Chocolate Sugar Cut-Out Cookies
In addition to being beautiful, chocolate sugar cut-out cookies have a smooth, dense chocolate flavor and tender, melt-in-your mouth texture. Rolled and shaped with your favorite cookie cutter, and topped with a sparkle of sugar, they’re the perfect sugar cookies for every chocolate lover in your life!
Valentine’s Day will be here soon and I want to share the recipe for these sparkly heart cookies with you. This recipe turns your favorite buttery sugar cookies into a chocolate sugar cut-out cookie, which couldn’t be more perfect for this February celebration of love. These have a rich, smooth, chocolate flavor and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Topped with a crackly sugar punch, they’re just too perfect and make a special Valentine treat for anyone needing a little reminder of just how much you love them!
Roll them out to your desired thickness. If you like them crisp and light, go for 1/8 inch. If you like a denser, fudgy texture with a little softness in the center, roll to ¼ inch. For the decorations, the simplest thing is to top with a little coarse or colored sugar before baking them. You can also use this recipe for royal icing and brighten them up with some color and a little more sweetness. Lastly, you can dust them with powdered sugar once they’re cool for a beautiful white/black look.
CHOCOLATE SUGAR CUT-OUT COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- all-purpose flour – You’ll need 1 3/4 cup for the cookies and a little extra for rolling out.
- salt – Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- unsweetened cocoa powder – Use the best cocoa powder you can afford as it will flavor the cookies.
- sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar this time.
- unsalted butter – Two and a half sticks of butter lends lots of flavor and gives them their delicate texture.
- vanilla extract – You’ll need two teaspoons!
- egg yolk – Save the white for a future use.
- coarse or colored sugar – You can use coarse sugar instead, or, even more granulated sugar if need be. This gives the cookies a lovely sparkle!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES
1. Mix Dough Together
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 tsp. salt, ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1-3/4 cups of flour. In a large bowl with beaters or in a stand mixer, on high speed, cream 1-¼ cups unsalted butter with ¾ cup of sugar for 3-4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg yolk and 2 tsp. vanilla extract. With beaters on low, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
2. Chill Dough
Divide dough into fourths and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap for 2 hours or overnight.
3. Roll Out Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and center oven rack. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before rolling. Dust a work surface with flour, as well as your rolling pin, and roll to desired thickness (1/4 – ½ inch, 3-6mm).
4. Cut Out Cookies
Cut with cookie cutters, using an offset spatula to remove cleanly, if needed, and place onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse or colored sugar, if desired. If using intricately-shaped cutters, chill dough on cookie sheets in refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking so they hold their shape.
5. Bake Cookies
Bake on center rack for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking pan for a few minutes, before removing warm cookies to cool fully on cooling rack.
More Chocolate Cookies to Love
- Orange & Chocolate French Butter Cookies (Sables)
- Chocolate Cherry Trail Mix Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Mocha Cookies
- Ultra-Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Chocolate Sugar Cut-Out Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- coarse or colored sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 tsp. salt, ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1-3/4 cups of flour. In a large bowl with beaters or in a stand mixer, on high speed, cream 1-¼ cups unsalted butter with ¾ cup of sugar for 3-4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg yolk and 2 tsp. vanilla extract. With beaters on low, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide dough into fourths and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and center oven rack. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before rolling. Dust a work surface with flour, as well as your rolling pin, and roll to desired thickness (1/4 – ½ inch, 3-6mm). Cut with cookie cutters, using an offset spatula to remove cleanly, if needed, and place onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse or colored sugar, if desired. If using intricately-shaped cutters, chill dough on cookie sheets in refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking so they hold their shape.
- Bake on center rack for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking pan for a few minutes, before removing warm cookies to cool fully on cooling rack. Makes about 36 cookies.