Description
These Chocolate Butter Cookies are rich, fudgy, and irresistibly smooth, combining the deep flavor of cocoa and espresso powder with the buttery texture of classic cookies. Perfect for chocolate lovers, these cookies are piped for an elegant look and finished with a bright candied cherry on top, making them an ideal treat for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 Cup Butter (unsalted and at room temperature)
- 1 and ¼ Cups Confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch processed or natural both work)
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping
- 16 whole Candied Cherries
Instructions
- Prepare for chilling: Make sure you have enough space in your refrigerator for one baking tray and freezer before making the dough and piping the cookies. These cookies require chilling before baking. Avoid chilling the dough before piping as it will become too stiff to pipe easily. Line one or two cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the unsalted room temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is very light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla: Add the large egg and pure vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat for about a minute on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add dry ingredients: Lower the mixer to low speed and slowly add the sifted all-purpose flour, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Once combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough just comes together.
- Incorporate espresso milk mixture: Mix the espresso powder with warm milk until fully dissolved. Pour this mixture into the dough and blend evenly. The dough should be creamy but not too soft or runny. Be cautious not to add too much milk.
- Test dough for piping: Spoon a few tablespoons of dough into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip and test if it pipes easily. If it pipes well, continue filling the bag and piping cookies. If the dough is too stiff to pipe, add about half a tablespoon more milk and mix gently.
- Adjust consistency carefully: The dough may feel stiff initially, making the first few cookies hard to pipe. As the dough warms slightly with your hands, it will become easier to pipe. Avoid adding too much milk to prevent runny dough.
- Chill piped cookies: Refrigerate the piped cookies for 20-25 minutes so they firm up. After this, use a spatula to transfer them to a larger plate and chill them in the freezer briefly to make them extra firm. Then, transfer back to the parchment-lined cookie trays, spacing the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies: While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until edges appear set. Smaller cookies will bake closer to 12 minutes.
- Cool and garnish: After baking, cool the cookies on the tray for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. While still warm, press candied cherry halves onto the top of each cookie to finish.
Notes
- Do not chill the dough before piping, as it becomes too stiff to pipe correctly.
- The espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Adding milk gradually is key to maintaining optimal dough consistency for piping.
- Spacing cookies adequately on the tray is important to prevent them from sticking together as they bake and spread.
- Piping bags fitted with large tips create an attractive, uniform cookie shape.
- Storing these cookies in an airtight container preserves their freshness for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
