https://lifemadesimplebakes.com/soft-chocolate-sugar-cookies/

As the weather is getting colder and the holidays are approaching, you may be looking for an easy gift for neighbors, colleagues or friends. I get it, buy something for that many people and you’ll go broke. Luckily these cookies are simple, delicious and a very welcome gift in my experience. Whether you make them for family or solely for yourself to distract from upcoming finals, this recipe is sure to impress.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients (14 cookies): 

2 cups of all-purpose flour

½ cup of cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon of baking soda

¾ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar, plus an extra ½ cup of sugar for coating the dough

1 large egg

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, including the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Making sure the butter is soft, combine the sugar, egg, vanilla and butter and beat until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Add the flour in parts, beating the mixture in between.
4. Add ½ cup of sugar to a bowl.
5. Take small amounts of dough with clean hands and roll before dipping in sugar to coat the top half of the cookies. The size of the dough balls will determine how many can fit on each baking sheet, usually 8-10.
6. While baking the first sheet, prepare the next round of cookies. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the top begins to crack.
7. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack, and enjoy!

This recipe is very simple if you’ve made cookies before, and the basic recipe means you can add toppings such as crushed candy cane or chocolate chips.