Valentine's Day is TOMORROW, people!!!
{Did that scare anyone? It's OK...there's still time!}
Right before I left for New York, our church had a big celebration....there was music and gumbo and a bake-off (!).
I made a little something for the bake-off, but there was also a need for desserts for the dessert table.
{It's hard for me to say no to bringing dessert.}
Did I mention I had my bake-off baking to do and a little trip to New York City to pack for?
I needed something quick and easy, but still pretty. Inspired by these at Munchkin Munchies and these by The Decorated Cookie, I decided to go with mini chocolate hugs & kisses cookies.
This recipe made a bunch (I forgot to count) and they were fast (no flood icing). Perfect for last minute baking!
The only thing I would change would be to make the x's and o's pink next time.
You can even play tic-tac-toe with them when you can't eat anymore.
{That may not happen as they are deliciously addictive, especially in bite-size form. Seriously...make these cookies!}
Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
{modified from Cookie Craft}
2 & 1/2 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 c. dutch-process cocoa (natural is OK, too)
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour,cocoa, espresso powder and salt; set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light an fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
In 3 additions, add the flour mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured and cocoa-ed surface. (I mixed the 2 of these, then spread on my rolling surface, on my rolling pin, and used it to dip my cookie cutters.)
Cut the cookies with a square cutter, then divide into smaller squares, if necessary, using a bench scraper.
Freeze cut cookies five minutes.
Bake 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
With white royal icing and a #4 (or so) plain tip, pipe the x's and o's.
With red icing and a #3 or #4 tip, pipe hearts on some of the cookies.
Let the icing dry (overnight is fine).
Mix equal parts meringue powder and water. Brush onto piped designs with a small paintbrush and sprinkle on sanding sugar. Shake off the excess.
Stray sanding sugar REALLY shows up on these cookies, so use a dry paintbrush to remove the excess...like this:
More Valentine Cookie Ideas:
- Scrabble LOVE Cookies
- Sparkly Heart Cookies with va-va-va-vanilla
- Olive You...Valentine Martini Cookies
{Oh, and after you do, go on back to this post and leave a comment. You'll be entered to win a dozen decorated cookies from me as a thank you!}
♥ Happy Valentine's Day, you guys!!! Make it sweet! ♥
YUM!! these look so yummy Bridget! and I love how simple the X and O's are!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines Day! ♥
really cute! I love the dark background :)
ReplyDeleteVery clever - and especially helpful to those of us who have not planned well for V Day!
ReplyDeleteSusan
So cute, Bridget! Those xs and os remind me of Nana too :) voted for ya again :)
ReplyDeletewhat cute cookies! Happy Valentine's
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! I just want to grab one and sink my teeth into it... Thanks for another cute idea :)
ReplyDeleteIf you can't tell by my name, chocolate is indeed my favorite thing and these delightful cookies look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI stuck with crocheted gifts for friends with whom we are celebrating tonight. You can see them at http://robertapm28.blogspot.com/2010/02/needlework-crocheted-valentine.html
I voted again for you today - having reminders is great. I am also following your blog and would love for you to follow mine.
Happy Valentine's Day!!
splendidi questi biscotti!!! deliziosi!
ReplyDeleteHow cute!
ReplyDeleteNicely done!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day!
very cute and who says you shouldn't play with your food:)
ReplyDeleteYummy! and everything you do is so pretty - nice and pretty - you have it all girlfriend!
ReplyDeleteSo simple and yet so sweet!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines' Day!
Oh bridget,ur genius as usual...love ur excelled creative ideas so somuc....
ReplyDeleteoh yeah...LOVES IS SO IN THE AIR,SO IS ROMANCE ,WISH U ALL LOADS OF IT @ 365
So cute! They look adorable and yummy at the same time! That is hard to do.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThose look incredible Bridget! I made your cut outs this morning, but substituted lemon extract for the almond & added lemon & a little almond in the royal icing as well... they are sooooo good. I also made some chocolate sea salt covered oreos & those were super easy.
ReplyDeleteAdorable! And I look forward to your blog every day!
ReplyDeleteI have a question and a tip that I've been passing around. First the question.
I'm just beginning this venture and so I have extra icing that I store during the week. I have found that when I write with the week old icing, it spreads more even though I make sure that the consistency is the same as when I used it in the beginning of the week. When I used it fresh, the writing and details were nice and crisp. The readjusted week old icing spreads a bit.
Do you think the cream of tarter and the eggs combination has changed? I'd love to know what is happening ;)
The tip is this: I use this scrapbooking tray, which can be found at Michaels in the embossing powder area. Use it to sprinkle your sugar or sprinkles and then funnel them right back in to the bottle. It works like magic! No more coffee filters!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390059512692
These are soooo cute! I think the hubby and I are going to stay in tomorrow for V-day and make dinner together, so maybe I'll whip up some of these for dessert!
ReplyDeleteOh, how CUTE!!! You never cease to amaze me with your creativity! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, my mom was just diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer last week. What a great way to donate! I voted for you!
ReplyDeleteWow, Bridget you combined the best of both!!! Thanks for the shout-out! (Coming from you, that's quite an honor!)
ReplyDeleteadorable! the cutest treats i've seen in blog world!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cookies! You're always so creative. I love the black and white x's and o's!
ReplyDeleteLove these cookies! They look so yummy, what a perfect surprise treat for my boys! ;) They will love these with a tall glass a milk.
