Like the Italian gelato of the same name, these stracciatella shortbread cookies are speckled with morsels of chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the dainty size of these cookies; they pack a big, buttery flavour and will make a great addition to your holiday or year-round cookie tin.

Ingredients for Stracciatella Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (65 g) icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1
¾ cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (48 g) potato starch
¼ tsp fine salt
½ cup (90 g) mini chocolate chips

Directions for Stracciatella Shortbread Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on its own on medium-high speed to make it fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat in, starting on low and then increasing to medium-high, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, potato starch and salt and blend in on low speed until the dough comes together. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
  3. Use a small mechanical scoop to portion the cookies; if your scoop is larger than the size of the cookie you want (just larger than a Canadian toonie), scoop the dough and then cut each portion in half. Roll each cookie portion into a ball between the palms of your hands and place on a baking tray, leaving 1½ inches (4 cm) between them. Use a fork dipped in flour to press each cookie down (or use a cookie stamp, if you have one).
  4. Bake the cookies for about 30 minutes. They will show a touch of light browning on the bottom, but should not be brown otherwise. Cool the cookies on their trays on racks before packing in an airtight container.

Tip:
You can replace the mini chips with practically anything; try crushed candy canes, chopped nuts or toffee bits. You can even leave the chocolate chips out and just bake the shortbread as is.

Note:
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.