Peppermint Shortbread Bar Cookies
Shortbread cookies topped with dark chocolate and peppermint candies are the perfect holiday cookie for enjoying with coffee.
Shortbread cookies topped with dark chocolate and peppermint candies are the perfect holiday cookie for enjoying with coffee.
- Carbohydrate 26.9049200852413 g
- Cholesterol 12.6729726362525 mg
- Fat 6.62212749522256 g
- Fiber 1.37782080605825 g
- Protein 0.716294750061464 g
- Saturated Fat 4.05001498492511 g
- Serving Size 1 1 bar cookie (67g)
- Sodium 34.7062667083366 mg
- Sugar 25.5270992791831 g
- Trans Fat 0.480829187275518 g
- Calories 162 calories
Step-by-step
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again. Slowly add the flour and salt until the dough comes together. Roll into a ball.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with non stick baking spray. Place the ball in the center of the pan. Gently press the dough into a 9x11 inch rectangle. Keep the dough as even as possible. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 20 smaller rectangles. Let them cool completely.
- Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat. Stir until melted. Spread on top of each cookie bar. Top with peppermint candies and sprinkles. Store in sealed container. Makes 20 bar cookies.
Traditional rolled shortbread requires chilling, slicing, and careful handling to prevent toughness. This bar method bypasses individual shaping by pressing the entire mass directly into a nine-by-eleven-inch rectangle. Scaling this formula requires strict mathematical adherence to the flour-to-fat ratio. Multiplying the butter and flour by a factor of two works predictably, but increasing chemical leaveners is unnecessary here because shortbread relies entirely on steam and air trapped during creaming for lift. Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until pale and aerated, incorporating microscopic air cells that expand in the three-hundred-and-fifty-degree oven. Overmixing the flour activates gluten networks, yielding a tough, bread-like chew instead of a sandy, fragile bite. Slicing the warm sheet immediately after baking creates clean edges before the starches set completely. Adding shortening to the dark chocolate chips lowers the melting point and maintains a glossy finish that resists cracking upon cooling. Store these bars in an airtight container at room temperature to preserve the crisp snap of the peppermint candy topping.
