Description
Delight in these rich Cut-Out Chocolate Sugar Cookies, perfect for gifting, decorating, and enjoying with friends and family. These tender, cocoa-infused cookies feature a soft texture and are ideal for crafting festive shapes with your favorite royal icing, glaze, or buttercream decorations.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural or Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste
For Decoration
- Royal Icing, Glaze Icing, or Cookie Buttercream (buttercream pictured)
- Assorted sprinkles (optional, as pictured)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla paste; beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl as needed to fully incorporate.
- Combine dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft; if too sticky for rolling, incorporate an additional tablespoon of flour.
- Divide and roll out dough: Split the dough into two equal parts. Dust two large sheets of parchment paper or silicone mats with cocoa powder or flour. Place one dough half on each and roll out each to approximately 1/4-inch thickness using a rolling pin lightly dusted with cocoa powder or flour.
- Chill the rolled dough: Lightly dust one rolled dough sheet with cocoa powder or flour, cover with parchment paper, then stack the second rolled dough on top. Wrap with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cut cookie shapes: Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps and repeat cutting. Work quickly to prevent dough from warming; refrigerate scraps for 10 minutes if they soften.
- Bake cookies: Place cut cookies on baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until edges are set. Rotate sheets halfway if your oven has hot spots.
- Cool cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare icing and decorate: Make royal icing, glaze, or buttercream. Decorate cooled cookies as desired; the pictured cookies are frosted with vanilla buttercream piped using a Wilton 1A tip and topped with sprinkles.
- Serve or store: Enjoy cookies immediately or wait for icing to set. Store plain or decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 10 days for longer freshness.
Notes
- If dough is too sticky, add flour gradually to avoid tough cookies.
- Use cocoa powder or flour when rolling to prevent sticking without altering flavor.
- Chilling dough is essential for easier handling and cleaner cookie shapes.
- Work quickly while cutting shapes to maintain dough firmness.
- Cookies stay soft when stored properly despite the cocoa content.
- Decorate with your choice of icing or buttercream; allow decorations to set before packing or gifting.
- Leftover dough scraps can be re-rolled multiple times but may require extra chilling.
