Best Cookies: Chocolate Butter Cookies

Butter cookies are basic, easy-to-make cookies that can be shaped and decorated in many colorful ways.

Chocolate and almond flavoring add a deliciously elegant taste to our traditional butter cookies. Eat them plain or dress them up. These chocolate cookies are guaranteed crowd pleasers.

Chocolate Butter Cookies

½ cup sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients EXCEPT flour and cocoa. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add flour and cocoa until well mixed (2-3 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls as desired into 1-inch balls, logs, or other shapes (or use a cookie press). Place cookies 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until set. Cool.

Decorate with melted chocolate chips, melted almond bark, nuts, colored sugars, candied fruit, maraschino cherries, etc.

About the author:
Copyright 2005
Donna Monday
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Chocolate Hedgehogs

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup corn flakes
2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut up
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
2. Butter two cookie sheets.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
4. Stir in the corn flakes, oats, and coconut.
5. Melt the butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over low heat.
6. Add the baking soda mixture.
7. Stir the butter mixture into the dry ingredients.
8. Drop teaspoons of the dough 1 ½ inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets, pressing down firmly with a fork.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking.
10. Transfer to racks to cool.

Makes about 35 cookies. Preparation: 15 min. Cooking: 15-20min. Level: 1. Keeps: 7 days.

Chocolate-nutmeg cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
2. Butter two cookie sheets.
3. Shift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl.
4. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.
5. Add the egg yolk, beating until just blended.
6. Mix in the dry ingredients.
7. Drop teaspoons of the dough 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookies sheets.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until firm around edges, rotating the sheets halfway through for
even baking.
9. Transfer to racks to cool.

Makes 25-30 cookies. Preparation: 20 min. Cooking: 12 – 15 min. Level: 1 Keeps: 7 days.