Description
These Piped Chocolate Butter Cookies are rich, buttery, and beautifully piped swirls of chocolate goodness. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with a cup of tea, they feature a deep chocolate flavor enhanced by espresso powder and can be optionally dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate or topped with cherries and sprinkles.
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
- Preparation: Read through the recipe notes and prepare your workspace. Make room in your refrigerator to chill the shaped cookies for 20 to 30 minutes to prevent overspreading.
- Line Baking Sheets: Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If unlined, do not grease the pans.
- 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 granulated sugar and beat on medium-high until smooth and creamed, about 2 more minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: On low speed, beat in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Increase to high speed and beat until the dough is completely mixed.
- Prepare Espresso Milk: Warm the milk to about 150°F (66°C), approximately 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir in the espresso powder until dissolved.
- Add Espresso Milk to Dough: Add the warm espresso-milk mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed until creamy and pipe-able but still thick. Add an additional 1/2 Tablespoon milk if dough is too stiff, keeping in mind more milk causes more spreading.
- Pipe the Cookies: Fit a large piping tip on a piping bag. Spoon a small amount of dough into the bag and pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines, spaced about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If dough is too thick, return to the bowl and add a little more milk until pipe-able.
- Add Optional Toppings: Place maraschino cherries in the center of swirls and/or sprinkle the dough with sprinkles or coarse sugar if desired.
- Chill the Cookies: Transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator and chill the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes to prevent overspreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: While chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake Cookies: Bake the chilled cookies for 12–15 minutes until the edges appear set but the centers are still soft. Smaller cookies will bake closer to 12 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Chocolate Dip: Melt chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave (20-second increments, stirring each time). Dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate and garnish with sprinkles if desired. Let chocolate set completely at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for 20 minutes before storing.
- Storage: Store cookies with chocolate or cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Cookies without these toppings stay fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
- Make ahead: Chill shaped cookies on the baking sheet for up to 1 day before baking; cover with plastic wrap or foil if chilling longer than 30 minutes.
- You can freeze unbaked shaped dough for up to 3 months. Bake frozen dough without thawing, adding 1–2 extra minutes to baking time.
- Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months with or without toppings.
- If you don't have a large piping tip, you can use a cookie press (skip the milk and add espresso powder with the flour) or snip a 1/2-inch corner off a plastic bag to pipe lines.
- This dough is not suitable for rolling and cutting; it will not hold shape.
- Espresso powder enhances chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee; substitutes include instant coffee powder dissolved in warm milk.
- For dipping, use baking chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips to ensure smooth melting; thin with 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil if needed.
- Use a large piping tip like Ateco 849, Wilton 8B, or Ateco 826 for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
