The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate shines in these delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Shortbread Cookies. Although I’m serving these on my holiday cookie tray, they would be delicious at any time of the year.
Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Next, add the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Use a pastry blender to incorporate the ingredients. Once the dough starts to come together, form the mixture into a ball with your hands and knead until smooth*.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it is about 1/3- inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies in the desired shape. Place the cutouts about 1/2-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the centers are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
To create the icing, start with a small microwave-safe bowl. Add the chocolate chips and half (1 1/2 teaspoons) of the shortening. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until the chips are melted and the shortening is blended in.
In another small microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter chips and the other half (1 1/2 teaspoons) of the shortening. Microwave in 30-second intervals, again stirring to ensure that the icing is smooth and the ingredients are blended.
Place the cooling rack of cookies on a piece of wax paper. Then spread half of the cooled cookies with the melted chocolate mixture and the other half with the melted peanut butter chip mixture. Then, drizzle all the cookies with the leftover icing.
Store the cookies in an airtight container. (They can be frozen for up to three months.)
*If you prefer, this process can be done in a food processor. Mix the dry ingredients first; then add the others. Pulse until the mixture starts to come together.