Espresso shortbread cookies

Since we were in Minnesota for New Years, Marc was in charge of making the plans for our New Years Eve celebration.  Luckily, some of the guys from the cabin vacation were having a party.  Unfortunately, I didn't find out that "A Formal Affair" was the name of the party and we were instructed to "come dressed to the nines" until after I had arrived in Minnesota.  Believe it or not I don't typically pack a party dress when I'm going to Minnesota, so this was a problem for me.  After spending a few days worrying about what I was going to wear, I decided to just wear a sweater and jeans.  At least I'd be comfortable, right?  


Thinking there was nothing left to plan, I visited the party's Facebook page to see what time the celebration got started.  That's when I saw: "please bring dish to share."  Could I be any less prepared for this??  With the party in a few hours I didn't have a lot of time to make anything, so that's where these little gems come in.  I figured people might need a little dose of caffeine to get through the night (okay, maybe that's just me that has trouble staying up past midnight...) and who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and coffee?!  


The cookies turned out great and received lots of compliments at the party.  They have a crumbly shortbread texture, which makes them perfect for being dipped in even more coffee.  I also loved them because aren't too sweet and have a strong espresso flavor, which is mellowed out by the chocolate dipping.  Bonus: I stayed up past midnight and I'm pretty sure it had a lot to do with the 3 cookies I ate that night...
Espresso Shortbread Cookies
from Sweet Savory Planet


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed 
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp espresso, finely ground
9 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips
1 tbsp canola oil or vegetable shortening


Directions:


In a bowl with an electric mixer, mix the butter, sugar and salt until combined.  You should still be able to see sugar granules in the butter.  Add the flour, vanilla, and ground espresso.  Mix until it comes together.  This will take 2-3 minutes.  When the dough just pulls away from the bowl and pulls together, stop mixing.  


Roll the dough into 2 logs and cut into 1/4" thick slices.  Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.  


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  


After 20 minutes of chilling, place cookies in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  


To melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a small saucepan with gentle simmering water.  Add the oil or shortening and stir until it is melted and glossy.  


Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate and set on wax paper.  Chill in fridge until set, about an hour.