Chocolate Moose Cookies with Pretzel Antlers
by Lee Hansen
It's a Reindeer! It's a Moose! It's a Chocolate Cookie!
These chocolate moose cookies (or chocolate reindeer cookies) have a double dose of cocoa flavor plus they're studded with dark chocolate chips and laced with espresso. To a true chocolate lover, these cookies are simply heavenly.
After you add the extras to make the faces and antlers, the cookies take on a whole other personality that's even yummier than the original recipe.
If you love a soft, chewy, deeply rich chocolate cookie, you're gonna love this recipe. It's also quite tasty without the antlers or faces, but for Christmas this is a fun and delicious cookie for chocolate overs.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 2 hours or overnight
Total Time: Baking time 12 minutes
Serves: Bakes about 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/3 C. chopped dark bittersweet chocolate chips
3 T. butter
1 C. sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C. unbleached flour (or white whole wheat)
- 1 C. dark bittersweet chocolate chips (we use Ghirardell 60% cacao)
- Red M&M candies for noses, small chocolate chips or green chocolate chips for eyes
- Small pretzel twists for antlers (moose, leave intact; reindeer, snap off the upper loops and embed the curved part into the cookie)
Preparation and Baking Instructions
1. Melt butter and chopped chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. Cool slightly and set aside.
2. Beat sugar and eggs together until well combined; add and mix in the melted butter and chocolate.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients and cover bowl.
4. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (hubby likes to chill his batches of this cookie dough overnight).
 5. Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking pans with sheets of parchment paper.
6. Drop dough by tablespoon size mounds onto parchment covered sheets; leave about 2 inches between.
7. Following photo as a guide, press candies into each cookie to make eyes and nose.
8. Add a single small pretzel to each side for antlers. (Keep pretzels whole for moose; snip off outer
9. Bake cookies 11 to 12 minutes or just until tops are shiny and cracked. Don't overbake unless you want your cookies to have a crisp texture.
10. Cool cookies 5 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Try another yummy Christmas recipe: Sugar Cookies
About the Author
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Lee Hansen is a freelance author and graphic designer. Find her printables, clip art and coloring pages for all ages at LeeHansen.com and ClipArtandCrafts.com. |
My 4 year old granddaughter spends an afternoon with me twice a week. When we get together, we like to cook or make crafts (that is when we aren't outdoors playing magic barefoot fairy in the garden or on the porch).
