bittersweet symphony

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

step one

Prep.

It is important that ingredients are the right temperature. The eggs need to be room temperature. (If you forgot to take them out of the fridge — or just can’t wait to make these cookies — you can speed this up by letting them sit in a bowl of warm water. Warm, not hot. If the eggs are cold enough to chill the water after a few minutes, change it out as needed.) The butter just needs to be softened for this recipe, not room temperature. If you cut it into cubes while gathering and prepping your other ingredients, that will likely do the trick.

Gather your ingredients and tools.

There are very few occasions when I won’t tell you to sift your cocoa. Most cocoa powder is prone to lumps, and some mixing processes won’t be enough to get rid of them. You do not want lumps here. Sift the cocoa.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the bowl of cocoa and whisk (gently, of you’ll create a cocoa-flour cloud that will settle e.ve.ry.where) until it is uniform all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

step two

Unlike some recipes, these rolled cookies do not require the type of structure-building that happens when you cream butter and sugar to the point of fluffy, lightened smoothness.

Measure the shortening and sugars into the mixer bowl with the butter and mix at low to medium-low until the sugar is no longer loose in the bowl, give everything a good scrape, then turn the speed up to medium for 45-60 seconds. You’re going for even consistency and giving the sugar a change to begin breaking down.

Next, add the egg, yolk and extracts. Start mixing on a low to medium-low speed to avoid splattering. Once the yolks are broken and beginning to incorporate, increase the speed a notch or two. Give the bowl and beater another good scrape before adding the dry ingredients.

step three

Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the mixer, then mix at the lowest setting until almost totally combined. I strongly recommend turning the mixer off, then repeating the process — otherwise, it can be messy and it becomes quite easy to overmix the dough if the mixer is running.

When the final addition is just shy of looking fully incorporated, give everything a good scrape. Mix at medium-low just until the dough looks uniform and is beginning to pull away from the bowl.

At this point, I scoop or dump it out onto a length of plastic wrap, shape it into a flattened square, wrap it tightly, and tuck it in the fridge. This is a good time to heat your oven. (This is also when I clear away the prep tools and ready my space for rolling, cutting and baking.)

step four

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lay out two sheets you’ll use when rolling out the dough.

Cut the chilled dough in half, place the first half between the sheets of parchment, and roll to a uniform thickness. I like my cookies to have some weight (and think this is why people consistently say they look like they came from a professional bakery), so I tend to roll my dough 3/8” thick. If you’re using a larger cutter or just want a more dainty cookie, roll to a more traditional 1/4” thick.

Give your cookie cutter a quick dip in flour, tapping off excess, and repeat every couple of cutouts (or more frequent if the dough is sticking). Transfer cut cookies to the lined sheets, leaving plenty of space between. Gather the scrap dough together, set aside, roll and cut the other half of the dough, then combine the scraps, and roll and cut until all the dough is used.

step five

I prefer to bake one sheet at a time, because my oven is small, older, and not the most even with the baking. If yours doesn’t have such limitations, you can bake two with racks in the upper and lower third of the oven — in which case, I recommend rotating halfway through the bake time.

You will not see golden edges on a black cookie, so you’re looking for the tops to just lose their slight wet sheen. The size of the cookie will affect bake time. For a 3” cutter, I suggest taking a peek at about the 9-minute mark, just in case, but 10 minutes is typically perfect. Because they will continue to bake a bit once the sheet is removed from the oven, you won’t want to go longer than 11 minutes.

The cookies become firmer as they cool, so allow them to sit for 4-5 minutes before attempting to move. Remove them to cooling racks, and let them cool for at least 1 hour. Decorate or store them once they are completely cooled.