Chocolate-Glazed Shortbread Cookies

On Christmas Day holiday, my sister & her kids gathered at my place to bake. My 4- & 3-year old nieces had requested their mum to bake some cookies. Since all the ingredients & equipment for baking are available at my place, naturally my kitchen was the place of choice. I got to choose the recipe but it must meet 2 criteria. The cookies must be chocolate covered & have topping. So I chose a very simple recipe yet very delicious & addictive! When you start munching on one, you can't stop at one, two or even three.

The mixing, cutting, baking & decorating were all done by my sis & her girls & their bibik, of course. I just took out all the ingredients & utensils needed. I took out a few types of toppings. Not surprisingly, the girls chose the pink & colourful sprinkles. The recipe yielded quite a lot of cookies. I was quite surprised the girls actually stayed on to finish up the dough. I thought they would leave halfway through. They must have enjoyed themselves.

The girls hard at work... They chose 6 cookie cutters! They're really spoilt for choice.

'Ain & Izzati posing with their cookies. On the right is Izzati sprinkling the topping on the chocolate-covered shortbread.

Chocolate-Glazed Shortbread Cookies
Recipe from Mrs Fields Best Cookie Book Ever!

Shortbread:

1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (We used 1 tsp pure vanilla paste.)
3 cups flour (We used top flour.)

Chocolate glaze:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tsp. light corn syrup

(We didn't use the chocolate glaze recipe. We just melted compound chocolate (Selbourne brand) over double boiler.)

1. Preheat oven to 325 deg F.
2. Blend butter until smooth in large electric mixer at medium speed. Slowly blend in confectioner's sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly. Add flour and mix at low speed until well blended.
3. Divide dough into two roughly equal pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. On floured board using floured rolling pin, roll out disks to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 16-18 min. Don't let cookies brown. Transfer to cool flat surface

To prepare glaze:

Heat cream in small sauce pan until scalded:remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and corn syrup, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. With a small wire whisk or wooden spoon, gently mix until smooth being careful not to create bubbles. Dip whole or half of each cookie into glaze and transfer to a tray or cool cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator 10 min to set. ( sprinkle with coconut before refrigerating if desired)