Description
These charming Penguin Cookies are soft, chewy treats beautifully decorated with a rich and creamy homemade buttercream frosting, perfect for festive occasions or delightful snacks.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
- 1/2 cup or 4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature (113g)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (310g)
- 2/3 cup dark or black cocoa powder (65g)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (454g or 1 lb. box)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (60g)
- 1/3 cup dark or black cocoa powder – to be added later (33g)
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream – to be added later (30g)
Decoration:
- 1 cup coarse sanding sugar
- 48 orange sweetheart or conversation heart candies – cut in half
- Round, flat, black sprinkles (white sprinkles colored black with edible marker)
- Round, flat, pink sprinkles
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Large baking sheets/cookie trays
- 3 inch circle cookie cutter
- 2 large piping bags
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the unsalted butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, dark or black cocoa powder, cornstarch, fine salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to form a smooth dough.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up, making it easier to roll and cut.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter to cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until the cookies are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
- Make the Buttercream Frosting: Beat the unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, fine salt, and powdered sugar, mixing gradually. Incorporate the 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream to achieve a fluffy consistency.
- Divide and Color Frosting: Divide the frosting into two portions. To one portion, add the 1/3 cup dark or black cocoa powder and 2 Tbsp heavy cream, mixing thoroughly to create a rich chocolate frosting. Leave the remaining frosting vanilla flavored.
- Decorate Cookies: Use two large piping bags to pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies to resemble penguins. Coat the bodies with the chocolate frosting, then use the vanilla frosting as needed for details. Sprinkle the coarse sanding sugar on parts for texture.
- Add Penguin Features: Attach the halved orange heart candies as penguin beaks. Use round, flat black sprinkles for eyes (coloring white sprinkles black with an edible marker if necessary) and pink sprinkles to decorate or create cheeks, enhancing the penguin look.
Notes
- These adorable penguin cookies bake up soft and chewy and are decorated with the most delicious homemade buttercream frosting.
- Make sure to chill the dough well before rolling for easier handling.
- Using the correct type of cocoa powder (dark or black) is important to achieve the desired rich color and flavor.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Use an edible marker to color white sprinkles black safely and effectively.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 356 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 136 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
