Dipping Chocolate for Cookies

Recipe

With its cloak of pure chocolate, a buttery shortbread cookie is sublime. And this one-ingredient recipe is so easy. The chocolate makes shortbread especially delicious while adding a touch of elegance. I used it to dip these shortbread cookies that I gave to a friend as a thank-you gift.

Recipe

Ingredients

8 oz. high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

Chopped Chocolate Wafers

Yield: About 1 cup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes time for chocolate to set)

Type of Recipe:
Icing, Frosting, Glaze

Instructions

Line baking sheet with clean parchment or wax paper.
In a medium-size heat-proof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt half of the chopped chocolate.
Add the remaining chopped chocolate and remove the bowl from the heat. Using a wooden or silicone spoon or other non-reactive utensil, stir occasionally until all the chocolate is melted and the texture is smooth.
Pour the chocolate into a small bowl or a tall coffee mug (if using a coffee warmer to maintain the heat).
Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate and let the excess drip off. Use a wooden chopstick or silicone spoon to carefully wipe excess chocolate back into the bowl or mug.
Place each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet.
Let the dipped cookies rest until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Resist the temptation to refrigerate the cookies to hasten the process. This will cause the chocolate to get dull and splotchy.
Store dipped cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

Recipe Notes

For the best flavor, use a high-quality chocolate, one that you like to eat. Two of my favorites are Valrhona Dark Chocolate Wafers and Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Baking Wafers.
Melting the chocolate in two stages helps keep it at an even temperature, which ensures that it will set evenly and prevent chocolate “bloom.”
I use a coffee cup warmer to maintain the heat at 90-95°F.