Description
These Piped Chocolate Butter Cookies feature a rich cocoa flavor with a creamy, pipe-able dough that creates elegant swirls perfect for any occasion. Enhanced with espresso powder for depth and optionally dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate or topped with maraschino cherries and sprinkles, these cookies are crisp around the edges with a tender center.
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 & Chill Baking Sheets: Read through the recipe and notes before beginning. Make room in the refrigerator to chill a baking sheet with shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes. Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or leave unlined but do not grease if unlined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat 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, then beat on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again to ensure mixing.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: On low speed, add flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Increase to high speed and beat until fully incorporated into a uniform dough.
- Mix Milk and Espresso Powder: Warm the milk to about 150°F (66°C), around 20 seconds in microwave. Stir in espresso powder until dissolved. Add this warm mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed to create a creamy, pipe-able but thick dough. If needed, add up to another 1/2 Tablespoon of milk for desired consistency.
- Pipe Cookies: Fit a piping bag with a large tip and fill with dough. Pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines spaced 3 inches apart on prepared sheets. If dough is too thick, return to bowl and add more milk in small amounts. Optionally, add maraschino cherries or sprinkle with sprinkles/coarse sugar.
- Chill Shaped Cookies: Place baking sheet with piped cookies into refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to prevent overspreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: While chilling, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake: Bake cookies for 12–15 minutes, until edges appear set and cookies hold shape. Smaller cookies lean towards 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
- Cool Completely: Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool fully before decorating or serving.
- Optional Chocolate Dipping: Melt semi-sweet chocolate in double boiler or microwave (in 20-second increments, stirring each time until smooth). Dip cooled cookies, add sprinkles if desired, and let chocolate set at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Storage: Store cookies with chocolate or cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerated up to 1 week. Without toppings, cookies remain fresh at room temperature up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Shaped cookies can be refrigerated on baking sheets up to 1 day before baking, covering them if over 30 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze unbaked shaped dough for up to 3 months; bake frozen dough with an extra 1–2 minutes. Baked cookies freeze well for 3 months.
- Espresso Powder: Enhances chocolate flavor without coffee taste; substitute instant coffee powder if needed and dissolve in warm milk before adding.
- No Piping Tip: Use a cookie press for chocolate spritz cookies by skipping milk and mixing espresso powder with flour. Alternatively, pipe with a plastic bag with 1/2 inch corner cut off.
- Not Suitable for Rolling & Cutting: Dough is too soft to roll out and hold shape; use a different recipe for rolled cut-out cookies.
- Chocolate Dipping Tips: Use pure baking chocolate bars, not chips; add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil if melted chocolate is too thick for dipping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
