Relay for Life - Chocolate Sugar Cookies

This past weekend was Hoboken's Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This is something I feel very strongly about and I have been part of the Bewalder's Believers team for the last 4 years. Our team Captain Alison and one of my fellow team members Dani came over to help me make these cookies. Although the event is over, donations can still be made to our team: Donate to the Hoboken's Relay for Life - Bewalder's Believers!! This was my first time making chocolate sugar cookies, they were the perfect treat with or without frosting to snack on in between walking laps!!

Adapted from http://www.annies-eats.com/

Ingredients for Cookies:
1 1/2 Cup Flour
2/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Confectioners' Sugar
2 Pinches of Salt
12 Tbsp Unsalted Butter - Softened

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl (cocoa powder, flour and salt). Whisk them together and set aside. In your mixer bowl combine the softened butter and sugar on a medium speed until fluffy for 2 minutes. Once it is blended add the eggs and vanilla, mix again for another 2 minutes.

On a low speed begin slowly adding the dry ingredients until the dough is well blended and there are no white streaks remaining. Using a spatula take all of the dough out of the bowl and place it in the middle of a big piece of plastic wrap or tin foil. Wrap the dough and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.

Once the dough has become firm you can take it out of the fridge. Preheat the oven to 325 F and line two baking sheets with pieces of parchment paper. On a floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Using whatever cookie cutter you have chosen, gently press the cookie cutter into the dough. Place the cookie on the baking sheet, leaving a little room between each cookie. Obvisouly the size of the cookie cutter will determine how many cookies you will make. These were small so it made a ton.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Remember if you need to reuse your baking sheet that they need to cool in between batches or it will alter your baking time. While the cookies are baking or cooling you can make the frosting to decorate them.

Ingredients for Frosting:
2 Cup Confestioners Sugar - Sifted
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter - Softened
1/4 Tsp Almond Extract
1-2 Tbsp Skim Milk

Beat all ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. This frosting obvisouly starts out as white but you can simply dye it whatever color you'd like to use with edible food coloring. I chose purple since that is the color that represents Relay for Life.

Enjoy!! - Nicole