One Recipe- 4 Ways to Gift for your Loved Ones!
Spread a little extra love this Valentine’s Day and gift homemade treats for your favorite people. We are thinking chocolate (of course!) and adorable cookie stamps that can be prepared and gifted in so many ways with just one simple recipe . Simply roll, stamp and bake these rich chocolate stamped sugar cookies and choose your favorite variation: enjoy as is or add a delicious Nutella buttercream filling for a cookie sandwich treat or dip in chocolate with festive sprinkles for a fun kids baking activity. Options are endless and your loved ones will adore these homemade creations!
Chocolate Stamped Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- sugar for rolling
Cookie Stamps used:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and brown sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to batter slowly. Blend thoroughly. Turn out dough on surface and knead until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Let dough sit out for a few minutes to soften slightly. Roll into golf-ball sized balls and roll in granulated sugar. Press dough with cookie stamps on baking sheet to release designs. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes about 18 cookies.
Variations and Ways to Gift
Needed:
- Treat bags
- string
- stickers and tags
Needed:
- Hot cocoa, coffee or tea
Chocolate dipped stamped cookies:
- white chocolate chips, melted
- semisweet chocolate chips, melted
- sprinkles
Direction:
Melt white chocolate chips and regular chocolate chips using a double boiler or in microwave safe bowls. Place cooled stamped cookies on a grid fitted in a sheet pan. Dip cookies half way in desired chocolate and decorate with festive sprinkles (or drizzle chocolate over cookies on grid and add sprinkles). Let chocolate settle and cool on grid before serving.
Chocolate Nutella Cookie Sandwiches:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Nutella
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream (+ more if needed)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- sprinkles
Direction:
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder at medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix for another minute until desired consistency is reached.
Once stamped cookies are cooled and ready, spread or pipe frosting on bottom side of cookie and place another cookie on top so designs are on the outside. Push down until frosting meets the edge of the cookies. Dip sides in sprinkles until completely covered for a fun decoration (optional). Makes about 9 cookie sandwiches.
