Description
Deliciously rich and festive Chocolate Sugar Cookies featuring a tender cocoa-infused dough, topped with melted semi-sweet chocolate and crushed peppermint candy canes for a perfect holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (127.5 g)
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder (31.5 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 113.5 g), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white (use one whole egg if doubling the recipe)
For Decoration
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Crushed peppermint candy canes, as needed
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric beater, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg white and beat for an additional 30 seconds to incorporate.
- Combine dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix at low speed for 30 seconds until you get a slightly firm dough that is not overly stiff.
- Roll and chill dough: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the dough with parchment onto a large baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.
- Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut cookies: Remove dough from fridge and cut into 2-inch squares or use favorite cookie cutters. Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. If dough softens during cutting, briefly chill again before baking. Gather scraps, re-roll, chill, and cut more cookies as needed.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until cookies feel slightly firm in the center. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Melt chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the vegetable oil, stirring until smooth and fully melted.
- Decorate cookies: Spread melted chocolate over half of each cooled cookie. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle crushed peppermint candy canes on top. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for a few hours to set the chocolate, or refrigerate to speed up the process.
Notes
- Use a whole egg instead of just the white if doubling the recipe for better structure.
- Chilling the dough overnight intensifies flavor and helps with easier cutting.
- If the dough softens too much during handling, refrigerate briefly before cutting or baking to maintain shape.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate sugar cookies, peppermint chocolate cookies, holiday cookies, cocoa cookies, festive cookies, chocolate chip cookies
