By Sohla El-Waylly
- Total Time
- About 4 hours
- Rating
- 4(838)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In this vibrant holiday dessert, cocoa shortbread is pressed into an even layer, baked, then topped with swoops of peppermint meringue (optionally swirled with red food coloring). Back into a low oven it goes for about 2 hours, until the meringue becomes crisp and chewy. Once cooled, it's cut into rough, jagged pieces. If you don’t have a stand mixer, the shortbread and meringue can be made with a hand mixer or entirely by hand. The mixing times will be significantly longer, so follow the visual cues instead. (Watch Sohla make her Chocolate-Peppermint Shortbread here.)
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:One 8-by-8-inch pan
- ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- ⅓cup/75 grams light brown sugar
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- 1egg yolk
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup/30 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2large egg whites
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 6tablespoons/85 grams granulated sugar
- ½teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red food coloring (optional)
For the Chocolate Shortbread
For the Peppermint Meringue
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)
2053 calories; 101 grams fat; 62 grams saturated fat; 4 grams trans fat; 27 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 277 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 160 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1202 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Grease an 8-by-8-inch brownie pan with butter and line the bottom and two sides with parchment. Set a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
Step
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and salt until creamy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the yolk and vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cocoa, and mix until everything comes together, about 1 minute, stopping once during mixing to scrape down the paddle and the bowl.
Step
See Also40 Fantastic Fudge Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind - The Daily SpiceRed Velvet Cake Mix Cookies {Your new favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe!}Gluten-free Red Velvet Cookies Recipe (dairy-free/vegan option)Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake – Recipe from Yummiest Food Cookbook3
Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula and your hands, press the dough into the pan as evenly as possible. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Bake until the shortbread smells chocolatey and feels set and dry, 30 to 35 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and set aside.
Step
4
Remove shortbread from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Using the parchment, lift the cookies out of the pan onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
Step
5
Make the meringue: Pour water into a medium saucepan to come 1½ inches up the sides and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
Step
6
Whisk the egg whites, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer just to combine. Set the bowl over the simmering water (bowl should not touch water) and heat the egg mixture, stirring and scraping constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is hot and steamy, and the temperature registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 to 6 minutes. (Be patient and cook the egg whites slowly so they don't curdle.)
Step
7
Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and whip the mixture until stiff and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Whip in the peppermint extract and scrape the meringue onto the shortbread.
Step
8
Evenly spread the meringue with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. If using liquid food coloring, add a few random drops onto the meringue. If using gel food coloring, use the tip of a toothpick to randomly dab the tiniest bit of food coloring onto the meringue. Using the tip of an offset spatula or spoon, swirl the color into the meringue, creating peaks and streaks.
Step
9
Bake on the wire rack set on the sheet pan until the meringue feels dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon. Allow the cookies to cool in the oven, about another hour. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cookies into random pieces. The cookies will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ratings
4
out of 5
838
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
plumping iron
Watched Sohla's video before deciding to make this recipe—so glad I did! Of course, the look and description are winning, but the basic ingredients and prep clinched it. Solha's instructions are uncomplicated but precise. This is a great weekend at home recipe, and frankly, every day of this pandemic is a day at home. I wouldn't ding this recipe on prep time as three of the four hours are completely hands off. That time is spent coasting the meringue bake in the oven at a very low temp. Enjoy.
Kristin
I would make this again, but cook the shortbread for a shorter time, the long bake with the meringue made the cookie a bit more crumbly that I would like.
Carrie
Followed the recipe faithfully and the end result was really dry, really crumbly cookies that don’t cut well. Disappointed with the end result so I won’t take the time to make them again.
Katie
It’s way too salty using 3/4 teaspoon of Morton’s kosher salt. The recipe must be expecting you to use Diamond Crystal; 1/4 teaspoon is probably enough for Morton’s. The shortbread is very crumbly and the meringue doesn’t want to stay attached. The meringue layer is really good.
Anna
This was really great! I did read some of the comments and so I cooked the shortbread for 15 mins and the meringue for 1 hr 30 mins. It tastes delicious and looks beautiful.
EPos
Pretty easy recipe, but Step 9, the meringue never gets dry while baking. I kept in an additional 30 min to try for dry. Still never felt dry or crisp. Turned off oven and cooled as directed and finally got dry and crisp. When cutting the cookies the meringue cracked and completely separated from shortbread. Tastes great, but failed for xmas cookies to share. Too bad. Now I have to eat them all.
Edubkins
I have to agree it is too salty using Morton's kosher salt. 1/2 tsp would seem more reasonable. Not impressed with the shortbread it's self. After all the cooking it was chalky tasting and too crumbly.
Emily G
For some reason, my meringue was hard after only an hour of baking, so I stopped it then! I think that prevented it from being as dry as other reviewers said. It’s crumbly but in a good way, at least to me!
