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Author:
Tracy Nawara
Crisp, buttery shortbread stands the test of time. This cookie is super old-fashioned with very few ingredients, so it deserves a modern makeover. The foundation is always the same; lots of butter and sugar. It’s the add-ins and toppings that make this cookie special.
Coffee and toffee make this shortbread recipe the best cookie ever! Coffee Toffee Shortbread has coffee granules and toffee bits right inside the dough, with melted chocolate blanketing the top. The crisp, crunchy cookie is perfect next to a cold glass of milk or dipped in your cappuccino.
This recipe begins like any other shortbread cookie. Use room temperature butter so that it easily mixes with the sugar. If you use cold butter, the sugars will never cream with the butter. You can even leave the butter out on the counter overnight if you are baking these cookies in the morning.
A mixture of brown sugar and white sugar is used in this cookie. Brown sugar has a little extra caramel flavor because there is molasses in it. This gives the cookies a slightly deeper color and flavor, with a nuanced sweetness. Both sugars also provide an excellent mouthfeel and chew to the final cookie.
The main flavor comes from the addition of instant coffee right into the cookie dough. The granules hydrate in the butter and release a mellow coffee flavor. Sea salt offsets the sweetness and highlights the flavors. Shortbread also requires cornstarch in the dough for that signature lightness and crispness.
Toffee and coffee very often go together, and this shortbread cookie is no exception. A whole Skor bar is freshly chopped into bits before incorporating directly into the dough. Hold some toffee bits off to the side so you can also top your cookies with even more toffee.
There are two ways to make these cookies. The preferred way is to roll out the dough and stamp out your cookies using a cookie cutter. However, you can also roll equal-sized balls of dough and flatten them slightly before baking. Both iterations are delicious, but the cut cookies are a bit more polished looking. If you like a more homemade cookie, roll out your cookies!
After the cookies are baked and cooled, they need a final chocolate layer. Dip each cookie halfway into a melted coconut oil/chocolate mixture. Stick even more toffee bits to the chocolate and allow it to harden before enjoying. That final step makes them the best, most decadent shortbread cookies ever!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer. Add the salt and coffee granules and mix until combined.
Gradually add the flour and mix on low until almost combined. Add most of the Skor pieces to the batter and stir until just combined. Add 1 tablespoon of milk if the dough is too dry and not pulling together. Mix completely with a spatula before adding another tablespoon of milk until the dough just holds together.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface about ¼-inch thick. Using your favorite cookie cutter, punch out as many cookies as you can, around 36. You can re-roll out the scrap dough to make more cookies.
Place the cookies on the parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake in a preheated oven for 12-13 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in-between. Once smooth, dip each cookie halfway into the melted chocolate and remove them to a wire rack.
Sprinkle some Skor bits onto the chocolate while it is still wet if desired. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
