Homemade Fudge Stripe Cookies

Ingredients (~24 cookies)

• 1 cup + 7 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Make the Shortbread Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and vanilla together until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and salt, and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Gradually add the flour and continue to mix on low until the dough comes together. It might look a bit crumbly at first.

If it is, use your hands to press it together into a cohesive ball.

Chill and Roll the Dough

Place the dough into a large zip-top bag. Press out as much air as you can before sealing it.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out inside the bag until it’s an even 1/4-inch thickness. This method contains the dough and makes it easy to get a uniform thickness without a mess.

Place the sealed bag flat in the refrigerator and chill for at least one hour.

Cut and Bake the Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the chilled dough from the bag and place it on a lightly floured surface.

Using a round cookie cutter about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out as many cookies as you can.

Use a small piping tip or the end of a paring knife to cut a small circle out of the center of each cookie.

Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

If the dough becomes tacky as it warms up, lightly dust it with more flour.

Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for ~10 minutes. The bottoms should be a light golden brown, but the tops should remain pale.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coat and Stripe the Cookies

Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the chocolate is smooth.

This usually takes 2-3 intervals. Be careful not to scorch it.

Dip the bottom of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip off.

Place the cookies chocolate-side-down on the wire rack or a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for ~10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

Transfer the remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (like a #5 writing tip).

Pipe stripes back and forth over the top of the cookies.

Return the cookies to the refrigerator for another 5 minutes to allow the stripes to harden completely.