Easy Chocolate-Dipped Sesame Shortbread Cookies
For as much as I love pie, pastry, and bread, the simple shortbread cookie is one of my favorites. They’re made with a few easy ingredients (no eggs required!) and just melt in your mouth. One of my favorite things about them is how easily adaptable shortbread recipes are, from this chocolate sesame to these rosemary shortbread bars to even this earl grey lavender version.
Due to their buttery but almost dry nature, they make for the perfect tea or coffee cookie. For this version, the sesame flavor – from both the tahini and the sesame seeds – dipped in your choice of bittersweet or milk chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt, brings a rich depth of flavor paired with a salty-sweet balance.
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CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SESAME SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Don’t you love a slice-and-bake cookie situation? Same, friend. For these cookies we’re subbing out a little of that butter you’ll find in a classic shortbread recipe for tahini, and adding in some sesame seeds to really bring out that sesame flavor in the bake. Once the dough is prepped, it’s rolled into a log, pressed into a long square, and popped into the fridge to chill. This will allow the butter to firm back up, making for an easier slice and an even bake. Once chilled, we’ll dip them in some melted chocolate and sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and flaky salt.
What is tahini? Tahini is a paste – similar in consistency to natural peanut butter – made from blended up sesame seeds. The seeds are often toasted before being ground, enhancing the flavor of the tahini. It’s often used in savory dishes – like hummus – but is finding its way into more and more desserts.
INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted Butter: Gives that delicious buttery flavor while working with the flour to slow gluten formation
- Tahini: Creams together with the butter and sugar providing both texture and flavor
- Sugar: Provides a subtle sweetness and creams together with the butter and tahini to aid in the texture of the shortbread
- Flour: Works to create structure as well as balance moisture in your cookies
- Cornstarch: Works alongside the flour and makes your shortbreads a little more tender
- Table Salt: As always, balances and enhances the different flavors in the bake
- Sesame Seeds: Add a delicious depth of flavor paired perfectly with chocolate
- Bittersweet or Milk Chocolate: Pairs beautifully with the rich sesame flavors while bringing a little sweetness
- Neutral Oil: I go for either coconut or canola oil, though coconut will give a slight flavor. This helps to thin out the chocolate to make it easier for dipping your baked shortbread into
- Flaky Sea Salt: A delicious crunchy balance bringing out the sweet and salty
Why do you add oil to the chocolate? When melted, chocolate is still relatively thick. A little bit of oil—you can use coconut or canola—will loosen the chocolate, making it easier to dip and drip your cookies for a smooth finish.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SESAME SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat together your butter and tahini until combined before adding in your sugar and creaming together for two minutes. In a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients – flour, cornstarch, salt, and sesame seeds – with a whisk to break up any clumps before adding to the bowl with your butter, tahini, and sugar. Mix until just combined – for this step I like to use a spatula to bring it together at first and finish with the mixer, to prevent plumes of flour dust blowing into my face.
Tear off a sheet of parchment paper and roll your dough into a 9-inch log. As you roll your dough in the parchment paper, press to form four sides to make a square-shaped log. Roll, press, roll, press – until you have four sides. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for an hour or until your log is firm to the touch.
Preheat your oven to 315F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove your shortbread log from the fridge and slice it into ½” slices, depending on the size of your pan you should be able to place around 9 on your baking sheet.
Bake each cookie for 13-16 minutes, until set around the edges. For softer cookies, pull them at the 13-minute mark, these will bake crunchy quickly so be careful not to overbake them! Immediately remove them from the baking tray and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once your cookies are cool, prep your melted chocolate. Place your chocolate and oil into a heat-safe bowl or pitcher and microwave for 25 seconds, stir, and repeat in 10-second intervals until your chocolate is smooth and completely melted.
Take one of your cooled cookies and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate. Slide the bottom of your cookie along the rim of your bowl to scrape off any excess, then place it back on your wire rack. You can dip 4-5 cookies and then immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt. Allow time for the chocolate to set and enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love these cookies
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Shortbread cookies have a lot of butter in them (it’s what makes them so delicious). That being said, don’t skimp on their refrigerator time ahead of baking. You want the dough log to be both firm enough to cut as well as to hold while baking, otherwise they may melt too quickly in the oven
- The cookies themselves are not very sweet so I recommend using a slightly sweetened chocolate, versus a dark chocolate. I used bittersweet but milk chocolate would work beautifully with these as well
- I dunked half the cookie in chocolate, but you could also flip it and dunk the whole top or do a chocolate drizzle instead! You could even do a mix of chocolate, drizzling some bittersweet and then some white chocolate, for a nice flavor balance
- I prefer a softer shortbread cookie – hence the use of cornstarch as well, which provides a more tender chew. The cookies themselves bake very light in color, so don’t be too worried about pulling them before seeing any golden hints, as they can turn crunchy fast. I recommend taking them out at the minimum time allotted and letting them set further as they cool if you want that soft shortbread
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
One of my favorite things about shortbread is how beautifully the dough keeps for your future self. One log of this recipe makes at least 18 cookies, so if you don’t need all those cookies at once, freeze as many as you like in an airtight container for up to three months or keep for up to a week in the fridge. If frozen, place in the fridge to thaw overnight before baking.
Once you’ve baked and dipped your chocolate sesame shortbread cookies, you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, let them come to room temperature before eating for the best flavor and texture!
MORE EASY RECIPES
These Easy Cinnamon Chip Scones make for the perfect breakfast or brunch treat and come together in one bowl. For something chilled and chocolatey, try my sister’s favorite Chocolate Eclair Cake with layers of graham crackers, vanilla cream, and a smooth chocolate topping. If you have a little chocolate leftover from your shortbread, this single-serve Black & White Popcorn makes for the perfect sweet and salty snack.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Mixer (Hand or Standing)
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Knife
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 tbsp tahini
- ½ c sugar
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp sesame seeds plus extra for topping
- ½ cup bittersweet or milk chocolate
- ½ tsp canola or coconut oil
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and tahini with a mixer until combined. Add in the sugar and beat for two minutes
- In a separate bowl, combine your flour, cornstarch, salt, and sesame seeds with a whisk
- Gradually add your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar, and mix until just combined
- On a sheet of parchment paper, roll your dough into a 9-inch log and then gently press each side against a flat surface to flatten each side (this will give you square-shaped cookies). Place your wrapped dough log in the fridge for an hour, until the log has hardened
- Preheat oven to 315F
- Remove your shortbread log from the fridge, cut into ½-inch thick discs, and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. You should be able to bake 9 cookies at a time, depending on the size of your baking sheet
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, they should look set around the edges. Be careful not to overbake unless you prefer a crunchier cookie!
- When you remove the shortbread from the oven, immediately place on a wire rack to cool completely
- In a heat-safe pitcher or bowl, add your chocolate and oil. Place in the microwave for 25 seconds, stir, and repeat in 10-second intervals until your chocolate is smooth and completely melted
- Dip your cookies halfway into the chocolate, sliding the bottom along the edge of your pitcher to scrape off excessive chocolate, and place it back on your wire rack. Sprinkle immediately with extra sesame seeds and some flaky sea salt
- Allow the chocolate to set and enjoy!
So good and turned out beautifully- looks like they are fresh from the bakery!
They do! Glad you enjoyed