Super Soft Chocolate Drop Sugar Cookies

This cookie recipe, Super Soft Chocolate Drop Sugar Cookies, leans on all-purpose flour, natural and baking soda. It makes 36 Cookies and takes about 85 minutes.

• Yield 36 Cookies
• Ready in 85 minutes
• Prep 75 minutes
• Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup natural, unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups salted butter (softened to room temperature (20 tablespoons))
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Granulated sugar (for rolling)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, combine the granulated sugar and butter and mix until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the flour/cocoa mixture and mix until combined.
5. Scoop the soft dough into about 2 tablespoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and chill for about an hour (or up to 24 hours). Alternately, you can chill the entire batch of dough without scooping, but once chilled, it is harder to scoop out portions of dough since the cookie dough is pretty stiff.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
7. Roll each scoop of chilled cookie dough in your hands to soften just slightly and form a nice round ball. Roll in granulated sugar and place 1- to 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheets.
8. For a soft-baked cookie, bake for 9-10 minutes (9 minutes is perfect in my oven); for a crispier cookie, bake for 12-13 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store well-covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days or freeze the baked cookies for a up to a month or so.

Let the center settle before you cut it, or the slices will slump.