Chocolate Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add 1 cup sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate 15 min. or until dough is easy to handle.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 min. or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Cream butter with sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.
• Gradually add flour mixture and blend well.
• Gather dough into a ball and cover with foil or wrap.
• Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, until firm.
• Using half of dough at a time, roll out a 1/4 inch thick on sugar sprinkled counter or pastry cloth.
• Cut out cookies and then lift with spatula onto sheets, leaving about 1 1/2" between cookies.
• Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles, if desired.
• Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are firm and edges are just starting to brown.
• Remove to wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture slowly until well-combined, about 2 minutes. Stir chocolate chips into cookie dough.
• Spoon cookie dough onto the baking sheet, spaced about 2-inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until set. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with frosting if desired.

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine. Stir in cocoa, remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 cup white sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture and the vanilla. Blend in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least an hour or two.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls, roll them in the remaining sugar and place them 2 to 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (or additional butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
• Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.