Stamped Brownie Cookies

Last year I fell in love with stamped gingerbread cookies so this year I was primed and ready for another stampable cookie for my holiday packages. I find that darker doughs - like chocolate or gingerbread are the most dramatic when glazed, so I went for deep rich chocolate with both Dutch process and black cocoas. You can stamp just about any cut out cookie dough that holds it’s shape while baking though, so if you’ve invested in stamps try out a few doughs. And alternately, these cookies are absolutely gorgeous when stamped and glazed, but also work well as cut out cookies without a stamp. Happy Baking! I’ll be back soon with more cookies!

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Stamped Brownie Cookies

makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

These soft and chewy chocolate cookies are gorgeous when stamped, but also work well as cut out cookies if you don’t have a stamp. Flavor the glaze however you like, but a little peppermint and vanilla is nice for the holidays. I bet a little bit of espresso powder instead would be just delicious. Make sure to not over bake the cookies, they’ll lose their chew and will be more of a standard sugar cookie. I found 7 minutes in my oven was just right, but keep an eye on yours as all ovens vary. I like to brush the glaze on with a pastry brush. Use a thin layer to see lots of the cookie peeking through or a thicker layer for a more opaque look.

Brownie Cookies

3 cups (384g) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (50g) dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 cup (50g) black cocoa powder (or dutch process)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups (330g) light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons cream

seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

pinch salt

Whisk the flour, cocoas, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Cream until light and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time. Mix until well combined then add the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the dough is evenly mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour and up to 2 days.

When you are ready to bake, arrange two racks as close to the center of the oven as possible and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Work with half of the dough at a time and roll out the dough so it’s about 1/4-inch thick. Dip the cookie stamps in a bowl of cocoa powder or flour, shake off any excess and then press them firmly into the dough, one at a time, to create a deep imprint. Use a round cutter to cut the cookies.

Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheets about 1-inch apart. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue to stamp and cut until all the dough is used up. Bake the cookies until they are just firm to the touch and puffed, 7-10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.

Prepare the glaze while the cookies are baking as it is best brushed on while they are still warm. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. It should be the texture of Elmer’s Glue. If it seems a little thin, add a tablespoon or two of confectioners sugar. If its thin, add a little more cream.

Remove the cookies from the oven, let them rest for 5 mins, then brush or dab the glaze all over with a pastry brush. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature.

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I used hand carved cookie stamps for these cookies. Zozo Baking sells similar ones.

You can also find cookie stamps in most kitchenware shops or online.

Buttermint Patties

Anyone else LOVE buttermints? You know, those old fashioned kinda hard, kinda chalky, but also creamy little candies that come with the check at some restaurants? I find them totally irresistible and these little confections have all the creamy, minty deliciousness of a buttermint with the texture, and chocolate coating of a peppermint patty. They are a perfect treat to make for holiday gifts, not too hard, but very special and VERY tasty.

I covered these with (slightly imperfect) tempered chocolate, which gives the candies a crisp and shiny chocolate coating at room temperature, but tempering can be kind of tricky business. I find the seeding method to be the most straightforward. But the great news is, even if your chocolate isn’t perfectly tempered you can just store your mints in the fridge - which honestly I’d recommend anyway because I think these are best served chilled. Here’s another great article by David Lebovitz about tempering.

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Buttermint Patties

slightly adapted from Amanda Fredrickson’s Peppermint Patties

makes about 4 dozen, depending on size

You can coat these with any type of chocolate you like. I did some with semisweet and some milk, and some with a little of both. Just make sure to use high quality feves or chocolate bars - do not use chocolate chips which contain stabilizers that you don’t want for a coating like this. You can also top them with a little bit of crushed peppermint candy or cacao nibs. Also, feel free to divide the dough and make half with nibs and half without, which is what I did for the photos in this post.

Filling

5 cups (550g) confectioner’s sugar

3 tablespoons corn syrup

3 tablespoons (45g) cultured butter, softened

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons peppermint extrat

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons cacao nibs (optional)

Topping

18 ounces high quality chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet or milk), chopped

flaky salt (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the filling ingredients except for the cacao nibs. Mix on low until all of the ingredients are moistened, add the cacao nibs (if using) then turn the mixer up to medium and mix until the mixture is the consistency of play dough.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/4’’ thick. Remove the top parchment and use a 1 1/2 or 2-inch circle cutter (or any other shape you like) to cut as many rounds as possible. Pull the excess dough away from the rounds (the rounds may be soft and tricky to move). Slide the parchment paper with the rounds onto a baking sheet and refrigerate. Gather up the dough scraps, re roll and cut more rounds. Again, transfer the parchment paper with the rounds onto a baking sheet and refrigerate. Repeat until all of the dough is used.

While the rounds are chilling, temper the chocolate. Use a fork to dip the chilled rounds in the chocolate and shake off the excess. Transfer them to a clean piece of parchment paper to dry. Sprinkle with flaky salt or use the fork to drizzle with more chocolate for decoration. Let them harden then store, with layers of parchment in between the layers in an airtight container.