Description
Delight in these rich and tender Chocolate Sugar Cookies, perfect for festive occasions or everyday treats. These cocoa-infused cookies are soft with a slight chew, elegantly topped with royal icing and optional sprinkles for a decorative touch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for dusting)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Royal icing
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of the leavening agent and cocoa flavor. Set this bowl aside for later incorporation.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Lower the mixer speed to low and gradually add the prepared dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Beat until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Form the dough into a ball and divide into two equal portions. Pat each portion into a disk. Lightly dust two large sheets of parchment paper with cocoa powder, place each dough disk on a sheet, dust the top also with cocoa powder, and then cover with another parchment sheet. Roll each disk out to about ¼ inch thickness. Chill the rolled dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove one sheet of chilled dough at a time. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies carefully. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again.
- Transfer cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to firm up but the centers are still soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes after removing from the oven, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Once fully cooled, decorate the cookies with royal icing and optionally add sprinkles.
Notes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg