Description
Delicious and rich chocolate frosted cookies featuring a tender, cocoa-infused dough topped with a luscious chocolate frosting. These cookies combine a dense yet soft texture with deep chocolate flavor, perfect for any chocolate lover's dessert or snack.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 226g (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar (fine)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 50g (½ cup) dutch process cocoa
- 300g (2 ¼ cups) all purpose flour
For the Cocoa Chocolate Frosting
- 170g (¾ cup) unsalted or salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 260g (2 cups) organic powdered sugar, sifted
- ⅓ cup dutch process cocoa, sifted if lumpy
- Pinch fine sea salt (two pinches if using unsalted butter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk (enough to thin to spreadable consistency)
For the Melted Chocolate Frosting
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 130g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- Pinch fine sea salt
- Dash pure vanilla extract
- 100g semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookies: Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat until almost melted but not fully liquefied to preserve fat content required for the dough.
- Combine Sugar and Flavors: Add granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the warmed butter and whisk vigorously for at least one minute. Add the egg and whisk again until the mixture becomes shiny and light in color.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift dutch cocoa, all-purpose flour, and baking soda into the wet mixture. Mix carefully with a rubber spatula until no visible flour or cocoa remains, using your hands if necessary to complete mixing.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour to firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two cookie sheets and line them with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies: Using an ice cream scoop or disher, form dough into 1.5 tablespoon-sized mounds. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth the surface, then gently flatten slightly with the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup.
- Bake: Place trays in oven and bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. The dough will not brown significantly due to its dark color, but cookies will have spread and lost a wet appearance. If cookies puff up while baking, gently press them down again with the bottom of a glass.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the sheet before frosting.
- Prepare Cocoa Chocolate Frosting (Option 1): In a bowl, beat softened butter with salt and vanilla until flavors meld. Gradually add powdered sugar and sifted cocoa and beat until combined. Add milk one tablespoon at a time while beating until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency, adding more powdered sugar if it becomes too thin.
- Prepare Melted Chocolate Frosting (Option 2): Melt semi-sweet or dark chocolate over a double boiler or microwaving in short increments, stirring frequently, and removing from heat just before fully melted to prevent burning. Stir until fully melted and let cool.
- Mix Melted Chocolate Frosting: Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in cooled melted chocolate until just combined.
- Frost Cookies: Spoon or pipe your chosen frosting over the cooled cookies. Optionally, garnish with flaked sea salt, sprinkles, or chocolate shavings as desired.
Notes
- Do not fully melt the butter initially to avoid losing fat which is crucial for cookie texture.
- Dark dough doesn’t visibly brown as much, so judge doneness by spread and absence of wet surface.
- Chilling the dough is important to achieve the right texture and ease of handling.
- Adjust milk quantity carefully in cocoa frosting to maintain spreadable but not runny consistency.
- Melt chocolate carefully to avoid burning; removing from heat slightly early is key.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
