A quintessential shortbread recipe revamped twice for two deliciously buttery versions of a classic cookie.

Shortbread cookies offer delectably crunchy bites that still maintain the sense of a soft cookie. Using powdered sugar as the sweetener gives these cookies their appealing melt-in-your-mouth texture. A blog I follow, Smitten Kitchen, posted a scrumptious coffee flavored version of these cookies featuring a deep, chocolately finish. Her recipe included a clever trick of rolling out the dough in a zip top plastic bag and then allowing it to chill in the bag, making for quick and easy cutting of the chilled dough. I made a batch of her espresso-chocolate flavored cookies and then experimented with my own almond flavored version. How did these two recipes stack up? Deliciously!

After successful experimentation substituting the coffee and chocolate with almonds, I can imagine a whole host of substitute flavors to continue playing with – lemon, caramel, anise…

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coffee extract (or highly concentrated coffee)
• 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 oz of your favorite chocolate bar, chopped finely. I found one with toffee bits inside which worked fabulously.

Directions

1. Thoroughly mix butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
2. Stir in coffee and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour. Don’t overmix.
4. Fold in chopped chocolate.
5. Transfer dough to a gallon-sized zip top bag.
6. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 inch thick. You should have a rectangle about 9 x 10 inches.
7. Squeeze out the air and zip bag closed. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Refrigerated dough will keep for a couple of days.
8. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Cut the dough-filled plastic bag so you can remove top layer.
11. Turn dough out onto a board.
12. Cut dough into cookies – about 1 1/2 inch squares.
13. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet.
14. Bake for 10 minutes. Then rotate pan and bake for additional 10 minutes.
15. Cool cookies on wire rack.
16. Cookies will taste best when they are fully cooled.

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Almond Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp almond extract
• 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 oz almonds, chopped fine.

Directions

1. Thoroughly mix butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
2. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts.
3. Mix in flour. Don’t overmix.
4. Fold in chopped almonds.
5. Transfer dough to a gallon-sized zip top bag.
6. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 inch thick. You should have a rectangle about 9 x 10 inches.
7. Squeeze out the air and zip bag closed. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Refrigerated dough will keep for a couple of days.
8. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Cut the dough-filled plastic bag so you can remove top layer.
11. Turn dough out onto a board.
12. Cut dough into cookies – about 1 1/2 inch squares.
13. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet.
14. Bake for 10 minutes. Then rotate pan and bake for additional 10 minutes.
15. Cool cookies on wire rack.
16. Cookies will taste best when they are fully cooled.