Chocolate Lover’s Christmas Cut-Out Cookies with Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate lovers, this recipe is for you.

To be honest, I make these chocolate cut-out cookies WAY more often than just around Christmastime.

I originally discovered the idea of chocolate cut-out cookies from the book Chocolate: The Food & The Music written by a team from Parragon Books. I found a recipe that basically made chocolate sandwich cookies with a rich ganache frosting between each layer. I made them, and they were divine, and I’ve been tweaking my own recipe ever since! 🙂

Just a few notes before we start…This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. I used small cookie cutters, and I had 29 in the end.
Also, make sure to take off your valuable jewelry and put on an apron. These are delicious, but extremely messy! 🙂
Finally, be sure you have a rolling and cutting area that’s safe for cookie cutting. My first time making these after our kitchen remodel, I ended up scratching the surface of my counter, not realizing the sharpness of my cookie cutters! 🙂 Now I just roll out my cookie dough onto a dusted silicone baking tray or regular baking sheet. You could also use a large cutting board!

I don’t need to do any more convincing than the photos and your own taste buds, so without anything else, here’s my recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. flour
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 c. whole milk
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate baking melts, for glaze

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325.

Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cocoa, and cinnamon. Continue mixing on medium speed until the texture looks like chocolate dust. While continuing to mix, slowly pour in the milk. Continue mixing on medium speed until the texture is sticky and all the dry ingredients are well-incorporated.

Dust your rolling area with cocoa powder (a couple of tablespoons should do fine). Roll out your cookie dough with a rolling pin or by hand, whichever you prefer. Cut out the cookie dough into whatever shapes you like. I chose stars, hearts and a clover shape (to turn upside-down into a tree).

Arrange the cookies on your baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow at least 30 minutes to cool. It seems like a loooooonnnnnng time, but if you lift them off the sheet too early, they fall completely apart.

While the cookies are cooling, make the chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate chips or melts in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. *The measurement is still 1 cup. The picture is deceiving. 🙂 * Heat for thirty seconds, then stir. Repeat this twice (a total of about 1.5 minutes in the microwave). When the chocolate is totally melted, frost your cookies. You can definitely lay it on generously!! The glaze hardens nicely, even at room temperature.

Decorate your glazed cookies with whatever sprinkles or edible baubles you like. (Sprinkles!! ❤ )

They should be ready to go! They will refrigerate well, and before glazing, could freeze well too.