Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Well here it is, February's cookie of the month! enjoy!!

½ c butter, softened
1 ¼ c sugar
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
½ c. sour cream

2 ½ c flour
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
½ c. cocoa

In a small bowl add dry ingredients and wisk together. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (about 3- 4 minutes) Beat in egg then vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Add flour mixture slowly and beat until well combined. Place the dough in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

Then roll out & cut into shape of your choice. (I cut out two hearts the same size and then cut a cookie out of one of the hearts) Place on a slightly greased cookie sheet. I refrigerate for 10-20 minutes before baking and it helps the cookies to hold their shape better. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ t salt
1 t vanilla
1/3 – ½ c EVAPORATED milk – your frosting will look smooth instead of grainy.

Beat the butter until fluffy, add additional ingredients, alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency, should be thin enough to spread so the frosting appears smooth on the top of the cookie. The frosting will harden slightly and you can used a pastry bag to pipe on additional decorations.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 lb bitter sweet chocolate

1/4 c. butter

1 3/4 c. brown sugar

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

5 heath bars (1.4oz size) broken into pieces about the size of a chocolate chip

1 c. walnuts chopped

melt chocolate and butter together

beat sugar and eggs until frothy about 5 minutes

mix in chocolate mixture and add vanilla

add flour, baking soda and salt

stir in heath bars and walnuts

The dough will be extremely runny so refrigerate for about 45 min. (any longer and you will bend your spoon trying to get the dough out) then use a med size cookie scoop and bake on parchment paper for 14 minutes at 350. They should be soft and cracked on top. It's okay if they don't look quite done- they will set up on the pan and Don't forget the parchment- you will be really sad when they won't come off the bottom of the pan!!

makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Dedicated with love to AS who prefers a brownie! these are for you! hope you can find bars of bittersweet chocolate in NZ.