Description
Delight in rich, piped chocolate butter cookies featuring a tender, creamy dough enhanced with cocoa powder and espresso. These elegant cookies are perfectly piped into swirls or lines, chilled for shape retention, baked to a delicate crisp, and optionally dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate for an extra indulgent touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (27g) natural or dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, warm
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Optional Toppings
- 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- maraschino cherries
- sprinkles or coarse sugar
Instructions
- Prepare for Chilling: Read through the recipe and notes thoroughly. Ready your refrigerator space to chill shaped cookies on a baking sheet for 20–30 minutes, essential to prevent overspreading.
- Line Baking Sheets: Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; if unlined, do not grease the pans.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter on medium-high speed with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until very soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamed, about 2 more minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, beating on high speed for about 1 minute until combined. Scrape bowl sides and bottom and beat again if needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: On low speed, add flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until fully combined into the dough.
- Incorporate Milk and Espresso: Warm milk to 150°F (66°C) and dissolve espresso powder into it. Add this espresso-milk mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed. Adjust by adding another 1/2 tablespoon milk if needed to achieve a creamy, pipe-able but thick dough.
- Pipe the Dough: Fit a piping bag with a large tip. Spoon a small amount of dough into the bag and test pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines on the baking sheet. If the dough is too thick, return it to the bowl and add an additional 1/2 tablespoon milk. Continue piping dough 3 inches apart. Optionally add maraschino cherries or sprinkles on top.
- Chill Shaped Cookies: Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator and chill shaped dough for 20–30 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Preheat Oven: While chilling, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake Cookies: Bake chilled cookies for 15 minutes or until edges are set but cookies still maintain shape; smaller cookies may bake closer to 12 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Optional Chocolate Dip: Melt chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or in 20-second microwave increments, stirring until smooth. Dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and top with sprinkles if desired. Let chocolate set at room temperature for about 1 hour or refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Store Properly: Store cookies with chocolate or cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated up to 1 week. Plain cookies stay fresh up to 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
- You can chill shaped cookies on baking sheets up to 1 day before baking; cover with plastic wrap if longer than 30 minutes.
- Dough can be frozen in shaped form for up to 3 months; bake frozen dough with an extra 1-2 minutes baking time.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, with or without toppings.
- If you don't have a large piping tip, use a cookie press with this dough by omitting milk and adding espresso powder with the flour.
- For a makeshift piping bag, snip a 1/2 inch corner from a plastic bag to pipe lines or flat swirls.
- This dough is not suitable for rolling and cutting; use chocolate sugar cookie dough for that.
- Use pure baking chocolate bars for dipping, not chocolate chips, to achieve smooth melting.
- To thin melted chocolate for dipping, stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil if too thick.
- Espresso powder enhances chocolate flavor without coffee taste; instant coffee powder can be a substitute.
- Handle the piping bag and dough carefully; cookies become easier to pipe as dough softens with handling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
