Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Bright Royal icing and sugar sprinkles are even more enticing on Chocolate Sugar Cookies. The colors pop to your eye, and the flavors burst on your taste buds. These cookies are best when you slightly under-bake them to produce a soft cookie texture.

Bake and decorate chocolate sugar cookies for your next occasion. These cookies are truly soft, and delicious. The bright icing makes them festive and inviting to the eye. I have made them for Valentine’s Day to surprise those special people that I love. They are perfect for Spring, St. Pat’s, Easter and I especially love them for Halloween parties.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar for rolling dough out.

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add eggs, vanilla and milk, and beat for about 1 minute. Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until fully incorporated, again, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure a thorough mixture. Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

I prefer a thicker cookie, so I roll out the dough on a clean surface, with a light dusting of powdered sugar. I roll the dough about the width of two nickels. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Keep in mind if you keep them all roughly the same size, they will bake more evenly. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Royal Icing

I use colored royal icing to decorate sugar cookies. The icing will dry completely, and cookies can then be stacked, or bagged individually in cellophane and tied with a ribbon. They are great for themed party favors.

4 ounces egg whites (about 3 eggs)

1 -1/3 lbs. powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In your standing mix, beat all the ingredients until smooth. If you want the icing thinner, add a few drops of water. If you need it to be stiffer, and a tablespoon or two of more powdered sugar. For outlining, use a stiffer consistence. For “run-outs” you need a thinner icing that can be easily spread and left to dry.

Get creative and have some fun! This is a messy, but super fun, and memorable activity to do with your kids. Don’t fret about the clean up, and remember to let the kids be kids.