Soft chocolate sugar cookies (and ice cream sandwiches)

The other week, I made a batch of vanilla ice cream with the idea of using some of it to make ice cream sandwiches with these cookies.  Well, I used the ice cream to make hot fudge sundaes and it wasn't until we were nearly finished with the batch of ice cream that I remembered what I originally had in mind!  Luckily, there was enough left to make a couple of these little ice cream sandwiches happen. 

So small batch baking continues at my house!  This is a small-batch recipe that makes 8 cookies but you can certainly double the recipe; it's a good idea because my family and I found them quite delectable!    

While I'm very familiar with the delicious, crisp "plain" vanilla sugar cookies, I really hadn't had soft chocolate sugar cookies before.  I'm very happy I tried these because they're easy to make and have a wonderful texture - soft and slightly chewy.  The chocolate flavor is strong - almost more so than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise.  A coating of granulated sugar on the outside give the cookies a little sparkle and a nice textural contrast with a little crunch.

The original recipe pairs these cookies with a raspberry curd but my mind went straight to ice cream sandwiches.  I find cookies with a soft texture very compatible for making ice cream sandwiches; while they certainly do firm up, the cookies don't turn rock-hard even after freezing and still have "give" or softness to them when you bite into it.  They're easy to eat.

What can I say...this is a great little batch of cookies to make!  The cookies are tasty all on their own but make great little ice cream sandwiches.  Just pull them out of the freezer after dinner for a fun treat.


You can make the cookie dough with a handheld mixer, a stand mixer, or even do it by hand with a wooden spoon. I don't have a handheld mixer and wouldn't have thought I'd ever want one, until now, as I make more small batch recipes.  I went with my stand mixer this time even though we're working with small portions here.

One thing I did do differently from the recipe is add a spoonful of milk into the dough at the very end.  I noticed my cookie dough was dry so I did what I do with my sugar cookie dough to get it smooth and easy to work with - I added just a bit of milk to it and mixed it in.  Start with just a teaspoon here and see if you need more.  I used about 1 1/2 teaspoon and was rewarded with a very smooth dough.  Once chilled, roll them into round balls and toss them in granulated sugar.  I felt like I was making Christmas cookies for a minute there!

The cookies are ready to be taken out from the oven once set and just starting to crack.  They will set up and crack a bit more out of the oven as it cools.

Enjoy that sparkly crunch on the outside and the soft, slightly chewy, and chocolaty center.  They are great on their own... 

...and great sandwiched with ice cream.  I used some homemade vanilla bean ice cream.  Any flavor will do, obviously.  I also think these cookies would be great flavored with a little peppermint, orange, or almond extract in place of the vanilla.  I'll have to try one of those options next time!


Recipe:

Chocolate Sugar Cookies (small-batch)
Adapted from Dessert for Two by Christina Lane

- Makes 8 cookies (or 4 ice cream sandwiches; doubling up on the recipe is a good idea!) - 

4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (68g) light brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons milk*
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Ice cream, for making ice cream sandwiches (optional)

In a medium-size bowl, beat butter using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add brown sugar and beat for another minute.  Then add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until combined.

In another bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry ingredients into the wet in two increments, mixing well after each.  [*If you find the dough a bit dry like I did, add a teaspoon or so of milk and mix until just combine into a smooth dough.]  Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.  

Place granulated sugar into a small bowl.  Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll each in the palm of your hand to form round balls.  Roll each in the sugar to coat. Place onto baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.  

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are set in the center and just beginning to crack.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet to give it a chance to firm up. Then remove cookies onto a wire rack.

If making ice cream sandwiches, place a generous mound of ice cream on top of the flat side of a thoroughly cooled cookie.  Place a second cookie, flat-side down, on top of the ice cream and gently press together.  Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set.