Chocolate Shortbread Trees

You can use this rollout chocolate cookie dough to create all kinds of shapes and sizes, but I like to make trees because they are so easy to decorate.

Chocolate Shortbread Trees

Average Rating: 0

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch
YIELD: about 3 dozen.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • Assorted nonpareils, optional

Instructions

  • 1. In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and cocoa; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
  • 2. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.
  • 3. Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/4-in. tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with nonpareils.
  • 4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 81 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 14mg cholesterol, 41mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.