These buttery shortbread-style cut out cookies are dipped and covered in chocolate and then sprinkled or coated in nonpareils. A fun, simple, and delicious cookie.
Another day, another cookie.
Recently, cookies seem to be my favorite thing to bake (perhaps mostly because I enjoy indulging in a spoonful or two of cookie dough throughout the process).
I don’t think, though, that I have any other cut-out cookies on this space, so today I am changing that with these easy buttery cookies that are similar to my shortbread cookies. Dunked in chocolate and glittered with sprinkles, these cookies are simple but sweet, and absolutely addictive, and easier than classic sugar cookies.
These cookies hold their shape just perfectly as they bake. With slightly golden edges, they have soft but crumbly, buttery interiors that seem to melt in your mouth (similar to my butter cookies!). The cookies are less sugary than many cookies that I post here specifically so that they are enhanced by and not overwhelmed by the chocolate topping.
I love using nonpareils to sprinkle on top because not only are they cute and festive toppings, but I love the textural crunch they add to each bite. I chose to use small circular cookie cutters for the majority of these cookies to 1) get the maximum number of cookies out of my dough and 2) because they’re so candy-like and pop-able when made small, almost like chocolate nonpareil candies (but with an aded crunch).
You can dip these buttery cookies in chocolate chips melted together with shortening, but honestly I think the best way to do this is to use dark chocolate melting wafers, as they dip cleanest and easiest and harden much faster than the chocolate chips. They’re also a lot less messy and less likely to melt in your hand when you’re eating them. If you do choose to use chocolate, I’ve found it’s a bit easier to spread the chocolate onto the surface of the cookie with a butter-knife than it is to dip them.
Then, (quickly, before the chocolate cools), sprinkle with nonpareils (or if you like the fully candy-coated look, fill a shallow dish with nonpareils and press the chocolate surfaces directly into the chocolate to fully coat with sprinkles).
The cookies are a buttery snap beneath a silky sheen of chocolate, and I love the color and crunch of the nonpareils.
And (even though I’m a little late to the game here, or very, very early), these would be great packaged and served as Christmas gifts.
More Cookie Recipes to Try:
Enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Cookie Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cups (150 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ¼ cups (295 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
- or
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ tsp shortening
- cup Nonpareils for sprinkling ½-1
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In KitchenAid mixer or with electric hand-mixer beat your butter until well-creamed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Add sugar to the mixing bowl and beat with the butter until well combined (about 30 seconds).¾ cups (150 g) sugar
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt, stirring until well-combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula to ensure ingredients are well-incorporated.1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt
- Add egg yolk and beat until combined1 large egg yolk
- With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add flour until well-incorporated (you will definitely need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times for this, as the mixture is fairly dry and crumbs tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl).2 ¼ cups (295 g) all-purpose flour
- Transfer dough to clean surface and use your hands to form it into a cohesive ball.
- Flatten into a disk (about 1" thick), cover with clear wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Once dough has chilled, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to about ¼" thickness.
- Lightly flour your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes, transferring them to ungreased cookie sheet.
- Once you have cut out all of the shapes that you can, be sure to re-combine the scraps and roll out and cut out again to get the maximum number of cookies from your dough.
- Bake on 350F for 10-12 minutes (longer if you are using larger cookie cutters) and allow cookies to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
- Prep chocolate by placing melting wafers (or chocolate chips and shortening) in microwave-safe bowl and microwaving at 15 second increments and stirring in between.2 cups Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers, 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, ½ tsp shortening
- Dip cookies in chocolate as desired (I preferred to hold the bottom of the cookie and press the face into the chocolate, it may be easier to spread the chocolate directly on to the cookies if you are using chocolate chips/shortening instead of melting wafers) and then immediately sprinkle with nonpareils or dip chocolate-side down into shallow dish of nonpareils (the bottom of the dish should be completely covered with the nonpareils if dipping).cup Nonpareils for sprinkling
- Allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Danielle
Can I put the dough in the freezer for 4-5 days?
Sam
Hi Danielle! That should work just fine. 🙂
Victoria Lloyd
Hi Creator of SugarsSpunRun, I just discovered Your Site, tonight while on Pinterest. Great Site with Fantastic Cookie Recipes. I just Love to Bake for the Holidays and I’m sooo Happy I came across this site. I will be back.
Thank You. Vicki
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you like the site, Vicki! 🙂
Aimee
Love these cookies!!! Do you recommend doubling the recipe?
Sam
Hi Aimee! Doubling the recipe should be find, I’m so glad you like the cookies! 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
These are so cute!! And I LOVE how thick those cookies are cut… my kinda cookie!
Sam
Thank you, Jess!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
These are so adorable! I love that you made these with a buttery base and then coated them in chocolate – a fabulous combo! Love!
Sam
Thank you, Beeta! 😀
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
These cookies are so cute and perfectly baked! Love the buttery goodness 🙂
Sam
Thank you, Medha! 🙂
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
I LOVE chocolate dipped cookies, and these look so perfect! They look so delicious and buttery!
Sam
Thank you, Marsha, they were SO delicious! 🙂
Amanda
I can’t get enough of these! They are so adorable. This would be such a cute gift at a kid’s birthday party too. And I can’t get enough shortbread in my life. 🙂
Sam
Thank you Amanda!! 🙂