies?
You can freeze red velvet shortbread cookies cookies easily. Just place the cut-out shapes of uncooked dough in an air tight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three months. To do this, pre-freeze them on a flat pan prior to grouping them together in an airtight container. This will keep them from sticking once you go to bake them. Remove them from the freezer when you are ready to bake them and place them on a pan frozen and bake as directed.
You can also freeze them already baked. Just place (fully baked and cooled but without chocolate topping) in an air tight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to adding the topping. Then add the topping as directed above.