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Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 25 reviews
  • Author: Rachel
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 30 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These piped chocolate butter cookies are rich, creamy, and beautifully swirled. Made with unsalted butter, cocoa powder, and a hint of espresso powder to deepen chocolate flavor, they're piped for an elegant shape and lightly chilled to maintain form during baking. Optional toppings include maraschino cherries, sprinkles, coarse sugar, or a chocolate dip for added indulgence.

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 (plus up to 1/2 Tablespoon extra if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Optional Toppings

  • 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • maraschino cherries
  • sprinkles or coarse sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare chilling space: Read through the recipe and Notes. Make space in your refrigerator for a baking sheet to chill shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes. Without chilling, cookies will overspread. Note: Do not chill dough before shaping as it will become too stiff to pipe.
  2. Line baking sheets: Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If unlined, do not grease the pan.
  3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter on medium-high speed until very soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 more minutes.
  4. Add egg and vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract, then beat on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl as needed and mix again for even incorporation.
  5. Incorporate dry ingredients: On low speed, beat in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Then increase to high speed and beat until completely combined into a smooth dough.
  6. Mix milk and espresso: Warm milk to about 150°F (66°C) -- roughly 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir in the espresso powder until fully dissolved. Add the warm mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed to blend. If dough is too thick to pipe, add another 1/2 Tablespoon milk to achieve a creamy, pipe-able consistency. Be mindful that more milk will increase spread during baking.
  7. Pipe cookies: Fit a large piping tip (such as Ateco 849, Wilton 8B, Ateco 826, or Ateco 827) on a piping bag. Spoon a small amount of dough into the bag and pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. If dough is too stiff, return to bowl and add a little more milk as needed. Optionally, top each swirl with a maraschino cherry, sprinkles, or coarse sugar.
  8. Chill shaped cookies: Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
  9. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) while cookies chill.
  10. Bake cookies: Bake chilled cookies for 12–15 minutes or until edges appear set. Smaller cookies will be done closer to 12 minutes. The cookies will spread but retain their piped shape if chilled.
  11. Cool cookies: Remove cookies from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Optional chocolate dip: Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring until smooth. If chocolate is too thick for dipping, stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil. Dip cooled cookies in the melted chocolate and add sprinkles if desired. Let chocolate set at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate 20 minutes before storing.
  13. Storage: Keep cookies with chocolate or cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Cookies without toppings stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • You can chill shaped cookies on baking sheets for up to 1 day before baking; cover with plastic wrap or foil if chilling over 30 minutes.
  • To bake after long chilling, use a flat spatula to transfer cold shaped dough to baking sheets evenly.
  • Unbaked shaped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months; bake frozen dough with an extra 1–2 minutes baking time.
  • Baked cookies freeze well with or without toppings for up to 3 months.
  • Espresso powder intensifies chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste; substitute instant coffee powder if unavailable.
  • If no piping tip or cookie press, snip a 1/2 inch corner of a plastic bag to pipe lines or flat swirls.
  • This dough is not suitable for rolling and cutting into shapes; try chocolate sugar cookie recipes for that.
  • For best chocolate dipping results, use pure baking chocolate bars rather than chips to ensure smooth melting.
  • To thin melted chocolate for dipping, add 1 teaspoon vegetable/canola oil if needed.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 110 kcal
  • Sugar: 7 g
  • Sodium: 45 mg
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 20 mg

Find it online: https://noodlehearth.com/chocolate-piped-butter-cookies-recipe/