to brighten your day…

We’ve all heard the “This Little Light of Mine” song, right? The amount of times I sang this song as a kid undoubtedly surpassed my counting abilities at the time. Although I’m sure I drove my parents crazy, there was no way I could forget this catchy tune’s important message.

But as you grow up and your daily life starts to get filled with bigger problems, more stress, and less time, it can be harder to remember to let your inner light shine. So every now and again it’s nice to be reminded that you are still a bright star with oh-so-much sparkle. And what better way to remind someone than to bake some shining sugar cookies – especially if they’re chocolate.

I’ve tried to make chocolate sugar cookies a few times, but no matter what recipe I used the dough was always a little too sticky and wouldn’t stay firm long enough to cut out shapes. Sugar cookies are pretty basic, so you would think the most difficult part of the process would be decorating (especially if you’re me, and you get easily carried away with a piping bag).

After many ill-fated attempts, I finally found the perfect chocolate sugar cookie recipe. This dough stayed firm enough to make all my cutouts in one shot without having to put the dough back in the fridge before rolling it out each time. And as an added bonus, there’s espresso in the mix. Coffee and chocolate – does it get any better? Continue reading →