The Best Chocolate Butter Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl until completely combined. Beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. The mixture will look broken but that's ok. Beat in 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Reserve the rest.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Lightly press about 3 of the remaining chocolate chips into each cookie.
• Bake the cookies until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a microwave; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; stir in butter mixture and chocolate chips (mixture will be crumbly). , Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks. Dip or drizzle with chocolate if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
• Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa and expresso powders; stir until mixture forms a smooth paste. Set aside to cool, about 15 minutes.
• In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix remaining 16 tablespoons butter, sugar, salt, and cooled cocoa mixture on high speed until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping sides of mixing bowl once or twice with rubber spatula. Add yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl. With mixer running on low, add flour in 3 additions, waiting until each addition is incorporated before adding net and scraping bowl after each addition. Continue to mix until dough forms cohesive ball, about 5 seconds. Turn dough onto work surface; divide into 3 4-inch disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm yet malleable, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll 1 dough disk between 2 large sheets of parchment paper to even thickness of 3/16-inch. (If dough becomes soft and sticky, slide rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and rechill until firm, about 10 minutes.) Peel parchment from one side of dough and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter(s) Use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookie shapes to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and chill to use again.
• Bake about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will offer slight resistance to the touch when done. If they yield too easily, they are underdone. If they begin to darken on edges they have overbaked. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool for 5 minutes, then, using the spatula, transfer them to wire rack and cool completely,.
• VARIATIONS:.
• Instead of forming dough into disks, you may form it into logs about 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap with plastic wrap to make a nice cylinder. Chill until very firm; then simply slice dough into 1/4-inch slices as you would refrigerator cookies. Continue as above.
• Cookies may be served plain or dusted with sifted powdered sugar. The logs of dough may be rolled in sanding sugar or chopped nuts just before slicing.
• Make a glaze by melting 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and whisk until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons corn syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla land mix until smooth and shiny. Use back of spoon to spread scant teaspoon glaze to edge of each cookies. It may be necessary to reheat glaze to keep it spreadable. Allow glazed cookie s to dry at least 20 minutes.
• Mexican Chocoate Butter Cookies: Combine 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne in a medium skillet. Toast until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool; then process in a food processor until very fine, about 15 seconds. Follow recipe above for Chocolate Butter Cookies, whisking nut mixture into flour before adding flour to dough in step 2. Proceed with recipe. Roll dough into log and roll the log in 1/2 cup sanding sugar.
• Glazed Chocolate-Mint Cookies: Follow recipe above for Chocolate Butter Cookies, replacing the vanilla extract with 2 teaspoons mint extract. It is nice to melt 1 cup white chocolate chips and drizzle over glazed cookies. Let dry at least 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine sugar, butter, egg, and extract.
• Beat at medium speed until fluffy.
• Gradually add flour and cocoa until well mixed.
• Shape into rounded teaspoonfuls 1" balls, cookie press, or indent in the middle.
• Bake for 7-9 minutes.
• Cool, then decorate with melted chocolate, cherry in center, or powdered sugar.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts., Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough into balls. Flatten each to 3/4-in. thickness (2-1/2-in. diameter), smoothing edges as necessary. Place in an airtight container, separating layers with waxed paper or parchment; refrigerate, covered, overnight., To bake, place dough portions 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400°., Bake until edges are golden brown (centers will be light), 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.