Description
Delight in these charming Mushroom Sugar Cookies featuring a soft, thick sugar cookie base with a luscious chocolate exterior and a whimsical mushroom design at the center. Perfect for slice-and-bake convenience, these cookies are ideal for the holiday season or any cozy occasion, offering an adorable cottagecore aesthetic that's both fun and easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup butter (barely softened - not too soft!)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (dutch processed)
Decorations
- Red gel food coloring (as needed)
- White round pearl sprinkles
- ⅓ cup coarse sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Green gel food coloring (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the ¾ cup of barely softened butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 large room temperature egg, mixing well to combine.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, forming the cookie dough.
- Color the Dough: Divide dough as needed to create portions for decorating. Add red gel food coloring to part of the dough for mushroom caps and green gel food coloring to another portion for stems or leaves. Leave some dough plain for the white parts.
- Form Mushroom Shapes: Roll the colored dough portions into logs or desired shapes. Assemble each cookie slice by layering the chocolate dough around the mushroom-shaped colored dough to create the mushroom design visible after slicing.
- Slice and Chill: Slice the assembled dough logs into even ½-inch thick cookies. Chill these slices in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30-45 minutes to maintain their shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the chilled cookie slices evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers remain soft.
- Cool and Decorate: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream for glaze or use coarse sugar for added texture, then add white pearl sprinkles as mushroom spots.
Notes
- These mushroom sugar cookies feature a charming design with a delightful contrast between chocolate dough and colorful mushroom accents.
- Slice and bake style lets you prepare dough ahead and freeze for fresh cookies anytime.
- Ensure butter is barely softened for the right cookie texture—too soft may change dough consistency.
- Use gel food coloring sparingly to avoid making the dough too soft or sticky.
- Chilling dough slices before baking helps keep the mushroom design intact and prevents spreading.
- Customize decorations using different colored sprinkles for personalized mushroom spots.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 186 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 97 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
