Chocolate Sugar Cookies

By carvalhohm2

Ingredients

• 14 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Details

Adapted from preparedpantryblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

With the paddle attachment to your stand-type mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the salt and vanilla. Add the egg and beat until well combined.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa.

Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture along with the one tablespoon cold water. Beat with the paddle until the dough comes together in a dough ball. The dough should be firm enough to roll out and cut cookies. If it is not, refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes
Roll the dough on a very lightly floured counter to a thickness of 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick. Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter. Place on the sheet and bake for nine minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To decorate the cookies:
Roll the fondant into thin sheets as directed by the package instructions. If you knead food coloring into the fondant, wear gloves so as not to stain your hands. Use the cookie cutters to cut fondant in matching shapes to the cookies. Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to lift the cut frosting shapes off the countertop and onto the cookies. Decorate with buttercream frosting, royal icing made with meringue powder, or additional cuts of fondant.