Name: Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1 tsp pure almond extract; 1 egg large; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1-2 tbsp milk; 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (melted); 1 tbsp Christmas Sprinkles

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As Christmas quickly approaches, cookie ideas begin to flow. Butter cookies are one of my favorite recipes. Melt in your mouth texture, with an added hint of almond, these cookies have been a favorite of mine for a long time. Taking a spin on an old recipe is always fun. I find that chocolate dipped butter cookies are even more delicious!

If you have never made butter cookies before, they are a bit different than other cookies. Their texture is more of a shortbread cookie as they have no rising agent. What makes them different is butter cookies can be piped and made into many different shapes and designs. They can also be chilled and baked similarly to shortbread.

Related: Candied Pecans

What You Need:

Butter (2 sticks) – This seems like a lot, but butter is what gives it the melt in your mouth taste. It also offers structure.
Granulated Sugar – Sugar in this recipe is part of the base of the dough.
Egg – An egg helps to bind the dough together.
Vanilla and Almond Extract – This adds the real flavor to the cookies. You can substitute more vanilla if you don’t like almond extract.
All-Purpose Flour – Added at the end, directly into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Salt – Helps to really bring out the flavor in the cookies.
Milk – A tablespoon or two will really help the dough to become thin enough to pipe (if you desire).
Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (Optional) – Melted, and for dipping after the cookies have been baked.
Sprinkles (Optional) – For Festive fun!

Tips for Getting it Right

Ensure that all ingredients are room temperature – In order for the cookies to be piped and shaped the way you desire, the dough has to be soft enough to pipe. Using cold ingredients (such as an egg or milk), will make the butter cold and harden the dough. This will give you more of a shortbread dough than a piping dough.

Use a Large Piping Tip – If you are piping your cookies, be sure to use a 1 inch (or more) piping tip. The cookie dough is thick and the cookies need to be large.

Chill the cooking before baking – If you are piping the dough (and even if you aren’t), be sure to chill the dough for 20-30 minutes before baking. This will prevent the cookies from spreading out on the baking sheet, and maintain their shape.

Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat – Some people swear by using no sheet at all, but what you want to avoid is greasing the surface before baking the cookies. The grease will also ruin the shape of your cookies.

Baking the Cookies

Once the cookies have been chilled for 30 minutes, bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Allow them to cool before dipping the cookies in chocolate and decorating.

Decorating the Cookies

Melt one cup of semi-sweet baking chocolate in a bowl – either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stovetop – and dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate. Remove the cookies and add sprinkles to the chocolate before the chocolate cools.