Dutch Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

Yeah, this is a good cookie!  After making the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies I was thinking the only thing that could taste better would be Chocolate Shortbread with Peanut Butter Chips!  I don't know why, but a chocolate cookie base gets me every time.  It's a weakness.  :)

I searched everywhere for a chocolate shortbread recipe that would fit what I had in mind.  I found myself in the same reference place as with the Peanut Butter Shortbread - The View From Great Island.  She's some kind of a shortbread genius!  These cookies absolutely melt in your mouth and I am a huge fan of rolling the dough into a log to slice and bake the cookies.  Super smart!

Dutch Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips
adapted very slightly from The View From Great Island

1 stick butter (I used salted), room temperature
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
peanut butter chips
milk chocolate chips, if desired

• In medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and cocoa.
• In large bowl, beat together butter and vanilla until fluffy.
• Add dry ingredients to butter and combine together with electric mixer.
• Dough will be extremely crumbly.  After ingredients are combined, use a wooden spoon to mix crumbs into a dough.
• Add peanut butter chips, whatever your desired amount is.  I like a lot.
• Since this cookie dough is not overly sweet, add a small amount of milk chocolate chips, if desired, just to give it a little more sugary chocolate taste.
• Turn dough onto waxed paper and shape into log.
• Wrap waxed paper around log of dough and twist ends like a piece of candy.

• Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
• Remove waxed paper and slice dough into discs.  Place on cookie sheet.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
• Cookies will be extremely soft when finished baking. DO NOT overbake!  
• Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes before removing.  When they are cooled they will be solid.
• Eat and enjoy!

I really love these cookies!  They have a perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter.  I think the addition of milk chocolate chips adds the right amount of sweetness to elevate the chocolate taste, which makes the peanut butter shine!  As I mentioned in my last shortbread post - these cookies are so easy and so quickly put together they make a nice day-of dessert with minimal fuss.  If you like shortbread cookies, peanut butter, and chocolate....this is a winner!