If you are a fan of the classic butter cookie and also happen to be a fan of chocolate then you are going to love these cookies. They have the same buttery, crumbliness that we all love about a butter cookie, but with the addition of a rich, decadent cocoa flavor that you are going to love.
These cookies can be sliced thin and baked until crispy or sliced thicker and baked until tender. The recipe is simple to bring together and can be made in advance and chilled until you are ready to bake them up. Easy and delicious!
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 1 cup of room temperature butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of espresso powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Use an electric hand mixer to combine 1 cup of room temperature butter with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until creamy.
Place a mesh sifter over the bowl and add 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2/3 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of espresso powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the sifter.
Gently sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until you no longer see dry flour in the cookie dough.
This cookie dough is very soft at this stage, but this is important in avoiding dry butter cookies. Instead of adding more dry ingredients to thicken the dough, rolling the soft dough in plastic wrap and chilling it until firm will help you avoid overly dry cookies.
Lay two sheets of plastic wrap on your counter and divide the dough between them. Try to drop scoops of dough in a line and then use the plastic to form the soft dough into tubes that are about 2 inches thick. Twist the ends of the tub to both tighten the plastic and bring the cookie dough together…
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for several hours or until you are ready to bake them. If you want to bake them up sooner than later, then chill the dough in the freezer for about 60 minutes or until the dough feels firm to the touch.
Unwrap one of the portions of cookie dough and use a sharp knife to slice the dough into portions. If you want your cookies to be more on the crisp side then slice the dough into 1/4″ rounds, but if you prefer your cookies to have a softer texture then slice them 1/2″ thick.
Place the sliced cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets leaving at least 2 inches between each portion to allow room for spreading.
If you want to add sprinkles to your chocolate butter cookies then sprinkle the tops of each cookie generously with sprinkles before you transfer the cookies into the oven.
Bake the cookies on the center rack of a 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies are lightly puffed and set. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet, so don’t over bake them. Transfer the baking sheets onto a heat proof surface and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them onto cooling racks.
These cookies are just wonderful. They are delicate in texture, but rich and bold in flavor. Chocolatey, buttery and full of cocoa with notes of espresso and brown sugar. They are truly fabulous cookies…
I prefer these cookies as is, but they are great with sprinkles or dusted in confectioners sugar or even glazed in chocolate or frosting.
Sometimes it is surprising how something so simple can be so wonderfully delicious and these cookies definitely fall into this category.
Chocolate Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup of butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Use an electric hand mixer to cream together 1 cup of room temperature butter with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy
- Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until creamy
- Place a mesh sifter over the bowl and add 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of espresso powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the sifter
- Gently sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until just combined
- Place two sheets of plastic wrap onto your counter and divide the cookie dough between the two sheets
- Roll the cookie dough into logs that are about 2 inches wide and chill the dough until firm (60 minutes in the freezer or 2-3 hours in the refrigerator)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Unwrap one portion of chilled dough and slice into 1/4” portions for crisp cookies or 1/2” portions for softer cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Place the portions of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart and add sprinkles, if desired
- Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes or until the are lightly puffed and feel lightly set
- Transfer the baking sheets onto a heat proof surface and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them directly onto cooling racks
- Once cooled, dust with confectioners sugar or add frosting, if desired
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature
