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Piped Chocolate Butter Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 121 reviews

These Piped Chocolate Butter Cookies are rich, creamy, and elegantly swirled treats perfect for any occasion. Made from a smooth butter and cocoa dough, they are piped into delicate shapes, chilled to maintain form, and baked to perfection. Optional finishing touches include dipping in semi-sweet chocolate and decorating with maraschino cherries, sprinkles, or coarse sugar, making them both visually appealing and deliciously indulgent.

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 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
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Optional Toppings

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

Instructions

  1. Prepare for chilling and baking: Read through the recipe notes and clear space in your refrigerator for chilling the cookie dough on a baking sheet. Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; if unlined, do not grease the pans.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until very soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamed, another 2 minutes.
  3. Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
  4. Incorporate dry ingredients: On low speed, add flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until the dough is completely combined and smooth.
  5. Prepare espresso milk and mix: Warm milk to about 150°F (66°C), approximately 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir espresso powder into the warm milk until dissolved. Add this espresso-milk mixture to the dough and beat on medium speed. Add an additional 1/2 tablespoon milk if needed to achieve a creamy, pipe-able but thick dough.
  6. Pipe cookie shapes: Fit a large piping tip on a piping bag. Spoon some dough into the bag and pipe 1- to 2-inch swirls or lines onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart. If dough is too thick to pipe, add a small amount more milk and mix again. Optionally, decorate with maraschino cherries or sprinkle with sprinkles or coarse sugar.
  7. Chill the shaped cookies: Place the baking sheets with piped cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 20–30 minutes to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
  8. Preheat oven: While chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
  9. Bake cookies: Bake the chilled cookies for 12–15 minutes, or until edges are set but shapes are still slightly soft. Smaller cookies will bake closer to 12 minutes.
  10. Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Melt chocolate (optional): Using a double boiler or microwave in 20-second increments stirring between, melt chopped semi-sweet chocolate until smooth.
  12. Decorate cookies (optional): Dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and add sprinkles if desired. Let chocolate set at room temperature for about 1 hour or refrigerate for 20 minutes before storing or gifting.
  13. Storage: Store cookies with chocolate or cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated up to 1 week. Cookies without toppings stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • Chilling the shaped dough before baking is essential to prevent the cookies from overspreading and losing their shape.
  • Do not chill the dough before piping, as it will become too stiff to pipe easily.
  • Add milk sparingly; too much milk will cause the cookies to spread more during baking.
  • If piping is difficult at first, do not give up — the dough will become more workable as you continue.
  • Use a large piping tip for best results in shaping the cookies.
  • If decorating with chocolate, ensure the cookies are fully cooled before dipping to avoid melting the chocolate unevenly.

Keywords: chocolate butter cookies, piped cookies, chocolate swirl cookies, holiday cookies, chocolate dessert, homemade cookies

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