February 9, 2015
Shortbread Hearts!
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Easy three ingredient shortbread hearts coated in white & milk chocolate – perfect easy bake!
Shortbread
So, shortbread is one of those bakes that is a complete and utter classic. It’s been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, and you just can’t beat it! Shortbread hearts are just too cute too.
Who knew that creaming together butter, sugar and flour would create such a basic but wonderful biscuit that will still be ever so popular to this day?! This recipe for shortbread hearts is super duper easy, and can be used every day, not just for Valentines – but I love an excuse for anything soppy and chocolate covered!
Classic recipe
This is just a normal recipe for shortbread, and I decided to decorate them by coating one half in chocolate with some sprinkles to make it at least slightly bit different for the big day, and shortbread is one of my favourite biscuits – seriously, I bake a batch, and its rare if someone else gets a look in!
The thing I adore about shortbread is that it is insanely easy to make – and shortbread on its own can consist of just 3 ingredients! So, how can you not love it? I add a couple more ingredients in this recipe to give it a bit more show, however!
Butter
I think pretty much everyone has made shortbread at some point in their lives, because it really is so easy! I use my KitchenAid to make it out of habit, but you can easily make it with just a bowl and a spoon!
You should always use proper butter to make shortbread, as this is the classic ingredient. If you want to make them gluten free, the switch is straight forward – gluten free can just be a little crumblier.
Decoration
When you’re covering yours in chocolate, if you so choose to do so, I find it easiest to use a container as small as possible, but one that will still fit the biscuit safely inside!
I tend to only really cover the front of the biscuit for definite, as I’m less fussed about the back of the cookie – but whatever floats your boat! The drizzles of the chocolates is there because it’s fun, and because it uses up the rest of the chocolate! This is definitely a bake you can make with your children, for your loved one, or just because you fancy a really easy bake!
Tips
I tend to make big batches of these shortbread hearts as I love to gift them in clear bags to loved ones as they look so cute! However I do get carried away and tend to have some leftover. When I have the willpower to not eat the leftovers, they are perfect to use as toppers for my millionaires cupcakes!
As always, this recipe is adaptable to your own taste. You can dip the hearts in whichever chocolate you fancy, or not at all! Sometime a drizzle if just enough. I chose to use sprinkles on my hearts in the photos as it was the look I was hoping for, however I have used freeze dried raspberries before and it looks and tastes amazing too! ENJOY!
Shortbread Hearts!
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 100 g caster sugar (plus extra)
- 300 g plain flour (plus extra)
Decoration
- 75 g white chocolate
- 75 g milk chocolate
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Shortbread
- Add your butter and sugar to a bowl, and beat together until smooth and fluffy. I used my kitchenaid with the paddle attachment!
- Add in your flour, and beat/mix until a dough is formed! Make sure it's combined well.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll out your shortbread dough - make sure its 1cm thick!
- Cut out your shortbread hearts - I used a 7cm heart cookie cutter, but you can use any shape you fancy of course!
- Carefully pick the shortbread up, add put on a lined baking tray. Once they've all been cut up, put them in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Whilst they are chilling, preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.
- Once chilled, take out of the fridge, and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar!
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they're turning lightly golden.
- Once baked, leave to cool fully.
Decoration
- Carefully melt your two chocolates, carefully!
- As best you can, dip your biscuits into the melted chocolate, half white, and half milk.
- Once dipped, drizzle the opposite chocolate onto each biscuit (As you can see from the photos)
- Sprinkle with sprinkles if you fancy - and pop back in the fridge to set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Cutting into hearts is optional - but this post was originally for Valentines day!
- You can make them smaller or larger, but keep an eye on the baking time!
- These will last for 2+ weeks, if stored in a container.
- The chocolate you use is up to you - white, milk or dark is fine!
- It's easiest to use a container that's JUST bigger than the cookie to coat them, but otherwise I find a bowl easiest!
- This post has been updated in March 2020 - the original shortbread recipe was:
- 125g butter, 60g caster sugar, 175g plain flour.
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J x
Hi, would it work if I replaced the butter with Flora Plant block to make them vegan please? Or wouldnit not work as a simple swap? Thanks
Hi, I made these a while ago and they were great! I was just wondering if you can freeze them?
Yes, you can!
Can you use stork butter for this recipe?
Hiya, it’s best to use block butter!
Great recipe! I just made these for an early valentine’s day present. The only thing was that the mix was a little dry, so I added about a teaspoon of milk. I halved the recipe because I didnt need a whole batch. I added about 40g of chocolate chips just because. I baked for 15mins and they came out beautifully. Thanks Jane!
Can I use red or pink food colouring to the shortbread recipe?
