Roll-out Chocolate Cookies
This is the standard recipe I use for roll out cookies, and this year I needed chocolate for bears and reindeer, so I added chocolate.
This is the standard recipe I use for roll out cookies, and this year I needed chocolate for bears and reindeer, so I added chocolate.
- Carbohydrate 92.1381375 g
- Cholesterol 233.183333333333 mg
- Fat 63.9681870833333 g
- Fiber 2.65619587523739 g
- Protein 11.4899370833333 g
- Saturated Fat 39.5692329166667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Dozen (211g)
- Sodium 1374.62558333333 mg
- Sugar 89.4819416247626 g
- Trans Fat 4.85467266666667 g
- Calories 985 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg and extracts.
- Mix flour, baking powder, cocoa, instant coffee and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Do not chill dough.
- Divide dough into 2 balls.
- On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick.
- Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use.
- Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
Bakers frequently fail with shaped cookies by chilling the dough until it shatters or rolling it so thin that the center burns before the edges brown. Achieving structural stability in decorative baking requires managing moisture and fat fractions precisely, particularly when introducing dry cocoa solids that absorb liquid differently than all-purpose flour. Creaming softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar incorporates microscopic air cells that expand at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, creating a tender crumb without sacrificing the rigidity needed to hold intricate outlines.
Chemical Interactions and Flavor Architecture
Cocoa powder introduces natural starches and proteins that tighten the dough structure rapidly, while a small addition of instant coffee supplies hydrophobic aromatic compounds that deepen the perception of chocolate without introducing liquid bitterness. Clear vanilla extract and almond extract provide volatile top notes that persist through high-heat baking without scorching. Dipping cookie cutters into all-purpose flour before each press prevents tearing along the edges, ensuring the dough releases cleanly from the work surface at a consistent one-eighth-inch thickness.
- Replace the all-purpose flour with a certified 1:1 gluten-free baking blend containing xanthan gum if managing celiac restrictions.
- Bake single batches on ungreased commercial sheets for exactly six to seven minutes to prevent the bottoms from darkening excessively.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature layered between parchment paper to preserve crispness.
