Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Chocolate Coating:
- 7 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until well combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla extract until just incorporated.
- Form Dough: Add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt to the creamed mixture. Stir gently just until the dough comes together. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 325˚F (163˚C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. If using an embossed rolling pin, stop just short of ¼-inch thick with a regular pin, then roll the embossed pin over the dough to create decorative patterns.
- Cut Cookies: Using a 2-2½ inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Then, with a smaller 1¾-inch diameter circular piping tip, cut out the center of each cookie to create a ring shape. If the dough becomes too soft, chill it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before transferring cookies to baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Chill and Bake: Chill the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to help maintain their shape during baking. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms are very lightly browned. To prevent burning, place an additional sheet pan under the baking sheet. Baking time may extend up to about 16 minutes depending on your oven.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the parchment paper used for baking for the next step.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt the semisweet or dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals until fully melted and smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag.
- Decorate Cookies: On the saved parchment paper, pipe a circle of chocolate matching the cookie imprint size. Place each cookie on top of the chocolate circle, pressing slightly so the bottom of the cookie is coated. Drizzle additional chocolate over the top of each cookie to create stripes or patterns.
- Set the Chocolate: Refrigerate the cookies until the chocolate is fully set and firm. Once set, enjoy your homemade fudge stripe cookies or store them in an airtight container.
Notes
- Chilling the dough before and after cutting helps prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- If your oven runs hot, using an extra baking sheet between the cookies and the oven rack prevents burning on the bottoms.
- Using an embossed rolling pin adds beautiful decorative patterns but is optional.
- If the dough gets too soft to handle, the freezer helps firm it up quickly.
- Experiment piping chocolate to find the perfect amount to coat the cookie base before adhering them onto parchment.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
