Shelly's Recipe

BIG-TIME COOKIES

Category: Cookies

Cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk

Icing:
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon gel or paste food coloring (color of your choice)

Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 baking sheets.

In a bowl, stir flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a larger bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add egg, then sour cream, chocolate and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk until just blended. Drop five 1/4 cupfuls of dough on a prepared baking sheet, 4 inches apart. With spatula, spread each into a 3-inch mound. Bake 10 to 12 minutes on center rack, turning sheet 180 degrees halfway through, until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool cookies on sheet 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough on second sheet.

Icing: Put 1 cup confectioners sugar into each of 2 bowls. To each bowl, add 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup, 1 tablespoon hot water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Stir mixture vigorously with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir cocoa powder into one bowl until icing falls in thin ribbons from the spoon (add water, if necessary). Stir chosen food coloring into the other bowl.

Turn cookies over. With a small spatula, spread half of the flat bottom of each cookie with chocolate icing, creating a line down the center, and spread the other half with the colored icing. Let set for 1 hour. Makes 10 large cookies.