Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These cookies right above are my first attempt at royal icing. I think they turned out pretty good! Considering I had no practice with it before. They are also very delicious. My mom bought me a bag of this icing mix, and I initially thought I'd make some vanilla cut-out cookies to try it out with. Then, I saw this post by one of my favorite bloggers, and I knew it was meant to be! Dark chocolate sugar cookies... Yum :) They were so easy to make too! Seven ingredients is all it takes. I definitely recommend these cookies, and I also recommend the icing mix! It was a great alternative to me having to go out and buy a large canister of meringue powder that I would barely use. Enjoy!

The ice cream cones were my favorite!

Dark-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. (Or whichever shapes you prefer.) Space cookies 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Makes about 30, but really depends on the shapes and sizes of your cookie cutters

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/335250/dark-chocolate-cookies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/chocolate-cookie-recipes#slide_7