Chocolate Chip Cut-Out Cookies

Confession time. I don't like Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Gasp!
What?!
No!
I don't know why. I just don't.

My husband, as is well-documented, only likes things with copious amounts of chocolate in them. So, I thought maybe I could "spice up" my sugar cookies by adding something extra, like chocolate chips.

I was worried that the add-ins would make the icing look dimpled, but thankfully, that didn't happen. So, now I think I might just be a "sugar cookie add-in" add-ict.

Some ideas I tried with these Valentine's cookies include mini chocolate chips, Heath Bar bits, and Red Hots. (I also thought about mini M&Ms, but never got that far!)

The reason I didn't just go with a chocolate chip cookie recipe, besides the aforementioned dislike of the cookies themselves, is that I wanted to make cut-outs. I wanted to make cookie pops, to boot, so I needed a recipe that was not going to spread on me.

So, I used my trusty Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe, and before adding the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, I added about 1/2-3/4 cup of chocolate chips (or the toffee bits) to the flour and whisked them in. Then finished mixing the dough as usual.

I was worried that they wouldn't be very evenly distributed, or that they'd all fall to the botttom of the dough, but I did not have that problem. Looks pretty well distributed to me.

Now, for the Red Hots, I waited until I had taken the dough out of the mixing bowl, and divided it in two before adding the candy on top of the dough, and pressing them in. I did this before I put the dough in the refrigerator to set.
I'm the only one in my family who appreciates the awesomeness of all things spicy cinnamon flavored, so I didn't want to make too many of those. (Not to mention that I was giving the cookie pops to 5-year-olds in my kids' class, so I don't think many of them would have appreciated them either.)

I think you could really use either method to add the mix-ins. Adding them later just gives you the option of doing more than one flavor with one batch of dough. Multitasking, you know??

You bake these cookies just like you would any other cookie, though I will say that occasionally cutting out the Red-Hot ones were tough because those things don't like to cut with a cookie cutter. (But still SO worth it if you like the cinnamon!)

Some of the Red Hots and Heath bits did melt in the oven, so be sure you use parchment paper to line the tray, but otherwise, they really do bake like a regular sugar cookie.

Then, when it comes to decorating, they really didn't show any difference. I was amazed. I was sure the icing would be uneven, but as you can see in this photo... I can't even (from the front) which ones are plain sugar, and which ones have mix-ins. Obviously, from the sides or back, you can. (Like the ladybug there in the center is chocolate chip.) And that flower in the front has Heath bits in it.

Actually, if you squint, on that one you can see a tiny dot there on the bottom petal where a little Heath bit is sticking out. I forgot about that. That was really the only bad spot in the whole batch. (3 batches actually-- around 45 cookie pops, and only one visible spot from the mix-ins. Not bad, I say, and totally worth it!)

What would you want to add in to your cut out cookies??? Let me know if you try it!

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