Absolutely, enjoy! x
Hi Jane how long do these stay fresh for after baking do they go stale quickly ? Also if I placed buttercream in the middle to make duos would this make them soggy ? Thanks Leanne
Hiya! This will make them soften slightly as you have added a wet texture, but the shortbread itself will last for a few weeks in an airtight container. Hope this helps! x
Just made these ! Taste amazing ❤️
Hi I made these but they were slightly chewy not exactly like shortbread what did I do wrong ?
They may have been over baked or not actually baked enough so were slightly doughy x
Finding the dough really crumbly to work with, just breaks apart as I roll it. Would chilling it in the fridge for a bit first help or effect them to much?
Hiya! This means you just need to knead the dough more! Hope this helps! x
Hi, I’m planning on making these for my sisters hen do!
However some guests are gluten free. Would gluten free flower work with this recipe? X
Hi. Love your Recipes! Is there anything i can do if i forgot to cream the butter and sugar? Also my dough is super crumbley is there something u can add or did not do correctly to help form it?
Hi! The old recipe for the shortbread, is it for smaller batch?
Yes it is! x
Can I add chopped pecan nuts and if so, how much?
I have made these biscuits before but today I have made the dough in a large batch for a school event am I able to store some of the dough in the fridge until tomorrow fo use the rest of it? Please.
Could I replace the flour with gluten free flour?
Hiya Laura! Yes you can! Though the texture will be slightly different. Hope this helps! x
I love all of your baked, I’m a brownie girl myself. I’ve baked these and cut into them after leaving them for a day and a half and they look a little raw; will they be safe to eat? There was a slight wobble when I took them out of the oven.
Hi Jane!
About to make these! But would it be better to use salted butter or stork as this is all I have!
Thank you!
I would use salted butter personally!
Great easy recipe!
Hello
I am hoping to make these but would like to prepare in advance so was wondering how long the uncooked dough may be kept in the fridge for before baking?
I usually say up to 48 hours, but they can also be frozen raw!
Hey,
Can I make the dough night before, cling wrap it and put in fridge. And then bake it next morning?
Yes definitely! x
Hello, how much flour would I need to substitute with cocoa powder for plain chocolate shortbread?
Hello! About 20g I think!x
Hi, if I was wanting to make 30 of these would it be ok to just double the ingredients?
Yes!!
Made these yesterday, turned out perfect (and I’m a novice) taste amazing and look brilliant. The whole family snarffed them down (I hid 2 for myself to have with my morning cuppa). Brilliant recipe and blog – thanks everso much!
Hey Jane! Loving all your recipes 🙂 does the butter for this shortbread need to be cold or room temperature? Thanks!
If its block butter you are using, you will want it more towards room temp to make it easier! Stork/baking spread can be fridge cold. x
Hi,
I really want to make these but don’t want so many, would it work by just halving the recipe? ☺️
Yes you can halve it! x
Hey Jane does the butter need to be cold or room temperature? Thanks!
If its block butter you are using, you will want it more towards room temp to make it easier! Stork/baking spread can be fridge cold. x
Hiya, where did you get the gold sprinkles from please? Love the look of them so much but can’t find them in the supermarket! Thanks so much. X
These are bronze crunch sprinkles from Waitrose x
Can’t wait to try these! Do you think this recipe will work with added chocolate chips/chunks?
Many thanks 😊
Yes it would!!
Hey, what size cookie cutter did you use to make these? And also did you use a butter block or spread? Thank you
I always use block butter for shortbread, and I think it was about 5/6 cm?
Sorry I just re-read the recipe and saw the size of the cutter. Did you use butter spread or butter block? Thank you
Sorry ignore my last comment. I didn’t see your reply.
Loved them, such a simple recipe with great results. Thank you
Hi, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! Just wanted to ask how do you manage to only coat the front half of the shortbread in chocolate? Lol any tips greatly appreciated
The back is partially coated too, its just the angle I put them in the chocolate at! x
Hiya I’m wondering where you got the heart cookie cutters from?
You can get them from a cake shop, amazon, supermarkets etc! Loads of places!
Beautiful shortbread! My only problem is it spreads, do you have any tips on how I can stop this please? 🙂
What butter are you using? x
Unsalted x
If it was block butter rather than a spread they may have just been too warm or something as they shouldn’t spread at all x
Love this recipe I make empire biscuits using it. Such a tasty biscuit
The shortbread was really easy to make and they tasted fantastic! The chocolate is a really nice touch as well. Definitely my go to shortbread recipe! 100% would recommend.
These buiscutes are amaaaazing! Soooo yummmy, everyone should try!!