ReplyDeleteThose are adorable!! I've been voting for you every day!
ReplyDeleteI voted again today. Happy Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeletethese are adorable! Happy Valentines Day!
ReplyDeleteYes....I have been voting everyday. I also posted it on my facebook. I hope that you win! I want that oven!
ReplyDeleteThese are super cute! I'm all set for valentines day but these would be a great "I love you every other day too" cookies!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for a few months now, but this is my first comment. You have inspired me to start making sugar cookies with royal icing, and they are so much fun!! Thanks for all your fabulous ideas and wonderful tutorials.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute idea ~maybe I can try making them next year in my new kitchen ;)
ReplyDeleteThese were good! Brag on yourself...you won the bake off! I still need to try one of those cupcakes!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines Day Bridget to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteyour choc cookies look dee-liss-ous!
yummy!!!
Bridget it was awesome to meet you too! Now I have a new friend in Texas. This is not helping my desire to more there you know. Sighh someday. I hope the snow melted your way lol.
ReplyDeleteLaura
Super cute. They almost look like they were brownies! Dies for want of chocolate!
ReplyDeleteThose are just so cute. I love the things you come up with!!!
ReplyDeleteXOOX
Jen
These are adorable! Love them!
ReplyDeletethanks for your blog. I have learned so much. Thanks for being willing to share so many tips and secrets. K
ReplyDeleteJust found your site and I love it already. Keep up the cute posts!!
ReplyDeleteI made these, they turned out WONDERFUL and my family loved them!
ReplyDeleteThose are adorable! Simple and sweet. I just used the Cookie Craft choc. cookie recipe for v-day too and it was great!
ReplyDeletehey bridget...just voted for u again this snowy morning in nyc!!
ReplyDeletegreat job!!
I love when you just whip something together.. and its FANTASTIC!!! WOW you are talented girl!!!
ReplyDeleteI am SO proud of you for all you are doing with the Cook Off and everything... you are an inspiration!
Be blessed-
Amanda
Gorgeous! These are making me hungry. :D
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious - can't wait to try out recipe.
ReplyDeleteI made/attempted these yesterday. They don't seem to be as thick as yours? How thin did you roll them before cutting out? Thanks for the recipe! Mine are for our support staff at work and I tried piping with royal icing as well.
ReplyDeleteA chocolate cut-out?! Yummy! And super cute! Although, I must confess I haven't made a "regular" sugar cookie since I tried your brown sugar & spice cut outs before Thanksgiving. My Christmas, Superbowl and Valentines cookies were all brown sugar & spice. We love that recipe!
ReplyDeleteWould love a print button to take this to the kitchen w/me instead of the laptop. I'm a new reader so I may have missed it..if so please let me know. So mnay handsome cookies!!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly (5 years later...)
DeleteHi there!
DeleteI didn't have a print button way back when I posted these. Current recipes do. For this recipe, just copy and paste into a Word document. Thanks! :)
I can't believe how black these cookies turn out! I can't wait to make them!
ReplyDeletefound your post while searching for classroom treats... What if I wanted to skip the espresso powder because this was going to feed kindergartners??? Just omit, or does it need a substitution...
ReplyDeleteyour recipe is really good
ReplyDeleteam i allowed to translate it in french on my blog with of course a link on yours?
sure! :)
ReplyDeletedone
ReplyDeletethanks!!!!
Hello! I am a HUGE fan of your blog. I'm a beginner at cookie decorating and I must say thanks for all of the tips and insight you provide!!!
ReplyDeleteI've already made your sugar cookies! Those were amazing. I'm just now making these chocolate ones as we speak. Mine aren't as dark as yours. I made the dough exactly how the recipe states. However, I did use a natural cocoa powder and I did use an instant coffee instead of instant espresso.
What could it be?
Thanks again!
It's the natural instead of Dutch process.
DeleteThese cookies are beautiful! How did you put the sanding sugar on the hearts?
ReplyDeletei made these chocolate cookies into cookie pops and they worked great. the cookie itself was fabulous. that little bit of corse salt really elevates this cookie from good to great.
ReplyDelete(i did skip the espresso powder because I was making them for a bunch of 3 yr olds)
How thick do you roll these out? And for that matter, how thick for the regular sugar cookie recipe?
ReplyDeleteHi!!!
ReplyDeleteCan i use salted butter instead of coarse salt and unsalted butter? :)
I tried this recipe today. Skipped the espresso powder because I don't have any. The cookie reminds me of ice cream sandwiches. Now, I want to try making ice cream sammies!
ReplyDeleteThird person asking in 5 years: how thick do you roll them?
ReplyDeleteHi! I use your perfect every time cut out cookie recipe allllll the time. anyway, i wanted to try a chocolate cookie this time and was just wondering why it is that this cookie doesn't use baking powder at all whereas it looks like all your other cut-out cookies do?
ReplyDeleteI made these, was surprised not a real choc taste? They were dry? Did I simply overcook? At 5min. They were still shinny and extremely soft/Not cooked through? So added a couple more min to cook time? Ty
ReplyDeleteFive minutes will most likely not be enough time to bake, unless you're using a very tiny cookie cutter. These were small squares and baked for 8 minutes. A 3-4" cookie would need around 10.
DeleteHope that helps. Not sure why they were dry unless maybe the flour was overmeasured.