Chocolate and Vanilla Cutout Cookies
Cut out cookies are cookies that need to be chilled and then rolled out and cut into the desired shape. These type of cookies rarely expand in the oven and are perfect if you want to make cookies with a specific design or shape. However, you need to be particularly careful as to not overwork the cookie dough as the resultant cookie would be increasingly tough and hard to eat.
Time: 1 hour (including baking time)
Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter, softened and chopped up
150g caster sugar
1 large free-range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g all purpose flour, sifted
20g cocoa powder
Method:
*steps 1-3 can also be done in two batches to omit step 4
1. Place the chunks of butter and all the sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix these two ingredients on high speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the whole egg and vanilla extract to the mixture and mix until well-combined.
4. Now, separate the mixture into half equally .
5. Divide the flour into 2 bowls. One bowl with 110g of flour and the other with 90g of flour. Add the 20g cocoa powder to the bowl with the 90g of flour.
6. Mix the 110g of flour into half of the butter, sugar, and egg mixture.
7. When all the flour is added, the mixture should turn thick and dough-like.
8. Using your fingers or a spatula, gather the dough into a ball and wrap it in cling film. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with the bowl of 90g flour and 20g cocoa powder.
10. Before starting to roll out your dough, lightly dust the rolling pin and rolling surface with plain flour.
11. Roll the dough out to a thickness of approx. 1cm or slightly under 0.5". Then, use a cookie cutter to cut the dough to the desired shape. Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment using a spatula or a pallet knife.
12. [Option] Marble the 2 doughs by simply taking a little of both doughs and kneading them briefly together before rolling the dough out.
13. [Option] To create contrast of both colour as well as flavour, use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out a small piece from a cookie.
14. [Option] Replace that piece with a similarly sized piece cut from a different dough. The cookie should look like the picture above.
15. Place the baking tray into a preheated oven of 180º for 7-10 minutes.
16. To check if the cookies are done, lift the cookies of the baking tray and they should be able to come off the baking tray easily.
17. Let them cool and they would be ready to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
And you are done! Enjoy eating!
