Best Ultimate Chocolate Sugar Cookies Recipes

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Dust 2 large pieces of parchment paper or 2 silicone baking mats with cocoa powder (or flour). Place a dough half on each. With a rolling pin lightly dusted with cocoa powder (or flour), roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more cocoa powder/flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
• Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with cocoa powder or flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough, using more cocoa powder or flour to lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin, and continue cutting the dough until all is used. Work quickly so the dough doesn't become too warm or soft. If it does, stop what you're doing and place any unused dough back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to stiffen up again. Repeat cutting into shapes with 2nd half of dough. (Note: It doesn't seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)
• Arrange shaped cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until edges are set. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
• Prepare the royal icing or easy glaze icing and decorate the cooled cookies however you'd like. Add sprinkles on top of the icing if desired.
• Royal icing dries in about 2 hours and easy glaze icing dries in 24 hours. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it's helpful, transfer cookies to a baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator to help slightly speed up the icing setting.
• Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies are great for gifting or for sending. Plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Make cookies:.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
• In bowl of electric mixer, using paddle attachment, mix butter on medium-low speed until it is creamy and lightened in color. Add the sugar in a steady stream, and beat until thoroughly combined.
• Add the egg, espresso, and vanilla.
• Scrape down sides of bowl as needed, then mix in melted chocolate.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and blend in dry ingredients in two additions, mixing only to combine after each addition.
• Remove dough from bowl and divide into quarters.
• Form each quarter into a 4" disk and wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 30-40 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
• You should be able to leave an imprint when you press dough.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Have ready two ungreased cookie sheets. Working with one-fourth of dough at a time, roll on a lightly floured flat surface until 3/16" thick.
• Using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter or a cookie cutter of your choice, cut cookies from the dough.
• Transfer cookies to a sheet of waxed paper and brush lightly with egg/water mixture. Sprinkle with pearl sugar or other garnishes.
• Carefully place on cookie sheets.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 9-10 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack while still warm, and cool completely.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• MAKE GANACHE:.
• Break chocolate into 1" pieces and place into bowl of a food processor.
• Process until chocolate is finely chopped. Empty chocolate into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and corn syrup on low heat until it comes to a gentle boil.
• Immediately pour hot cream over chopped chocolate.
• Let it stand for about 1 minute, then stir chocolate and cream together, slowly mixing until all chocolate is melted and mixture is fully emulsified.
• Blend in rum and vanilla.
• If surface is oily, stir in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of hot water.
• Glaze should thicken as it stands, but remain pourable.
• If ganache fails to thicken, chill it in refrigerator for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Watch carefully, as it must not be too cold. Spoon ganache over cookies, letting it trickle down the sides.

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until creamy, about 2 more minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 2 more minutes.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; form into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough between floured sheets of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick. Chill 2 more hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Mist 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut the dough into shapes; gather the scraps and reroll once to cut out more cookies. Arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until set, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3 to 4 tablespoons water in a bowl with a mixer on high speed until smooth and thick. Transfer to a resealable bag and snip a small corner. Pipe onto the cookies; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Let set 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIE CUT-OUTS

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Put the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed, about 4 minutes more. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed. Mix until incorporated.
• Divide the dough in half and shape into two flattened disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling, to soften.
• Position oven racks to the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Now flour parchment for rolling: Dust a piece of parchment with flour, place a disk of dough on it, dust the disk with flour, then cover it with a second piece of parchment. Roll out the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 11/2- to 2-inch cookie cutters. Gather up the scraps, re-roll and cut out. (Chill the scraps if the dough becomes too soft.) Roll and cut out the remaining disk of dough. Working in batches, arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies until the tops look dry and no indentation is left when pressed with your finger, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
• Decorate with royal icing as desired. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Mix on medium-low speed until pure white and stiff enough to form peaks.
• Add up to 1 tablespoon food coloring if using and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. Store at room temperature, covered, with plastic wrap on the surface for up to 2 days. Re-whip until smooth before using.

ULTIMATE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream butter with white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in coffee crystals and vanilla until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients just until everything comes together. Cover, and let stand for 35 minutes so the chocolate can set up.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, or drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be set, but the centers will still be very soft because of the chocolate. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

ULTIMATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat sugar and shortening at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add combined dry ingredients at low speed. Mix until well blended.
• Refrigerate dough 1 hour.
• Roll out dough between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper. Cut out with floured cutter.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 5-9 minutes, depending on size and thickness of cookies. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes, then remove from cookie sheets to cool.