Take a spin on classic shortbread cookies with these White Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread cookies. These cookies use six ingredients and are melt in your mouth delicious!
Here’s the first Christmas cookie recipe of the season! And for all of you that love Shortbread, you are going to have to try out this elevated version. These are honestly so light and buttery, filled with toasted hazelnuts. A must make cookie for the holiday season this year!
And if you’re looking for some more cookie inspiration, check out the 30 Great Christmas Cookie Recipes collection.
What are These Cookies Like
- Difficulty – Although these cookies have only six ingredients, they are well known for bakers having troubles getting them just right. Make sure to read the recipe tips so that your cookies turn out just like the ones you see here! They are a little delicate and may break if you don’t store them away carefully.
- Taste – These cookies are light, buttery and they melt in your mouth.
- Serving – I used a two inch circle cutter and rolled my dough to 1/2 inch thickness. So these are thick cookies. I got 20 cookies from this recipe. In the recipe card you can easily scale the recipe up or down.
Ingredients
- Flour – I used regular all purpose flour for these cookies.
- Salt – Regular table salt.
- Butter – This recipes uses unsalted real butter at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – This is a super fine sugar that you may know as icing sugar or confectioner
- Hazelnuts – I toasted and chopped hazelnuts to add to the shortbread cookie dough.
- White chocolate – These cookies are dipped in melted white chocolate. You can use any brand.
NOTE, The full ingredient list and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Instructions
- Toast hazelnuts – Add the hazelnuts to a skillet set over medium heat. Shake the pan and toast the nuts for about 5 minutes until you can start to smell them. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and finely chop. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour with the salt.
- Make cookie dough – In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter on high speed for about a minute. Sift in the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and 3/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts and stir in until just incorporated.
- Chill dough – Divide the dough into two portions. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to chill.
- Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Cut cookies – On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 inch circle cutter, cut out as many as you can from each disk. Dough can be re rolled and cut again. Chill unbaked cookies for 5 minutes.
- Bake – Bake chilled cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t let the cookies brown. If you notice the edges start browning, remove from the oven.
- Melt chocolate – Place the chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until it melts. This will take about 3 minutes or so.
- Dip in chocolate and sprinkle over nuts – When the cookies have cooled, turn them upside down and dip them in the melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a baking rack. Immediately sprinkle over remaining chopped hazelnuts.
- Serve or store – Allow the chocolate to dry completely, this will take about one hour. Store in layers in a tupperwear box between sheets of parchment paper.
Recipe Tips
- Measure ingredients correctly – I know many people prefer using cups for measurements, but weighing is much more accurate. If you have kitchen scales, use them for this recipe. In the recipe card you can change the measurements from cups to metric.
- Chill the dough – It’s important to chill the dough otherwise wise the cookies will spread out and bake flat.
- Don’t over bake the cookies – These cookies will be fully baked when you see a slight golden colour at the edges like seen here. Mine baked in exactly 12 minutes.
- Melting chocolate – This needs to be done in a double boiler. Or a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts and remove from heat when it’s melted.
- Gently dip cookies – These cookies are light and therefore will break apart easily if you handle them roughly. Delicately dip them in the chocolate and place on a baking rack set over parchment paper to catch chocolate drippings.
- Allow cookies to set before storing – These cookies will take about an hour to set on the counter. Don’t store them in a container until they have fully hardened.
Substitutions
- Cookie dough – I don’t recommend making any changes to the shortbread cookie dough.
- Hazelnuts – You can use pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts or almonds.
- White chocolate – Feel free to opt for semi sweet dark chocolate or milk chocolate. You can half dip the cookies or drizzle over the chocolate.
Serving and Storage
Serve these cookies as part of a big cookie platter, give them as gifts, bring them to holiday parties or even serve them as a dessert after a Christmas dinner.
How to store these cookies
- On the counter – These will keep in an airtight container for about 3 days on the counter at room temperature.
- In the fridge – Store in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best results, bring to room temperature before serving.
- In the freezer – Once cooled completely, you can freeze these cookies. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer proof container. Place parchment paper between the layers and freeze up to two months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use powdered sugar?
Powdered sugar will help keep the cookies soft for longer and it helps to keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
What’s the difference between a butter cookie and a shortbread cookie?
The main difference between butter cookies and shortbread cookies is that butter cookies have more sugar and are sweeter.
What are the main ingredients in shortbread cookies?
Traditionally, shortbread cookies consist of three ingredients. Flour, butter and powdered sugar.
Can you substitute margarine for butter in shortbread cookies?
Shortbread really does require butter for it’s taste and texture, so it’s best to avoid margarine
White Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Classic shortbread cookies dipped in white chocolate make the perfect holiday cookie. These White Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies are made butter, powdered sugar and flour then dipped in melted white chocolate and topped with festive sprinkles!
Check out this recipe
Whipped Shortbread
Whipped Shortbread is an absolute Christmas classic It used the basics, butter, sugar and flour with a cherry on top! These cookies are melt in your mouth and light as air.
Check out this recipe
Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
These Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies are the perfect chewy little bite. These are a rich brownie like cookie studded with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
Check out this recipe
White Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread
Take a spin on classic shortbread cookies with these White Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread cookies. These cookies use six ingredients and are melt in your mouth delicious!
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- 1 Cup butter unsalted
- 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup hazelnuts divided
- 8 oz white chocolate roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the hazelnuts to a skillet set over medium heat. Shake the pan and toast the nuts for about 5 minutes until you can start to smell them. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and finely chop. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour with the salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter on high speed for about a minute. Sift in the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and 3/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts and stir in until just incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to chill.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 inch circle cutter, cut out as many as you can from each disk. Dough can be re rolled and cut again. Chill unbaked cookies for 5 minutes.
- Bake chilled cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t let the cookies brown. If you notice the edges start browning, remove from the oven.
- Place the chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until it melts. This will take about 3 minutes or so.
- When the cookies have cooled, turn them upside down and dip them in the melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a baking rack. Immediately sprinkle over remaining chopped hazelnuts.
- Allow the chocolate to dry completely, this will take about one hour. Store in layers in a tupperwear box between sheets of parchment paper.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
- Measure ingredients correctly – I know many people prefer using cups for measurements, but weighing is much more accurate. If you have kitchen scales, use them for this recipe. In the recipe card you can change the measurements from cups to metric.
- Chill the dough – It’s important to chill the dough otherwise wise the cookies will spread out and bake flat.
- Don’t over bake the cookies – These cookies will be fully baked when you see a slight golden colour at the edges like seen here. Mine baked in exactly 12 minutes.
- Melting chocolate – This needs to be done in a double boiler. Or a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts and remove from heat when it’s melted.
- Gently dip cookies – These cookies are light and therefore will break apart easily if you handle them roughly. Delicately dip them in the chocolate and place on a baking rack set over parchment paper to catch chocolate drippings.
- Allow cookies to set before storing – These cookies will take about an hour to set on the counter. Don’t store them in a container until they have fully hardened.
Nutrition Facts
White Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 226
Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 12mg1%
Potassium 89mg3%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 288IU6%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
