Rich Chocolate Cutout Cookies Recipes

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dough is sticky so be sure to add more flour to the rolling surface as needed. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto 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.

RICH CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar in a steady stream, continuing to beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and espresso mixture. Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, then mix in the melted chocolate.
• Reduce the speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing just enough to combine after each addition. Divide the dough in two and form into two flattened disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Roll out the chilled dough between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is 3/16-inch thick. Cut into shapes, using cookie cutters of different sizes to use as much dough as possible. (The dough will not be as good if it is rolled out a second time.) Transfer cookies to baking sheets, 1/2 inch apart.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets once to ensure even baking, or until cookies look set on top and have a slight sheen. Remove from oven and wait 2 minutes before transferring the cookies to wire racks to cool. Frost with royal icing, if desired.

CHOCOLATE COOKIE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
• Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight). Dough can be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a resealable plastic bag, up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• On a lightly floured work surface (or a piece of parchment paper), roll out one disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, quickly cut out shapes from dough (if dough begins to soften, chill in freezer 5 minutes), and transfer shapes to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, as you work. Reroll scraps and cut out more shapes. Brush off excess flour. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
• Bake cookies until crisp, about 8 minutes, firmly tapping down sheets once and rotating them halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks before decorating as desired.

DARK-CHOCOLATE CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment. Brush off excess flour, transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling scraps as needed. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating once and firmly rapping baking sheet halfway through baking to flatten any bubbles in cookies. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
• Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (Ateco #0, 1, or 2). Pipe outlines and details on cookies. Immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, and tap off excess. Let set completely, uncovered, at room temperature, at least 4 hours or (ideally) overnight.

RICH CHOCOLATE CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
• With an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 3-4 minute.
• Beat in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in three additions.
• Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hrs (or up to 1 day).
• Preheat oven to 375°F Remove 1 disk from refrigerator, and let stand until room temperature.
• Lightly dust two large sheets of parchment with cocoa powder, and roll out disk of dough between sheets to a 1/4 inch thickness.
• Transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• Remove top parchment sheet, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
• Remove excess dough and space cookies evenly. Re-freeze until firm.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.