These Almond Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Filling are delicious buttery, melt-in-your-mouth almond-flavored cookies with a luscious dark chocolate filling. Just 5 ingredients make the best tasting shortbread cookies you've ever tasted. Make these mini sandwich cookies for holiday parties, Christmas cookie tins, or just because.
This post has been sponsored by Minerva Dairy, America's oldest family-owned creamy, going strong for 125 years. This recipe and all opinions are 100% my own.
These shortbread sandwich cookies have got to be my new favorite Christmas cookie! They are such a cute little cookie, full of almond and chocolate flavor, that you just might not be able to stop yourself from gobbling up the entire batch.
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are all you really want when you make a shortbread cookie. Of course, adding a creamy, rich dark chocolate filling only makes them even more incredible.
And I love the almond flavor that is so prominent. Of course, I’m a lover of anything almond. Just look at all the almond recipes on 2CM like Almond Bar Cookies, Almond Danish, and Almond Flour Waffles.
These mini almond sandwich cookies require almost no work to make the shortbread cookies but do require a little more effort to fill them. But they’re so worth it! And they look so cute when they're done! Isn't mini anything adorable?! Perfect for your Christmas cookie tins for a tasty flavor addition.
Table of contents
These almond shortbread cookies make the best holiday gifts for family and friends too. Just pile the cute minis in a Christmas dish, similar to the one in the photo above, wrap with colored cellophane, tie with a ribbon and they're ready to go. Of course, don’t let that stop you from making these flavorful pop-in-your-mouth heavenly mini sandwich cookies year-round! Enjoy!
What is the difference between sugar cookies and shortbread cookies?
Shortbread traditionally has a higher ratio of butter to flour and contains no eggs. This creates a soft, tender cookie that just melts in your mouth. On the other hand, sugar cookies contain whole eggs and have a higher ratio of flour to fat. They also tend to be much sweeter than your typical shortbread.
Variations
- Filling - change out the dark chocolate filling to Nutella or dulce de leche (caramel) paired with a hazelnut flavored cookie or a vanilla cookie respectively.
- Garnish - roll the outside in crushed candy canes in lieu of nuts
- Nuts - hazelnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts work well in place of almonds
- Flavoring - these cookies work with most any flavored extract. Try vanilla, lemon or orange extract added with a little zest for a pop of flavor
- Kick it up with amaretto in place of almond extract
Frequently asked questions
These cookies keep surprisingly well for up to one month! Store in airtight containers and you will find they actually improve with age.
Absolutely! They freeze very well and can be frozen for up to 3 months. However, be warned, they are delicate cookies and should be frozen in a hard-sided container.
You may not have added enough fat (butter) or added too much of the dry ingredients. As with all recipes for shortbread, it is very important to measure all ingredients accurately.
Ingredients
Almond Shortbread
Butter - use unsalted butter and the highest quality of butter, such as Minerva Dairy's 85% butterfat butter. The butter provides the rich flavor and soft texture to these mini shortbread cookies.
Powdered Sugar - is less dense than granulated sugar and is used to create the delicate melt-in-your-mouth texture. The cornstarch in powdered sugar absorbs moisture from the rest of the ingredients, making the shortbread extra tender. Of course, it lends a touch of sweetness as well.
Flour - all-purpose flour is used as the base of these almond sandwich cookies
Almond Extract - gives an intense almond flavor
Salt - enhances all the flavors
Chocolate Cookie Filling
Dark Chocolate - use high-quality chocolate for the best flavor
Butter - use unsalted butter to create a fluffy, creamy texture. Using high-quality butter will give it a wonderfully rich buttery taste.
Cream - for a smooth, creamy filling, use heavy cream
Powdered Sugar - used for consistency and sweetness
Salt - enhances the chocolate flavor
How to make mini shortbread cookies with chocolate filling
Toasted Almond Garnish
- Toast almonds by laying on cookie sheet and baking in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Place in food processor or chopper.
- Process until finely chopped. Set aside.
Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Continue mixing while adding dry ingredients.
- And almond extract.
- Just beat until well incorporated, scraping down the dough from the sides of the bowl so it mixes more quickly.
Pro Tip: Do not overwork the dough. Overworked dough forms too much gluten and will create a chewy rather than melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- Roll dough the size of a small marble in the palm of your hand. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake the shortbread cookies for 10-11 minutes. They should have a slight golden edge around the bottom and still be almost creamy white on top. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool on wire rack.
Chocolate Cookie Filling
While cookies are cooling make the chocolate filling.
- Place butter and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until just boiling.
- Add chocolate pieces to cream mixture.
- Whisk together.
- Your chocolate mixture should look smooth and shiny.
- Place sugar and salt in mixing bowl and add chocolate mixture.
- Beat until creamy. If it is too thick add more cream to get a spreadable consistency.
Assembling almond sandwich cookies
- Make an assembly line to put shortbread sandwich cookies together. Lining up cooled baked cookies, chocolate filling, chopped nuts and a plate to put them on.
- Place a small amount of chocolate filling on the bottom on one cookie. Find a similar sized cookie to place on top.
- Squeeze two cookies together gently until filling slightly oozes out of sides of cookies.
- Roll the cookies in the chopped almonds so that it adheres to the chocolate filling.
Ta-da! The perfect little heavenly bite of sweet and nutty that will just melt in your mouth! This is hands down my favorite Christmas cookie this season!
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Cookies - are rich and chewy chocolate cookies, filled with mint chocolate chips, then dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crunchy peppermint pieces.
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies - dress up your favorite chocolate chip cookies for Christmas by adding peppermint chips and red and green chocolate chips.
Red Velvet Crinkles from An Affair from the Heart - easy to make soft cookies that start with a red velvet cake mix.
Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies - are easy to make rich chocolate cookies that are wrapped around a chocolate-covered caramel then rolled in sugared nuts.
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Almond Shortbread with Chocolate Filling
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies
- ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds see notes for how to toast
- ½ lb Minerva Dairy unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Filling
- 4 oz quality dark chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 72% cacao dark chocolate bar)
- 2 ½ Tablespoon Minerva Dairy unsalted butter
- 2 ½ Tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor or food chopper, finely grind the toasted almonds. Pour onto a small flat plate.
- Cream the sugar using an electric mixer until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Continue beating while adding almond extract.
- Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Continue beating while adding almond extract.
- Add flour and salt and beat at low speed just until blended. Do not overbeat.
- Roll balls the size of a small marble between your hands and lay on cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until firm but not brown.
- Let set for 1-2 minutes then remove from cookie sheets and let cool on wire racks.
Chocolate Filling
- Finely chop chocolate and place in a small bowl.
- Heat butter and cream in the microwave until it comes to a boil.
- Pour over chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Combine salt, powdered sugar and chocolate and beat until smooth. You will have about 1 cup of filling.
To assemble
- Spread about ½ teaspoon of chocolate filling on the bottom of one of the cooled cookies. (Adjust the amount according to the size of your cookies) Place another cookie, similar in size, bottom towards filling, on top and press gently until chocolate slightly overhangs the sides.
- Roll the chocolate filling edge in toasted almonds.
Notes
- Filling - change out the dark chocolate filling to Nutella or dulce de leche (caramel) paired with a hazelnut flavored cookie or a vanilla cookie respectively.
- Garnish - roll the outside in crushed candy canes in lieu of nuts
- Nuts - hazelnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts work well in place of almonds
- Flavoring - these cookies work with most any flavored extract. Try vanilla, lemon or orange extract added with a little zest for a pop of flavor
- Kick it up with amaretto in place of almond extract
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