Magazine Monday #18: Cocoa Sugar Cookies

It's December which means Christmas baking bonanza! I started off the season by baking these cookies on the weekend that I found in the Dec. 2008 issue of Canadian Living. I just scored some cute cookie cutouts on my recent cross border shopping trip - six for $1 at a cool dollar store!

Cocoa Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Beat butter & sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the butter mixture until just combined. Mix until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough in half and pat into a disc. Chill until firm, about 1 hour (I put mine in the freezer for 15 minutes - works every time).

2. On a floured surface, roll out to 1/4"/5mm thickness. Cut with cutters, rerolling scraps. (At this point the original recipe directs the baker to chill the cutouts in the freezer for 15 minutes, but I couldn't be bothered.) Bake @ 350F for 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on racks.

My dough didn't come together very well, so I had to add a few TBSP of milk, but after that, it was all smooth sailing. I decorated my cookies with royal icing made with 1 egg white and enough icing sugar to make an icing that can be piped easily through a small tip. The red and white sugar decorations are from Wilton.

This month, I am hosting Magazine Mondays while Ivonne takes a break. Joining me today with an absolutely decadent-looking recipe is Debbie of Taste of Sweetness and her Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Espresso Whipped Cream -totally drool-worthy! Check it!