Choclate Toffee Shortbread Cups

Happy 2018! A few years ago, my mom made these instead of our usual shortbread at Christmastime and they were a huge hit! I have wanted to make them ever since but only got around to making them this year. Let me first tell you, they are long to make! The end result is worth it - they're delicious, but long! I suggest setting aside an afternoon if you have your heart set on making these. I made one batch of these then retired to regular old shortbread! But if you have a good bit of time set aside, these are the most delicious twist on typical shortbread!
This recipe is from an old Canadian Living Magazine (can December 2013 be considered old now!?). I use my favorite shortbread cookie recipe that has been in my family for years. You can find the recipe HERE.

For some reason, I didn't take many pictures during this little baking session. What can I say - sometimes I forget I'm a blogger! I'll do my best to explain everything. But as usual, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Start by making 1 regular shortbread recipe (find my fave HERE). Once recipe makes 48 chocolate toffee cups, so you can double/triple as needed based on that :) Roll the dough by 2 teaspoons into 48 balls. Press each ball into the bottom and up the sides of a mini muffin tin. The Bean was helping me out with these and at first we really struggled but we eventually found our rhythm. She rolled out the balls, then I flattened them and pressed them into the muffin tin.

Once the muffin tin is filled, refrigerate the shortbread cups for 30 minutes. I found this to be the longest part - there were minimal dishes and prep for me to do during this time. In the future, I will likely try to plan the refrigeration time so that I can work on another recipe while these are in the fridge. But this time, I got a little last minute wrapping done.

In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of toffee bits. Once the shortbread cups come out o the fridge, place a heaping teaspoon into each cup.

Bake the shortbread cups for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (mine were in for 22 mins). When the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool for about 10 minutes before gently lifting each shortbread cup out of the muffin tin with a knife. Once the shortbread cups are removed from the muffin tin, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once they are cool, enjoy a couple before you package them to store in an airtight container!

See you tomorrow :)