Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi!

Whenever I catch an episode of MasterChef Junior, I watch the program in awe. The judges are brilliant, certainly, but it’s the young contestants who ultimately earn my admiration. Week after week, they create dishes I’ve rarely heard of, much less attempt to make myself, and they do all of this off the top of their heads, no instructions in sight. It’s a strange image to me, who has long been a recipe follower. Spontaneity doesn’t come easily to this home cook – I like having my ingredients at the ready and directions in front of me – a quality that may explain how I became so quickly accustomed to baking, where precision is a must.

It’s no wonder, then, that I’ve started a cookbook collection; credit my love of books, but it’s a comfort to have so many recipes at hand outside of the Internet. Some come from beloved food bloggers, others are simply by popular bakers, but by far my favorite is from the husband-and-wife team of Cheryl and Griff Day, owners of The Back of the Day Bakery in Georgia. I’ve been baking my way through their second cookbook, and these shortbread cookies, made more fun with a touch of chocolate and a flower cookie stamp, were my most recent selection. True to their other baked goods, the dessert was a hit in my household, and true to their reputation, it’s a delectable worth indulging in. Mid-week pick-me-ups such as these are a must in the dead of winter, wouldn’t you say?

Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from the cookbook Back in the Day Bakery Make with Love, by Cheryl and Griff Day

ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• Granulated sugar, for topping

to make

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla at a medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Incorporate the flour until combined, then stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Scoop tablespoons of dough, and place in rows on the baking sheet.
6. Once all dough is used, flatten each cookie slightly with a cookie stamp dusted with granulated sugar {alternatively, flatten each cookie with a measuring cup}.
7. Bake the cookies for ten to twelve minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. The cookies should be light brown at the edges.
8. Let them cool completely on a wire rack, and then enjoy!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Bella

Psst. If you’re looking to sample recipes from my other favorite cookbooks, look no further: Snickerdoodle Bars, Chocolate, Pear, and Ginger Scones, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.