Description
These Piped Chocolate Butter Cookies are rich, creamy, and perfectly shaped with a smooth chocolate flavor intensified by espresso powder. The cookies are piped into swirls or lines and chilled to hold their shape during baking, then optionally dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate and topped with cherries or sprinkles for a festive touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (27g) natural or dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, warm
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Optional Toppings
- 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- maraschino cherries
- sprinkles or coarse sugar
Instructions
- Prepare for Chilling: Read through the recipe notes and make space in your refrigerator to chill the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes, which prevents overspreading.
- Line Baking Sheets: Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; if unlined, do not grease.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until very soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla on high speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: On low speed, add flour, cocoa powder, and salt, then increase to high speed and beat until fully combined.
- Mix Milk and Espresso: Warm the milk to about 150°F (66°C) and dissolve espresso powder in it. Add this mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed until creamy and pipe-able, adding up to another 1/2 tablespoon milk if needed.
- Pipe Cookies: Fit a piping bag with a large tip, fill with dough, and pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines spaced 3 inches apart onto prepared sheets. Adjust dough consistency with milk if needed. Optionally top with cherries or sprinkles.
- Chill Shaped Cookies: Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes to prevent overspreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake Cookies: Bake chilled cookies for 12–15 minutes until edges are set. Smaller cookies may take closer to 12 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt Chocolate (Optional): Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave in 20-second increments stirring until smooth. Dip cookies and top with sprinkles if desired. Let chocolate set at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerated for 20 minutes before storing or gifting.
Notes
- You can chill shaped cookies on baking sheets in the fridge up to 1 day before baking; cover if chilling longer than 30 minutes.
- Frozen unbaked shaped dough can be stored up to 3 months; bake from frozen adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months with or without toppings.
- If no large piping tip, use a cookie press or snip 1/2 inch corner off a plastic bag and pipe small lines or swirls.
- Do not roll out this dough with cookie cutters; it won't hold shape well.
- Use pure baking chocolate bars for dipping; avoid chocolate chips due to stabilizers.
- If melted chocolate is too thick for dipping, stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil to thin.
- Espresso powder enhances chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee; instant coffee powder can substitute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
