Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Shortbread Hearts: A Sweet DIY Treat for Mom
Surprise your mother this Mother's Day with a batch of homemade heart-shaped shortbread cookies, partly coated in chocolate. They're simple to prepare and require just six ingredients.
By Taylor Collins
Want to show Mom how much she means to you? Bake her a batch of these charming, buttery shortbread hearts. A gift that's both handmade and edible is hard to beat!
These heart-shaped shortbread cookies are rich, tasty, and incredibly simple to whip up. The recipe calls for only six ingredients—including chocolate and sprinkles for decorating. You can easily switch things up: try drizzling chocolate instead of dipping, use different sprinkles, or cut out other shapes.
Watch: Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Shortbread Hearts That Spell 'Love You, Mom!'
Excited to bake these cute cookies for your mom? The full recipe is below.
Recipe at a Glance
YIELD: 16 heart-shaped shortbread cookies
PREP: 20 minutes
BAKE: 10–13 minutes
DECORATING: 10 minutes
TOTAL: 40–43 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers
- Heart-shaped sprinkles
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar
Put 1/2 cup softened butter and 2/3 cup powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture is light and creamy, roughly 3–4 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl's sides and bottom as you go.
Step 2: Mix in the vanilla paste
Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste and blend until fully incorporated.
Step 3: Incorporate the flour and salt
Stir in 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until you see no dry patches left.
Step 4: Roll out the dough
Set the oven to 350°F. Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
On a surface dusted with a little flour, roll the dough to a thickness between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch.
Step 5: Cut out heart shapes
Use cookie cutters to cut heart shapes. Gather any leftover dough, knead it together, roll it out again, and cut more hearts.
Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 to 3 inches between each one.
Step 6: Bake
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. The edges should be slightly firm and the cookies should look set (no wet or underbaked spots).
Allow them to cool on the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
Step 7: Melt the chocolate
Put 1/3 cup Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring after each interval.
Step 8: Dip the cookies
Dip each shortbread cookie halfway into the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl, then place the cookie on a wire rack.
Step 9: Decorate with sprinkles
While the chocolate is still wet, add heart sprinkles on top. Allow the chocolate to set for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving or storing. Enjoy!
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
