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chewy fudge core shortbread

Chewy Fudge Core Shortbread Cookies

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Resting Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 24 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 2 baking sheets
  • 2 silicone baking mats or sheets of parchment paper
  • 1 Small saucepan
  • 1 Wire rack
  • 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop
  • 1 Cooling rack
  • 1 offset spatula or butter knife

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg yolk room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
  • 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips optional
  • 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt optional, for finishing

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment.
  • In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Beat in the egg yolk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until fully combined and creamy.
  • Whisk together the flour and kosher salt, then add to the butter mixture and mix on low just until a soft shortbread dough forms.
  • Using a tablespoon scoop, portion 24 mounds of dough, roll into balls, and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
  • Press a deep well in the center of each dough ball with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, keeping the sides intact.
  • Bake the cookies for 12–14 minutes until the edges are set and just turning pale golden, then cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  • While cookies bake, make the fudge core by melting chopped semisweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth and glossy.
  • Remove the fudge from heat, stir in fine sea salt and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla, and let it thicken for 5–10 minutes until spoonable.
  • Spoon or pipe the warm fudge into the centers of the cooled cookies, filling to the rim without overflowing.
  • If using, sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto the fudge centers while still warm, then let cookies rest 30–35 minutes until the fudge sets.
  • Finish with a light pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired, and serve.

Notes

Chill the portioned dough balls for 15 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm to help cookies keep their shape and maintain deep wells for the fudge; for the glossiest centers, avoid overheating the fudge mixture—melt it slowly and stir constantly to prevent seizing. If the wells puff during baking, gently repress them with the back of a spoon while the cookies are hot. You can swap semisweet chocolate for milk or dark depending on sweetness preference, and add 1 teaspoon espresso powder to the fudge to intensify chocolate flavor. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for a firmer fudge center; freeze unfrosted shortbread shells for up to 2 months and fill after thawing.
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