Chocolate Easter Egg Cookies

Springtime is perfect for festively decorated cookies, and what could be more festive than cookies decorated to resemble brightly colored Easter eggs? Today’s recipe begins with a rich, delicious sugar cookie and ends with a deceptively simple decorating technique. You won’t need buttercream frosting today, folks… we’re using something even more amazing!

Ingredients (Makes 24 large cookies)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon triple sec (or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/4 cup flour

For decorating:

4 ounces milk chocolate, white chocolate, and/or colored chocolate melts (such as Wilton melts)

2 tablespoons triple sec

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Sprinkles, colored sugar, gold dragees, and other small decorations as desired

Directions

Step 1) Cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg, orange extract, and sour cream. Mix well.

Step 2) Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix by hand; dough will be stiff.

Step 3) Chill dough for at least one hour before rolling 1/3 inch thick on a floured surface.  Cut dough into Easter egg shapes, and carefully transfer to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 4) Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

Step 5) While cookies are cool, mix together a glaze of 2 tablespoons of triple sec and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Working with two or three cookies at a time, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the cookies with glaze. Immediately sprinkle with colored sugar and/or sprinkles.

Step 6) Allow glazed and sprinkled cookies to rest for approximately 20 minutes. This will give the glaze time to dry slightly before continuing.

Step 7) Melt chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.

Step 8) Transfer about half of the melted chocolate into a sandwich bag, and snip a very small corner off of the bag. Use this homemade pastry bag to pipe decorations onto your glazed cookies. Lines and simple flowers (as shown) are very easy! I like to make simple flowers, and sprinkle the centers with a few gold dragees.

Step 9) Once the chocolate has solidified on your cookies, they are smudge proof! Unlike cookies decorated with buttercream frosting, these cookies can be safely stacked in an airtight container, or tucked into baskets with jelly bean brittle and other festive candy.

Happy Easter!