With simple ingredients and natural edible decorations, these chocolate shortbread cookies taste amazing and make a gorgeous statement.

These beautiful, rustic cookies are a favorite among my wedding clients. They look stunning wrapped as welcome gifts. They have a deep chocolate flavor and an irresistible melt in your mouth texture, and with that bright pop of color, you can’t help but swoon when you look at them.

The key to these cookies is using quality ingredients. Don’t use imitation vanilla and go with a nice cocoa powder, such as Ghirardelli or Hershey’s Special Dark. Also sift your dry ingredients, especially your powdered sugar. You want these cookies to have a nice crumbly texture.

For a quick video on how I make them, click here.

I like to shop for edible pressed flowers on Etsy. There is so much color variety. But, this can get expensive. I’ve recently started pressing my own flowers using a Microfleur. A microfleur dehydrates flowers in the microwave in about 30 seconds. It’s a wonderful tool, especially when you’re in a hurry. Plus, you take a little more pride in your creations.

Before you go to make these, be sure you’re using food safe flowers. While some flowers carry great health benefits, others can make you very sick.

Safe edible flowers to press:

Lillies, roses, peonies, pansies, sunflowers, zinnias, hibiscus, daisies, dandelion, violets, carnations, lavender, honeysuckle, nasturtium, squash blossom, and chamomile.

Not safe flowers to avoid:

Anemone, daffodils, hydrangeas, oleanders, azaleas, rhododendrons, lily of the valley, morning glory, wisteria, and periwinkle.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Pressed Flowers

makes 24-30 cookies

You’ll need:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted

• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted, plus more for rolling 

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• Edible pressed flowers

• Coarse sparkling sugar (optional)

1. Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until combined, about 3 minutes. 

3. Add the vanilla paste. Mix to combine. 

4. In a large bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. 

5. Roll the dough out on a floured surface about ¼” to ⅜” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Using a spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2” apart. Top each cookie with a pressed flower, pressing lightly to adhere. Lightly sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill the cookie sheets for at least one hour in the fridge. This helps them hold their shape while baking. 

6. Heat your oven to 350°F. Remove the cookie sheets from the fridge and bake for 10-12 minutes, until firm and crisp around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.