Description
Delightfully rich and chocolatey Black Cat Cookies, perfect for Halloween celebrations. These sugar cookies combine dark cocoa and espresso for a deep chocolate flavor and are decorated with candy corn eyes and red sprinkle noses to create adorable black cat faces. Crispy on the edges with a soft center, these festive treats are sure to impress and satisfy.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed, light or dark)
- ¾ cup sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1.5 tbsp warm water
- 1 tsp espresso powder
Decorations
- Candy corn
- Red round sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mats to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until combined and uniform in color.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the melted unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Then add the vanilla extract, whole egg, and egg yolk, mixing well to incorporate all ingredients.
- Add espresso mixture: Stir together the espresso powder and warm water until dissolved, then add this mixture into the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly to enhance the cookie’s deep chocolate flavor.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring slowly until the dough is completely combined and smooth.
- Form and sugar the dough balls: Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, roll them gently into balls with your hands, then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat completely, adding a sweet, crackly exterior to the cookies.
- Arrange and shape the cookies: Place the sugared dough balls spaced 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press each ball lightly with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Shape small triangles from extra dough to form cat ears and press them onto the cookies. Add a small red sprinkle on each cookie as a nose and use the side of a fork to make whisker indentations around the nose.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are set and show cracks on the edges and tops, indicating a crisp exterior and soft interior.
- Add eyes and cool: Remove from the oven and gently press candy corn pieces into each cookie to form the eyes while the cookies are still warm. Then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- These Black Cat Cookies have a rich chocolate flavor with a hint of espresso, perfect for enhancing the cocoa taste.
- Rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking provides a lovely crackled surface texture and extra sweetness.
- Decorations like candy corn and red sprinkles give a fun, festive Halloween look making them ideal for parties or seasonal treats.
- Be careful not to overbake to maintain a soft and chewy cookie center with crisp edges.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 201 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 94 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