Charity Saxum from Northern Minnesota 🎄
I love shortbread cookies and I love that Sohla gave me a chocolate shortbread cookie! And you don’t have to add the peppermint to the icing... you can do whatever you want with it! this can be very versatile! Sohla always says do what works for you! That’s why I love watching her cook and I love her recipes! She always makes them so versatile that you can make it how you like it!! she just gives you a really good foundation! Thank you so much Sohla!!
Christine
Made these today; biscuit is far too dry and way too salty. The meringue topping worked well and was very tasty. Would not make these again; far too much effort for a mediocre treat.
Ingrid
Can this recipe be frozen?
Melissa
The cookies were extremely dry and disappointing. I pulled the shortbread out 15 minutes early during the initial bake based on the comments of others. The end result was still super dry. I don’t think I would make this again- but if I did I would pull it out after 1 hr 40 min so the meringue would still be kind of chewy and not so hard.
J John
The texture of the shortbread was really chalky and dry. I’d love to know if it was because of the temp of the butter - really room temp and not cold, or because I used King Arthur’s Double Dutch cocoa. I baked for only 30 minutes and at correct oven temperature. I had to scrap the meringue topping because the peppermint oil i used was overpowering even at 1/4 tsp. So I tried the shortbread before restarting the meringue recipe. I just didn’t like it and decided not to spend anymore time on it.
Randy
This didn't work for me. I followed the recipe faithfully - I even watched the awful video - and ended up with a dry, crumbly shortbread that resulted in a pile of crumbs and ragged pieces. I liked the meringue and the finished product tasted good, but I wasn't able to cut it into anything presentable even though I used a sharp knife and thoroughly cleaned it between cuts. For me, not worth the time and effort and I won't make it again.
Abby
Chocolate shortbread was disappointingly dry — a real shame because it smelled so good! Meringue also did not want to stay put on top of cookie. Won’t be making this again.
JB
You can also substitute the meringue with white chocolate and add peppermint extract to the shortbread
lisa
Unfortunately the end result was very disappointing. I followed the recipe carefully, but the shortbread was chalky and very dry, almost inedible. The merengue had a nice taste, but was also a bit too chewy. I made this for a co*cktail party and will not be serving this - may have been some unknown error on my part, but this was quite a bit of effort for a disappointing result.
LHC
Yeah, should have read the comments. Loads of labor for the same crumbly/dry result as othershere. Also, no point in the small amount you get (doubling did seem a good idea, but I was wary of wasting a lot of it did not turn out well). I’m a fan of crumbly shortbread and meringue so this is fine for the family, but not for giving to anyone, and I won’t make again.
Jill H
These cookies were so bad that my boyfriend who usually eats anything didn't want them. Do not make. There are better ways to get your chocolate mint fix.
Marissa
Looking at a lot of the tips, I solved the dryness of the shortbread cookie issue by baking the meringue separately on parchment paper. And then stuck together the shortbread and the meringue with a very thin layer of tempered chocolate. I also sprinkled the meringue with crushed candy cane prior to baking. 10 out of 10 would recommend.
try again
honestly these slap. they’re drier than other cookies but that’s bc they’re shortbread!! the flavors are great and i love the texture of the meringue.
LJD
Warning- these are a ton of work, it’s impossible to make a neat cut on the meringue, and most of all they taste awful!!
Queenie
Made this recipe exact. The shortbread was a bit dry but the meringue solves that issue. Watch the video, it’s very helpful.
RJK
I baked this cookie for my holiday cookie platter just to include variety, and this cookie turned out to be my absolute favorite! My only complaint is that the batch this produces is way to small---can this be doubled?
lauren
These are fairly labor intensive and are not worth the effort. The meringue would not harden fully and the shortbread did not have much taste and was crumby as other commenters have noted.
Desertstyle
So taking all my fellow commenters’ advice, I made a few adjustments: cut the kosher salt in the chocolate layer to 1/4 tsp, baked it for 15 minutes, and I baked the meringue layer at 215 degrees for about half hour. The textures were perfect (not too crumbly or over baked) *but* the meringue cracked on cutting it, making it unserve-able. Oh well, guess I have a whole pan to myself!
jori
I have made these twice and both times they looked beautiful out of the oven but shattered into crumbs when I tried to cut them.
Katie
I ruined 2 batches of meringue by adding the peppermint extract as instructed. They went from perfect peaks to completely flat and runny. Ultimately I opted to use crushed candy canes for the peppermint flavor.
mica
The meringue layer is beautiful and tasty, but I would skip this recipe. The shortbread is so dry that I was embarrassed I had shared these with others. They lose the charm of the swirled top because the cookie disintegrates when you touch it. I even reduced the bake time from reviews above.
Monica
Cook shortbread for 15 min and merengue for 1.5
Private notes are only visible to you.