Butter Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Piped Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups/200 g all purpose/plain flour

• 1/3 cup/50 g cornstarch/corn flour

• 1 cup/250 g butter, softened

• 2/3 cup/100 g confectioners'/icing sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract/essence

• 1/4 tsp lemon extract/essence

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tsp vegetable oil

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter three cookie sheets. Sift the flour and cornstarch into a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.

3. Add the egg, beating until just blended. Stir in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Continue beating until pale and fluffy.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients. Divide the dough evenly between two bowls. Mix the cocoa and oil in a small bowl. Stir the cocoa mixture into one bowl of the dough.

5. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch (5-mm) star tip. Fill the pastry bag with the plain batter, twist the opening tightly closed.

6. Pipe out small rings, hearts, circles, and swirls spacing 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the chocolate batter.

7. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 10-15 minutes, or until the plain cookies are golden brown. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes.

8. Transfer to racks to cool. Dust some of the dark cookies with the confectioners' sugar.