Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.

My mother, who doesn't have .01% of the sweet tooth I do, ADORES these cookies.  They have been in the family repertoire for as long as I can remember and come from a local church cookbook - the recipe has been cut out, saved, lost and found again but I actually have it memorized by heart now.  The ratio for shortbread isn't a difficult one to remember - generally for every stick of butter you have a cup of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar and this one is no different, along with the addition of flavorings and some mini chocolate chips.

The original recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of flour, but I find 2 binds the buttery dough just enough.  It also instructs the cookies be baked at 350 degrees F, which I find a bit high for shortbread so I use 325 instead.  Although it does take slightly longer for them to bake, you end up with more tender cookies.

This recipe specifies a 4 dozen yield, but I rolled these into smaller balls to get 6 dozen cookies this time.  Hey, I'd rather have 2 or 3 smaller cookies than 1 large cookie, wouldn't you? :)

Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from an old church cookbook
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and have a few baking sheets ready.  (No parchment necessary, these are buttery enough!)

Cream the butter and sugar together until well-blended and lightened in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix again until incorporated.  Stir in the flour until you almost have a ball of dough, then add in the chocolate chips and mix until the dough comes together.

Roll the dough into 1/2" to 1" balls, flattening with a fork dipped in flour or confectioner's sugar.  Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, until very lightly browned around the edges and the bottom of the cookies.  Remove to cooling racks and try not to inhale more than 6 at a time.