Chocolate Covered Cookies

Chocolate-covered cookies are a treat to celebrate special days like Valentine's day and a perfect gift for the holidays. These heart-shaped chocolate-dipped cookies make a pleasant surprise for your loved ones and are absolutely easy to make.

These shortbread cookies are eggless, delicious, buttery, and crumbly in texture. They can be dipped in chocolate and then decorated with sprinkles. They store well for up to two weeks and can be made ahead of time for a special event.

Ingredients for vanilla cookies

Vanilla cookies or shortbread cookies are made with only 5 basic pantry ingredients. It does not use any leavening agent. You will need all-purpose flour, butter, powdered sugar or icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

For best and consistent results it is preferred to weigh the flour and sugar using a food scale as scooping and measuring using a cup can be inconsistent.

The butter must be at room temperature as it becomes easy to whisk. You can leave it outside the fridge for an hour or so to allow it to soften. However, you can also microwave it for about 20 seconds.

Powdered sugar can be made at home by blending sugar in a Vitamix dry jar or any other blender.

How to make vanilla cookies from scratch?

Making vanilla cookies or shortbread cookies from scratch is a three-step process. First, you need to make the cookie dough, then roll out the dough to cut the cookies into a heart shape or any other shape. Final step is baking the cookies in the oven.

To make cookie dough whisk the butter with the help of a wire whisk or hand blender until it is fluffy. Now mix the powdered sugar or icing sugar and continue whisking until sugar and butter have mixed well and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add vanilla extract, salt, and all-purpose flour and make a soft dough. There is no need to knead the dough, it must bind well. Wrap it in a plastic food wrap or in a ziplock bag and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Refrigerating the dough helps with cutting out cookies into the desired shape using a cookie cutter. It also helps hold the shape while baking.

Roll the dough into a ball between your palms and then place it in between a wax paper into about 5 mm thickness. Cut the cookies using a cookie-cutter, like heart shape, and place them in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process until all the cookies have been cut out.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F with the rack at the middle level. At this point place the cutout cookies in the fridge. This ensures the cookies will hold their shape while baking and not expand. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes until the edges start becoming golden brown. It is a sign that the cookies are done.

If the cookies have been rolled into uneven thickness, you might see that some cookies will be done sooner, in that case, you can remove them from the oven and then let other cookies continue baking. Allow the cookies to cool down completely before coating them with chocolate.

What is the best chocolate to melt?

I have tried a few types of chocolates for melting including semi-sweet chocolate chips, baking chocolate bars, and melting chocolate chips. I have had the best results of melting, dipping, and hardening using Ghirardelli's melting chocolate chips.

There are three types of Ghirardelli's melting chocolate chips, dark, milk, and white chocolate chips. Either of them can be used for melting and dipping based on your preference.

The best part of these melting chocolate chips is there is no need to refrigerate after dipping the cookies into the melting chocolate. They will dry up at room temperature in about 15 minutes.

With other baking chocolate, they melt and coat well, however, when it comes to drying, they usually require refrigerating the cookies after dipping them.

How to melt chocolate for dipping cookies?

There are various ways to melt chocolate for dipping. It can be melted in the microwave, on the stovetop using a double boiler, or in the instant pot as a double boiler which is my preferred method.

To use the instant pot as a double boiler, you will need stainless steel or a glass bowl that fits on the instant pot liner. The bowl should sit on the liner and not go inside it, else it can get stuck and be difficult to remove.

Pour 1 ½ cups of water into the instant pot liner and turn on the saute mode. Put the melting chocolate chips in the bowl and place them on the instant pot liner.

As the water will boil, the chocolate chips will start melting. Keep mixing the chocolate chips intermittently with the help of a spatula until they have melted completely.

How to dip cookies in chocolate?

Allow the cookies to completely cool down before dipping them in the melted chocolate. As melting chocolate using the instant pot takes only about five minutes, it is best to start melting the chocolate only once the cookies have cooled down.

Line a tray with parchment paper or wax paper to place the chocolate-coated cookies. In fact, you can reuse the parchment paper used for baking.

Start dipping the cookies partially one at a time by holding them from one side ensuring to coat it on both sides. Place it on the parchment paper for drying. If you want to completely dip it in chocolate then a spoon or a fork can come in handy for coating the cookies.

To make chocolate-dipped cookies with sprinkles, gently put some sprinkles of your choice after coating the cookie with chocolate. You don't want them to dry up before putting the sprinkles.

Allow the chocolate to harden up, it will take about 15 minutes. However, depending on the melting chocolate used, you might have to keep the cookies in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

How to store chocolate dipped cookies?

These homemade chocolate-dipped cookies can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container or a cookie jar. They can stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. But believe me, they will not last that long! They are absolutely delicious and irresistible!

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