Description
Indulge in these rich and delicious Chocolate Sugar Cookies, perfect for festive occasions or any time you crave a chocolaty twist on a classic sugar cookie. Made with unsweetened cocoa powder and topped with royal icing and optional sprinkles, these cookies combine a tender crumb with intense chocolate flavor, ideal for holiday decorating or everyday treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for dusting)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Decorating
- Royal icing (for decorating)
- Sprinkles (optional, for decorating)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside to prepare the wet ingredients.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. This step is crucial for creating a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, forming a smooth batter base for the dough.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Form and Chill Dough: Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk. Dust two large parchment paper sheets with cocoa powder, place each dough disk on a sheet, dust the top with cocoa powder, and roll out each disk to a quarter-inch thickness. Cover with another parchment sheet and refrigerate both sheets until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cut Out Cookies: Remove one dough sheet from the refrigerator at a time. Using Christmas or desired cookie cutters, cut out shapes carefully and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 1 inch apart to allow for spreading.
- Re-roll Scraps: Gather any leftover dough scraps, reroll them between pieces of parchment dusted with cocoa powder, and cut out additional shapes to bake.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to firm up. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies tender.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This prevents breakage and prepares them for decorating.
- Decorate: Once fully cooled, decorate the cookies with royal icing and add sprinkles if desired to give them a festive and colorful finish.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. For longer freshness, refrigerate the cookies in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Cool cookies completely before freezing. Store in a freezer-safe container in layers separated by parchment paper for up to 2-3 months. Dough can also be frozen for 2-3 months; thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before rolling and baking.
- Rolling Dough: Dust parchment paper and rolling pin with cocoa powder to prevent sticking without adding white flour, which can dull the chocolate flavor and affect texture.
- Decoration Tips: Allow icing to fully set before stacking or storing to avoid smudging.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
