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Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

From: Food Network Magazine

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Total:: 2 hr
Active:: 45 min

Yield:: about 24

Level:: Easy

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Sanding sugar, for decorating

Directions

Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter, egg yolk, vanilla, salt and cloves in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder until combined, then beat in the flour in two batches until combined.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Gently knead until soft but not sticky. Reflour the surface, if necessary, and roll out the dough until slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. Cut out shapes using 3-inch cookie cutters. Gently gather and reroll the scraps. (If the dough is too soft to work with, refrigerate until firm.) Arrange the cutouts about 2 inches apart on 2 unlined baking sheets.

Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm, about 20 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually stir in up to 1 more tablespoon milk until the icing is thick but pourable. Spoon the icing into a small resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the icing on the cookies, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let set, about 10 minutes.

Photograph by Ryan Dausch

My Private Notes

Name: Chocolate Shortbread
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H0M0.000S
Yield: about 24
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 large egg yolk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder; 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 to 2 tablespoons milk; Sanding sugar, for decorating