Chocolate sugar cookies

Well, I have kind of given up on the 12 days of cookie thing but I still plan on sharing more treats before the holidays.  I guess it wasn't the best idea to start that while I was working every night until midnight.  Things around here have been a little crazy.  I am so not ready for Christmas.  I haven't even been shopping!  I have just been so tired from working and trying to get the things around the house done.  I don't know how single parents do it?!  Anyway, now onto the cookies. 

Today, my kids and I went out to lunch with my Grandma.  After lunch was over, they were begging me for one of the cookies that was sitting in the display case.  Of course I said no but I prefaced that "No" with the promise of going home and making cookies.  When I asked them what kind they wanted to make, they all agreed on sugar cookies.  I thought that it would be fun to try to make chocolate sugar cookies.  To please everyone, I made one batch of chocolate and one batch of regular sugar cookie dough.

When it came to frosting these little cookies, I realized that I was all out cream cheese which is my staple for frosting.  So to top these off, we decided to make an almond glaze which went really well with the chocolate cookies and only took a minute to make.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

6 Tbs butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1.  In a cup combine the heavy cream and the lemon juice and set aside to curdle the milk.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  While it's mixing, combine the dry ingredients into a large bowl stir to combine all the dry ingredients.

2.  Add the egg to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.Add teh vanilla and mix to combine.

3.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter  mixture and mix just to combine.  Add half of the cream mixture and mix to combine then follow that with half of the remaining flour.  Repeat with the remaining cream and then flour.  Mix only until just combined.

4.  Separate the dough into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap.  refrigerate for at least one hour. 

5.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness and cut with cookies cutters.  Bake for 7-9 minutes cookies are set in the middle.  Remove to a cooling rack.  Once cooled, frost as desired.

Almond Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2-4 Tbs. heavy cream or milk

1.  Mix all of the ingredients adding more milk until the glaze has reached desired consistency.  Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and place on cooling wrack to allow the glaze to set.