The best shortbread 😋 have made these a few times with my granddaughter as she loves baking as much as me. We have done Christmas shortbread twice already, with her new cutters and planning on doing more tomorrow as its quick and easy to keep her quiet while off school isolating. Thank you for this life saver recipe! 😊
Hi Jane; would I be able to make the dough, cut them out, freeze them and then cook them from frozen? If cooking from frozen would you let them defrost first or cook straight from frozen? Many thanks! Xx
You can bake from frozen, or freeze them once baked – both work well! I would just bake from frozen and add 1-2 minutes on the baking time x
Hi, I was wondering if I could make these with a bit of lemon? If so how much lemon juice would you recommend? Ta x
I would recommend adding finely grated lemon zest not juice – I would add zest of 1 or 2 lemons! x
Loved making these.
Hey, what temperature do you bake these at?
It’s mentioned in the method as always.. 180C/160 fan. x
Hi how long will the dough keep please? Could I make it and keep it in the fridge for a day or 2?
I would say it lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Does the butter have to be at room temperature please?
Not quite room temp – it just needs to be able to mix with the rest of the ingredients!
Hello!
Would I be able to use my electric hand mixer as I sadly don’t have a KitchenAid! And I don’t have a paddle attachment either haha: just a beater and dough attachments.
Thanks!
Yeah that would be fine! The beater is basically the same as the paddle x
Made these this morning, so easy, so yummy. Will definitely be making these again!
Hi Jane! If I was to coat these in Royal Icing and decorate with an edible pen, would they still keep for 1+week in an air tight container? (I’ll be using egg whites in the Royal Icing) X
I’ve read egg white royal icing lasts up to a week – whereas egg white powder can last up to a month! x
Made these twice- absoblutely brilliant taste delicious and look delicious!
All i say is you probably don’t need 75 g of each chocolate- I had a lot left
If you wanted to add a filling, eg. Chocolate Chips, how many grams would you use?
I’d recommend that they are chopped quite finely otherwise the shortbread may fall apart – and probably up to 150g!
Hi Jane, absolutely love your recipes! Question.. my friend told me she uses (lightly) salted butter for shortbread, would you suggest trying this? I’m making them tomorrow and when I try something new I always fully follow a recipe, I was just wondering..
You can do if you want, but generally I always use unsalted in baking x
Hey, I’m wanting to make 16 of these just wondering how much more of the recipe i would add? also what size cutter did you use?
Hey! As mentioned on the recipe I use a 7cm cutter and make 15 cookies. So either use a slightly smaller cutter, or roll the dough a bit thinner to get one more! X
Defo want to try this out! My boyfriend absolutely loves the chocolate chip shortbread you can buy in the shops. Do you have a recommendation for how much chocolate chips to add to recreate it?
You would add about 100-150g worth!
Sounds like a silly question but do you have a tip on how to melt white and milk chocolate without it clumping together?
I just use the microwave! You can also use a double boiler!
So easy but delicious. Decorated Mine with dark chocolate drizzled over with white chocolate.
Hi there – could you add cocoa to make chocolate shortbread? If so, how much would you recommend adding? PS I love these cookies they were delicious!
Hey! Have a look at my Terrys chocolate orange shortbread, but take out the terrys and orange! x
I made these for my boyfriend’s birthday, at his request for shortbread! They’re soooo good, I’m loving lots of your recipes at the moment! Can I check with the nutritional value, is a “serving” classed as one cookie?
The nutritional value is an automatic estimation based on the ingredients and are per cookie – they can vary depending on brand of ingredients and how big you cut the cookie!
Thank you for this recipe! I mixed in the choc but it still went well!
Super simple recipe to follow. The shortbread look and taste fantastic. I’ll definitely be making them again.
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Finally! I’ve found a shortbread recipe which is both buttery and nice and crisp. This will now be my ‘go to’ base recipe for shortbread. Thank you!!!!
I love this recipe! Just wondered how long would the shortbread last in an airtight container? (Providing i can stop myself from eating it all at once!)
Shortbread can last for weeks technically!
Which butter do you use for this recipe?
Probably supermarket own unsalted butter?!
Shortbread is my favourite
Reblogged this on Cooking Up a Storm With Miss Polly.
A great idea for Valentines, I must try them myself. I usually bake heart biscuits that look similar to a large Jammy Dodger 😉
Awwh thank you that’s so kind! I’ve always wanted to try baking Jammy Dodger style biscuits, they were my favourite when I was little haha 🙂 x
If I ever make them again, I’ll send you a pic xx
Love it!
Hehe thank you! I loved the chocolate shirtbread hearts you put up as well haha x
Hi I tried these yesterday but found it hard to toll out as the dough was very crumbly is this correct? If not what can I do to stop it from crumbling.
You just need to clump it together in your hands and then roll out – almost knead it a little if it’s crumbly and it’ll be fine.