chocolate-dipped shortbread stars

I've been finding baking inspiration on Tastespotting for several months now. Whether or not the recipes are good, the pictures have to be in order to be selected. Which means everything they post appears mouthwatering. These shortbread stars looked delicious and light, and given my recent shortbread kick, I decided to try them. As I wrote yesterday, I was extremely impressed with Elissa's writing and with her accomplishments, and I wanted to try another of her recipes.

Here they are plain:
And after I dipped half in chocolate:

These cookies were really good. They were so delicate, they practically crumbled in my fingers, which made dipping them in chocolate kind of tedious. The thin layer of chocolate actually complemented the cookie very nicely. I still prefer a more robust, thick shortbread, but these did taste delicious and would be great with a cup of tea.

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Stars

(Makes 5 dozen 1 1/2" cookies)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) flour

6 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Beat butter on high speed for 10 minutes, until white and very fluffy. While the butter is beating, sift together the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Add them in, beating on low for one minute, and then increase speed and make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe cookies two inches apart. They will make cute stars which should hold their shape during baking. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until just barely golden around the edges. Cool slightly, and then transfer to a wire rack.

When the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate and let it cool just slightly. Dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate and lay them on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet (in case the chocolate drips) to harden. I found mine took forever to dry, and I popped them in the fridge for a few minutes to harden, which worked just fine. It may take away the shine of the chocolate, FYI.