Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies

Gingerbread cutters work if you’re making skeletons. You can also use 2 1/2-inch cat or bat cutters. Look for meringue powder at craft stores or in the craft section of some big-box retailers.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 4.75 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon meringue powder
• 1 tablespoon 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Direction

Step 1

To prepare cookies, place the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg; beat until well blended.

Step 2

Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated.

Step 3

Place half of dough between two sheets of plastic wrap; roll to a 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Place dough (still wrapped in plastic wrap) on a baking sheet. Chill 45 minutes or until firm.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 5

Cut dough with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch cutter to form 40 cookies (reroll scraps as necessary). Arrange 20 cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (keep remaining cookies chilled). Bake at 375° for 9 minutes or until set. Cool on pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; remove cookies from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.

Step 6

To prepare icing, combine 1 tablespoon water and meringue powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Add powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Spoon icing into a small zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole in one bottom corner of bag; pipe designs on cookies.

Nutritional Information

• Calories 118
• Fat 6.1g
• Satfat 1.7g
• Monofat 2.4g
• Polyfat 0.9g
• Protein 1.2g
• Carbohydrate 16.7g
• Fiber 0.6g
• Cholesterol 11mg
• Iron 0.6mg
• Sodium 48mg
• Calcium 4mg