Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Cutout cookies like these chocolate sugar cookies are fun to decorate because they’re topped with royal icing, which dries firm and smooth. The dough rolls out easily and freezes very well. Make the dough ahead of time in preparation for the upcoming holidays. You can also store some, no matter the time of year, to whip up small batches of cookies for desserts and snacks.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies Ingredients

• Butter and sugar: While these cookies aren’t going to rise up high like a cake, you still want the texture to be light and airy. Creaming the butter and sugar helps incorporate air and make the butter easier to mix with other ingredients.
• Eggs: These will help give the cookies some strength and structure, in addition to binding ingredients together.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla helps make the chocolate flavor seem fuller and smoother.
• All-purpose flour: Use all-purpose and not pastry flour. You’ll need the protein in the all-purpose flour to help the eggs give the cookies structure.
• Baking cocoa: Use unsweetened baking cocoa.
• Baking powder: Baking powder contains both baking soda and cream of tartar to help the dough rise a little.
• Confectioners’ sugar: This provides the bulk of the icing.
• Meringue powder: No need to use raw eggs in this icing; meringue powder works very well and is easier to store for longer periods of time.
• Cream of tartar: This helps stabilize the meringue powder in the icing.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl for five to seven minutes. When the mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and some salt together and gradually add that dry mixture to the creamed mixture.

Step 2: Shape it and cool it

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each into a disk, cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. It should be firm enough to roll out then; give it more time in the fridge if not.

Step 3: Cut out the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly flour a work surface, and roll out each portion of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip 3-inch cookie cutters in flour and cut out shapes. Place the shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet an inch apart.

Step 4: Bake ’em

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove the cookies from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Step 5: Make the icing

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, cream of tartar and  water in a large bowl. Beat on low speed until just blended and then increase the beater speed to high. Beat for one to two minutes until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and keep it covered when you’re not using it. You can restore the texture by beating again on high speed.

Step 6: Decorate the cookies

Decorate the cookies using a pastry bag and a small, round tips. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the icing is set. It should be dry and firm when ready.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies Variations

• Use cookie stamps when decorating: This recipe has you frost the cookies with royal icing, which hardens at room temperature. It forms a smooth surface that’s perfect for decorating. While you could use colored royal icing or storebought decorations, you can also use cookie stamps with a mix of food coloring and water.
• Use them in ice cream sandwiches: You can take the unfrosted cookies and use them for ice cream sandwiches. Cut the dough into simple shapes like circles or squares, bake as directed, place a scoop of softened ice cream on one baked cookie, carefully press another down on top of the ice cream and smooth the sides. If you want to decorate the sides of the ice cream, do that now; check out these ice cream sandwich recipes for ideas. Wrap the sandwiches in freezer-friendly wrap and freeze the sandwiches for a day or two to make the ice cream firm again.

How to Store Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These cookies can sit in an airtight container for up to seven days. After that, you’ll want to freeze them; they’ll keep for about a month in the freezer. In both cases, separate layers of cookies with wax paper.

Can you make chocolate sugar cookies ahead of time?

You can make the dough up to three days ahead of when you plan to roll and bake the cookies. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start working with it.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies Tips

How do you stop the cookies from spreading during baking?

Chocolate cutout cookies shouldn’t spread much (or not at all) during baking. If yours do, the oven temperature might be skewed or the dough and ambient temperature are too warm. To check your ovens temperature, grab an oven thermometer, set it in the middle of the oven and turn the oven to 350°. Let the oven heat up for about 10 minutes or so. Check the thermometer and see if it reads 350° or another temperature. If the temperature is off by 20 to 25 degrees, you can adjust the temperature to compensate. You should have your oven inspected and repaired if it’s off by more than that. By the way, you’ll want to repeat this test with the oven thermometer placed in back and at each side to see if there are hotspots, too. As for the dough temperature and the room being too warm, place the cookies in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes before baking. If you have other issues while baking cookies, check this cookie-baking guide for more tips.

How do you know when these chocolate sugar cookies are done?

Look at the tops of the cookies. They should be dry and smooth; if you see any doughy spots then they’re not done. Start checking them when the minimum amount of time for baking has passed. This recipe calls for baking for 10 to 12 minutes. Start checking the cookies at the 10 minute mark and don’t exceed 12 minutes.

Does it matter if you use Dutch-processed cocoa or not?

It matters if you have a preference for the taste of one over the other and if the recipe contains an acidic ingredient. Dutch-processed cocoa is more alkaline than regular cocoa and its flavor is smoother and a bit less chocolatey. Obviously, that’s going to affect the flavor of the baked cookies. The other issue is the acidity because Cocoa is usually the acidic ingredient that baking soda needs to activate and cause rising in baked items. Dutch-processed cocoa is less acidic than regular cocoa, so it could affect how well a baked good rises. The baking powder in this recipe should give the finished cookies some lift. This is one of those ingredient questions that lends itself wonderfully to doing baking experiments just to see what happens, especially if you’re (or if you’ve got kids who are) interested in food science.