Who else is on the lookout for simple, small-batch recipes to whip up this Easter? My family’s been cautious these past weeks with visiting each other and gathering — as I’m sure many of yours have been, too — and this Easter weekend will follow suit just the same. Our celebration will be small, but we’ll still make it festive… which means a (limited) spread of sweets will most definitely make an appearance.
These recipes — yes, plural… there are two! — for vanilla bean and espresso chocolate Easter egg shortbread cookies are easy-peasy and fit the small-batch bill in my book. They come together quickly, require only pantry staples you likely have on-hand and look SO cute when they’re complete. Decorating couldn’t be easier — just dip the tops in melted chocolate (any kind or color of your choosing) and add a speckle effect using either a firm-bristled paint brush or toothbrush dipped in a mixture of cocoa powder and water.
The vanilla bean shortbread recipe was adapted from Preppy Kitchen — it’s buttery, perfectly crisp (but not hard) and melts in your mouth. The espresso chocolate shortbread is a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. Even without the inclusion of espresso powder, these cookies are definitely less sweet — bordering just on the line of bitter, but pleasantly so. Making these with the full amount of espresso powder listed below yields cookies with a very strong espresso flavor. If you want a cookie that’s less intense in espresso flavor, decrease the amount of espresso powder by about half.
Some quick recipe notes:
- Use whatever chocolate you have on-hand to dip the tops in when it comes time to decorate — I just used melted Ghirardelli chips (white and bittersweet). Or, leave the chocolate off and top the unbaked cookies with sprinkles or colorful sugar before baking.
- I mixed powdered food coloring into my white chocolate for the colorful speckled egg cookies. *If you use gel food coloring to color your chocolate, your melted chocolate will seize/thicken — so if you go this route, just remember to mix in some coconut oil or vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon at a time to thin your melted chocolate out again so you can easily dip the cookie tops into it.
- If you want to get extra fancy and spring for a metallic speckle like I have on my bittersweet chocolate covered cookies, go for it! Instead of dipping the bristles of either a paintbrush or toothbrush in a mix of cocoa powder and water, dip them into a mix of metallic luster powder (I used gold and rose gold) and vodka and splatter away!
Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
Makes: About 2 dozen 2-inch cookies
Ingredients:
10 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar (packed gently into the measuring cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
White chocolate, to melt and decorate with (or any kind of chocolate!)
Cocoa powder, for the speckle effect
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the paddle attachment until creamed together. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and paste and continue to beat until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes at medium speed (remember to scrape the sides of the bowl and the beater halfway through). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until combined and the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or longer).
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough about 1/2-inch thick and cut out shapes using a 1 1/2-inch oval cooke cutter (dipped in flour between each cut). Place the cut-out cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets spaced about an inch apart. Freeze the unbaked cookies on the cookie tray for 10-15 minutes, then bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Makes: About 2 dozen 2-inch cookies
Ingredients:
1 stick salted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar (packed gently into the measuring cup)
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons milk
Bittersweet chocolate, to melt and decorate with (or any kind of chocolate!)
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, salt, espresso powder and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater and add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and continue to beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until well-combined (and scrape the sides of the bowl down halfway through). Add in the flour and mix on low-speed for 2-3 minutes until a dough comes together. If the dough is still slightly crumbly by this point, add in the milk one teaspoon at a time until it forms a cohesive dough.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour (or more).
Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough about 1/2-inch thick and cut out shapes using a 1 1/2-inch oval cooke cutter (dipped in flour between each cut). Place the cut-out cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets spaced about an inch apart. Freeze the unbaked cookies on the cookie tray for 10-15 minutes, then bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes (the cookies will feel firm — but not hard — when lightly touched as a test). Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate:
Once cool, line you cookies on a baking sheet again and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes — dipping the cookies in the melted chocolate while cold (but not frozen solid — that’ll crack the chocolate when you dip!) will help the chocolate topping set faster! While your cookies are hanging out in the freezer, heat your chocolate in 20-30 second increments in the microwave until melted and smooth. Pull your tray of cookies out of the freezer, and dip the tops into the melted chocolate.
To add a speckle to your cookies, mix 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder with 1 teaspoon of water. Dip the bristles of a clean paint brush or toothbrush into this mixture and, with the bristles facing the tops of your cookies, gently drag the tip of your finger down the length of the bristles to create a splatter effect. Allow to dry completely before eating and/or packing.
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