Chocolate, Vanilla, & Hazelnut Shortbread Swirl Cookies

Name: Chocolate, Vanilla, & Hazelnut Shortbread Swirl Cookies
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 200g plain white flour; 4 TBSP caster sugar; 120g vegan butter block; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 3-6 TBSP ice cold water; 200g plain white flour; 60g cocoa powder; 4 TBSP light brown sugar; 120g vegan butter block; 3-6 TBSP ice cold water; 1 TBSP plant milk; 80g peeled hazelnuts; 2 TBSP granulated sugar; 2 TBSP plant milk

December 18, 2020
Richard Makin
Dessert

Updated: February 02, 2022

55 minutes
24 cookies
0.0

Print Recipe

Melt in the mouth, chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut vegan shortbread swirl cookies. Make the dough ahead of time and freeze for up to a month to make sure you’re never without cookies!

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Shortbread

200g plain white flour
4 TBSP caster sugar
120g vegan butter block
½ tsp vanilla extract
3-6 TBSP ice cold water

For The Chocolate Shortbread

200g plain white flour
60g cocoa powder
4 TBSP light brown sugar
120g vegan butter block
3-6 TBSP ice cold water
1 TBSP plant milk

For the Hazelnut Crunch

80g peeled hazelnuts
2 TBSP granulated sugar

For Baking

2 TBSP plant milk

Instructions

To Make the Vanilla Shortbread

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and fit the lid. Run on medium speed until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. While the mixer is running add the ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until the mix comes together as a dough (for me it took 3 tablespoons).
Remove the dough and place on a large sheet of cling film and pat into a rough rectangle. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

To Make the Chocolate Shortbread

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and fit the lid. Run on medium speed until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. While the mixer is running add the ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until the mix comes together as a dough (for me it took 5 tablespoons).
Remove the dough and place on a large sheet of cling film and pat into a rough rectangle. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

To Make the Hazelnut Crunch

Place the hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor and run on medium speed until the hazelnuts are all chopped into chunky pieces.

To Assemble the Shortbread

Remove the shortbread from the fridge and unwrap, leaving the pastry sat on the unfolded sheet of cling film. Lightly dust the surface with plain white flour and roll out with a rolling pin to around a 20 x 30cm rectangle.
Once rolled out, use a clean pastry brush to remove any excess flour from the surface of the vanilla dough.
Unwrap the chocolate dough and repeat the same process – rolling it out on top of the cling film until it’s a 20 x 30cm rectangle. Remove any excess flour on the surface and then brush the top with a tablespoon of plant milk. Carefully lift the vanilla dough by picking up the cling film beneath it. Flip it over onto the chocolate dough.
Without removing the top layer of cling film, roll over the two doughs with a rolling pin to seal them together.
Remove the top layer of cling film and use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into a neat rectangle.
Use the bottom layer of cling film to help you roll the dough into a tight spiral. You want to roll the dough from the long 30cm edge, not the 20cm one. Place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
Once chilled, remove from the fridge and unwrap the long spiraled cylinder of dough. Brush the outside of the dough with plant milk and roll it in the hazelnut crunch. Place the dough back on the cling film and wrap tightly.
At this stage, you can either slice the dough into 1/2cm coins and bake or you can freeze the well wrapped dough for up to a month. Be sure to defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160c/320f fan. Arrange the coins of shortbread on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Place shortbreads on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before serving.

The shortbread dough is insanely easy to make, but forming the coil can be a little fiddly. Start by making the vanilla dough. I like to use a food processor as it guarantees a super even crumb and very little effort. Be sure not to keep the processor running after the dough has formed. Wrap the dough well and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.

chocolate vanilla and hazelnut vegan shortbread swirls

Next, make the chocolate dough in exactly the same way. I found the chocolate dough requires a little more water to bring it to the same texture as the vanilla.

vegan shortbread swirl chocolate dough completed

While the dough chills, make the hazelnut crunch. Again, we’re using the food processor. It’s important to use hazelnuts that are blanched and peeled – try to avoid hazelnuts with their brown shells still attached.

chopped hazelnuts for shortbread cookies

Roll out the dough to around 20 x 30cm, brush one layer with plant milk and then sandwich the two pieces together. Lightly roll them together with the rolling pin and trim off the rough edges so you have a neat rectangle.

flattening dough for vegan shortbread cookies

Use the bottom layer of cling film to roll up the dough, starting with the long edge, making sure it’s very tightly wrapped. Place the roll in the fridge and chill again for an hour.

Remove the chilled dough and brush it with plant milk. Roll the dough in the hazelnut crunch.

Using a strong piece of fine thread, slice the dough into 1/2cm thick discs. With the thread taught, move it under the roll of dough. Wrap the thread around the top of the dough, crossing the ends of the thread over at the top and pulling gently so it cuts through the dough evenly.