These Iced Chocolate Cookies are a delicious treat for afternoon tea. Iced Chocolate Cookies pictured with Lemon-Orange Battenberg Cake and Apple-Cranberry Tartlets.
Iced Chocolate Cookies
Serves: approximately 36
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Vanilla Icing (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Add egg; beat just until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined.
- On a work surface, place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Transfer dough between parchment to a cutting board or baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove parchment paper from cold dough, and place dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a 1½-inch fluted square cutter dipped in flour, cut as many shapes as possible from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets too soft, refrigerate until firm.)
- Bake until edges of cookies are firm and centers are set, 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.
- Decorate cookies with icing. Let icing dry completely. Store cookies between layers of wax paper in airtight containers.
Vanilla Icing
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1½ tablespoons water and meringue powder until foamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, whisking until stiff and thickened. Whisk in vanilla extract. (If icing is too thick, add water, ½ tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.) Use immediately to decorate cookies, keeping icing covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
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