Valentine’s season is one of my favorite times of year to make decorated cookies (second only to Christmas). One thing I like about Valentine’s cookies is that you can get away with just a simple shape (a heart) and three colors (red, white, and pink) and still make some really special cookies.
For Valentine’s cookies I often set aside my “regular” sugar cookie recipe and make some delicious Chocolate rolled cookies. In fact, this recipe is so delicious I should really pull it out more often! This recipe is a slight variation of a recipe a friend gave me several years ago.
Chocolate Rolled Cookies
1 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons chocolate liqueur or extra strong coffee (this can be made with about 1 teaspoon of instant espresso dissolved into 2 Tablespoons warm water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1.) Sift together (or gently stir with a whisk) the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2..) With an electric mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fully incorporated and fluffy.
2.) Beat in egg, coffee or liqueur, and vanilla.
3.) Add in flour/cocoa mixture about 1 cup at a time. Blend until fully incorporated. (If you are using a hand mixer you may need to add the last cup of flour by hand).
4.) Divide dough into two or three large balls, place in a plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator 1-2 hours (if you’re in a hurry, you can chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the freezer).
5.) Once chilled, work with one ball of dough at a time, and roll onto a lightly floured surface. I find it works best to place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough, and then roll on top of the parchment. This prevents the dough from sticking to your rolling pin, and you also don’t need to add as much extra flour (as you would without the parchment).
6.) Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet.
7.) Place the baking sheet (with cookies on it) in the freezer about 5 minutes (this helps the dough keep it’s shape when baked).
8.) Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes (depending on size) in a 350*F oven.
9.) Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
10.) Decorate as desired.
Recipe Source- Glorious Treats
HERE is my royal icing recipe as well as lots of decorating tips to get you started.
HERE is a decorating tutorial from Karen’s Cookies that shows several of the same decorating techniques I used for these Valentine’s cookies.
Happy Baking!
How to Make Chocolate Rolled Cookies
Chocolate Rolled Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur or extra strong coffee this can be made with about 1 teaspoon of instant espresso dissolved into 2 Tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sift together (or gently stir with a whisk) the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fully incorporated and fluffy.
- Beat in egg, coffee or liqueur, and vanilla.
- 3Add in flour/cocoa mixture about 1 cup at a time. Blend until fully incorporated. (If you are using a hand mixer you may need to add the last cup of flour by hand).
- Divide dough into two or three large balls, place in a plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator 1-2 hours (if you’re in a hurry, you can chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the freezer).
- Once chilled, work with one ball of dough at a time, and roll onto a lightly floured surface. I find it works best to place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough, and then roll on top of the parchment. This prevents the dough from sticking to your rolling pin, and you also don’t need to add as much extra flour (as you would without the parchment).
- Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet (with cookies on it) in the freezer about 5 minutes (this helps the dough keep it’s shape when baked).
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes (depending on size) in a 350*F oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Decorate as desired.
Thanks for sharing these cookies! They look amazing! I just finished icing mine and they taste delicious 🙂
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed them!
Glory, this is the best rolled chocolate cookie recipe I ever made. The dough is so easy to work with and is delish. Made the valentine hearts and everyone thought they were store bought. Love your vanilla cookie and your chocolate cupcake recipe also! Love your stuff! Thank you. Jayne
Thanks so much for your sweet comment! So glad you enjoyed them!
These were amazing. Literally tasted like brownie cookies! But how long do they last?
Hi Greta, So glad you enjoyed them! The cookies will remain fresh and delicious about a week (stored in an airtight container, or favor bag).
I made these last night. I rolled out the dough before I chilled in, then kept it in the fridge for a full 12 hours before cutting out the shapes. Despite this, I only managed to cut a few before the dough became so soft that the shapes got distorted when I tried moving them! Even though I returned the cut shapes to the fridge for another 24 hours and put them in the freezer for 15 mins while the oven was heating up, they still puffed up and spread quite a lot. On 2″ cookies they spread 1/4″. If I try these again I think I’ll leave out the baking soda.
Hi Julianne, I’m going to guess maybe you live in a super warm climate? This dough can get a bit soft when warm, but is usually quite nice to work with once chilled. The dough will spread a small amount, although it’s never been enough to bother me. If it’s more than you like, then yes, feel free to remove the baking soda and that will help. Happy baking!
I made some 5 inch cookies with this recipe but they break easily, what should I change to make them sturdier?, thank you in advance and God Bless You.
Hi Alvar, Yes, the cookies are quite delicate when they are still warm, but once they cool it should not be much of a problem. If yours were too soft even when cool I might suggest baking them just a bit longer.
Thanks for the gorgeous recipe and photos! Can this recipe be halved? Thanks so much : )
Made there today filled with vanilla icecream and delecious!
Hello!! How far in advance can I bake the cookies? I would like to decorate them the night before Valentine’s and didn’t know how early the cookies could be baked? Suggestions?
Fantastic cookies! I made them without the baking soda, and they were a little bitter. I wanted to leave out the leavening, so they would not puff out. Is the baking soda in the recipe for leavening, or to balance the acidity of the chocolate?
This is now my go-to recipe!
MUY BUENA SU RECETA DE GALLETA DE CHOCOLATE, YA LA HICE Y ME SALIO SENSACIONAL GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR
BESOS
ELVIA