Chocolate Almond Marbled Sugar Cookies

These buttery sugar cookies have a swirl of melted chocolate through the dough and topped with sparkly sugar for a magical touch - this is a wonderful Christmas cookie!

So this year I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It was SO much fun! Freshly made boxed cookies arriving at my house while Christmas music is playing and I'm decorating the house? Merry Christmas to me, I say!

This year I made these amazingly easy Chocolate Almond Marbled Sugar Cookies. I'm actually not an overall huge fan of sugar cookies, mainly because if you bake them .17 seconds too long, they have that weird burnt taste to them, even though they're just slightly browned on the edges. You know what I mean, that weird aftertaste. Definitely not what you want in a cookie, or a dessert of any kind for that matter!
I love that the melted chocolate swirled throughout the dough and the extra almond extract give these cookies a little extra special touch. As for baking it for the correct time, you'll have to experiment with your own kitchen. As a rule of thumb, I usually set my timer for 2 minutes UNDER what the recipe says, and always ALWAYS use parchment paper for sugar cookies.
Not the dollar store parchment paper. The grease soaks through and they turn almost black at the edges, causing you to change out the paper after every batch. Ask me how I know. :/

Chocolate Almond Marbled Sugar Cookies
Recipe by Kelly Miller These buttery sugar cookies have a swirl of melted chocolate through the dough and topped with sparkly sugar for a magical touch - this is a wonderful Christmas cookie! Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 oz square semi sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup sanding (or regular) sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add in extracts and egg.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.
3. Gradually add dry mixture into wet mixture while mixer is on low. Continue mixing until dough is fully incorporated.
4. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Drizzle over dough in bowl. Drag a knife through the dough to create a marble effect - do not stir.
5. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 8 minutes, just before edges turn brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Oh, these are just SO amazing dipped in coffee! I feel like I type the phrase "dipped in coffee" really REALLY often on here. Hmmm... :)
If you're a food blogger, be sure and sign up for the cookie swap next year - it's SO much fun!
Here are some more of my favorite cookie recipes:

Smores Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

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