Gift Cookies

Every year I make packages of cookies to gift to friends.

Most years, I make a variety of cookies and include 4 of each kind

in the gift baskets.

This year, I decided to do one kind

And gift a dozen of them.

Because so many make similar cookies

(Mexican wedding cakes, Spritz)

I decided to go a different route.

I do love cutout cookies

(not cutting them out but love the end result)

And so I found a Martha Stewart recipe for

Dark Chocolate Cutout Cookies

They came together easily

And I found an extra dark cocoa at the market

which made them even more chocolatey.  

The cookies on the cooling rack

All "nekid"!

And all decorated with Royal icing

And for the trees a shower of sanding sugar.

Of course, I had to keep a plate for us!

Husband Jim would never forgive me!

I put a dozen in a big cello bag tied with a red ribbon

All packaged and ready to be delivered

Which was my chore today!

It's always fun to see the smile a package of cookies brings to a face!

DARK CHOCOLATE CUT OUT COOKIES

• • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
  • 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Royal Icing
  • Fine sanding sugar

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment. Brush off excess flour, transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling scraps as needed. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating once and firmly rapping baking sheet halfway through baking to flatten any bubbles in cookies. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
3. Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (Ateco #0, 1, or 2). Pipe outlines and details on cookies. Immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, and tap off excess. Let set completely, uncovered, at room temperature, at least 4 hours or (ideally) overnight.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday.