bittersweet symphony

— black cocoa cutout cookies

the perfect harmony of dark nostalgia and bright sweetness in a buttery soft no-spread cutout cookie

 

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

 

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 two

 

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 three

 

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 four

 

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.

products helpful in making this treat

black cocoa powder

kitchen scale

adjustable rolling pin

half sheet pans

gel food coloring

disposable pastry bags

did you know?

many of the King Arthur products recommended here and throughout the blog can be found via the company store on Amazon — if that simplifies your shopping, go for it (life is complicated enough already) SHOP KING ARTHUR ON AMAZON HERE

bittersweet symphony

— black cocoa cutout cookies

makes 24

INGREDIENTS

2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark black cocoa powder

2 teaspoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange blossom extract

INstructionS

  1. In a medium-large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly and set aside.

  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until fluffy.

  3. Add the egg and extracts and mix until well incorporated.

  4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low/medium-low until incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.

  5. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick between sheets of parchment paper. Use a cookie cutter to cut desired shape(s) close together. Remove the bits of dough from between the shapes, and add it to the remaining dough. Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet, and put the sheet in the freezer. Repeat with remaining dough.

  6. Freeze the sheets of cookies for at least 1 hour or overnight. (I place small risers in the corners of the sheet in order to stack another on top without squishing the cookies.)

  7. Preheat the oven to 350°.

  8. Remove one cookie sheet at a time from the freezer and space the frozen cookies about 2 inches apart. (Put the extras back into the freezer until you’re ready for the next batch.)

  9. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the tops of the cookies look just barely dry in the center.

  10. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

  11. Repeat steps 8-10 until all cookies have been baked.

  12. Let cookies cool for at least 1 hour or overnight before decorating.

You can find my recipe for Royal Icing here — for these cookies, I used just 2 teaspoons of vanilla to complement (but not overpower) the cookie flavor.

as an associate in the Amazon and King Arthur affiliate marketing programs, flour+sugar earns a small commission from qualifying purchases made via links on this site