Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

I present to you THE Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies:  the latest darling of the online food world, created by the imaginative food writer Alison Roman, the recipe that’s gone viral like the FLU. Except way more pleasant, obvs.

This recipe first caught my eye back in December in Bon Appetit’s Instagram feed. And then I saw it AGAIN on another site’s feed, and another. And then Nylon ran a freaking feature on it. What? I mean, there are jillions of cookie recipes out there, and they come and go and maybe get recycled occasionally. But when sites like Eater, NYT Cooking, and Smitten Kitchen all highlight the exact same recipe within days of each other and hail it as Cookie of the Year? Investigation became mandatory.

I do not necessarily agree with Ms. Roman’s opinion that classic chocolate chip cookies are too sweet, or too soft, or too whatever – which is why she created this recipe. I love a good classic chocolate chip cookie, especially my own. However, to date, every single cookie recipe on this blog is of the chocolate chip or chocolate chunk variety, so I was a tiny bit sheepish about posting another one. But I took a poll on Instagram asking whether I should do this one and the results were unanimously oh hail yes. So there you go.

I don’t think you’re going to mind, anyway, because, guys, these live up to the hype. I was truly skeptical that they would turn out to be that good.  It’s like the movies. You know how critics will go completely ga-ga over some esoteric art film that’s an homage to some underrated 1940’s director, and then you see it and think, it was … fine? I guess? That’s maybe what I was expecting here. But gosh darn it if they aren’t incredible. When my first batch came out of the oven, I tried one warm:  delicious. I ate another after about 15 minutes: unnnggghhhh. Then I poured a glass of milk and nibbled on three more to confirm my results. And then I had to hide them from myself in a hard-to-reach cabinet. When I put a plate out for dessert later, David said he would have a couple, then ate six, then begged me to hide them from him, too.

For my fellow high-altitude bakers:  shortbread needs little to no adjustment for altitude, so our cookies will come out just as perfectly as they do at sea level. Secondly, they’re so simple. Just butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate. That’s it! Where does the magic come from? Alison Roman posits that using salted butter instead of unsalted infuses the cookies with a deep, multi-dimensional flavor that you don’t get from simply adding a teaspoon of salt to the dough. And she’s right. That adjustment, along with a roll in crunchy sugar and a final kiss of flaky sea salt, makes these the cookie with the best sweet-salty balance I’ve ever had. They might be the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve had. That is saying a lot, people.

Speaking of chips! Definitely take the time to chop some good chocolate for these. Larger chunks mean you get luxurious pools of chocolate that you just want to dive in and roll around in (sorry, daydreaming again). And let’s spend a minute on the texture. These are cut thick, half an inch, and as such they don’t get crisp and brittle the way some shortbread cookies can. Instead, they sport a hefty, satisfying, almost chewy texture. My mouth is watering as I write. Even though I have eaten perhaps a dozen (or more?) of these already this week.

I will say this:  I made two batches, baking one after a 3-hour chill in the fridge, and the second the next day. They were both wonderful, but the dough that sat overnight resulted in cookies that edged into the spectacular. They were just a little butterier, a little more flavorful. So if you have time, make the dough a day in advance.

I could go on. I have gone on – at length – to pretty much anyone who would listen to my Ode to This Cookie. But I’ll leave it there for today, knowing they can speak just fine for themselves. Just make them.

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THE Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: lovingly borrowed from Alison Roman's Dining In
• Prep Time: 10 mins*
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 24-32 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

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1 cup + 2 TB (2 sticks + 2 TB/9 oz) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (2 oz) light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)

2 1/4 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour

6 oz  dark chocolate (65-70% cacao), chopped into chunks

1 large egg, beaten (for brushing)

Demerara/turbinado/raw sugar, for rolling

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

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Instructions

Using a stand or handheld mixer, cream the butter with the granulated and brown sugars and vanilla. If using a stand mixer, about 3 minutes results in about the right level of fluffiness. If you’re using a hand mixer, Alison Roman recommends mixing a little longer, 5-8 minutes.

Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks. The dough will look somewhat crumbly but should still hold together.

Divide the dough into two portions, shaping each into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours (for even deeper flavor, chill 8+ hours, or overnight).

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the logs from the fridge and give them about 10 minutes to soften slightly. Brush each with the beaten egg and roll in the turbinado sugar. Carefully cut into half-inch slices (I found that using a finely serrated tomato knife worked best for this). If the cookies crumble a bit as you cut, don’t worry – just smoosh them back together.

Place on prepared baking sheets, about an inch apart. These don’t really spread so you can fit about 16 to a sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a few flakes of sea salt (my favorites were the ones the had a little extra salt).

Bake in single batches for 12-14 mins, until the bottoms and edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown. Let cool for a minute or two on the pan before moving to racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Notes

… *prep time does not include chilling

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