C Is For Cookies__Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Update

I was bopping around Pinterest and noticed a recipe I thought might be worth trying.  I have always been a fan of Texas Sheet Cake (which I always called lunchroom cake because it was served in every one of my school cafeterias, including college ).  I like the moist gooey chocolate cake and the dry flaky  chocolate icing.  It tastes and reminds me of simpler times.  When I saw the recipe for the cookie version I knew I would make it.

I wish I remember the name of the blog linked to the recipe.  I was in a hurry so I just wrote down the ingredients on a piece of scrap paper and turned off the computer.  Now I have the ingredients and instructions but no website.  So, sorry to whomever I copied this from without giving you credit.  It was not intentional.

                                                     Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

For the Cookie

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted



Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the softened butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Add the egg to combine then stir in the vanilla until it is mixed well.  Add the baking powder and salt and blend well.  Slowly add the flour until it is all combined.  Then add in the melted chocolate chips and stir to combine very well. ( To melt the chocolate chips put them in a microwave safe bowl.  Zap for 30 seconds and stir.  Continue zapping and stirring in 15 second increments until they are melted.  It took me 45 seconds total.  Do not over cook or the chips will harden and will not be usable)

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper ( or use a silpat) and drop cookies in about golf ball size balls.  Pat the top slightly with slightly damp fingers and bake for 7-9 minutes.  You really want the cookies to be just well set, but still soft and gooey.  Remove from the cookie sheet to a rack to cool.


While the cookies cool make the icing.

For the icing

1/4 cup butter melted

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Add all butter and coca and stir until smooth.  Stir in the milk and vanilla then slowly add the confectioners sugar.  Stir until smooth adding a few drops more of milk if necessary.

 When cool place  the cookies on a flat tray and heap a mound of chocolate frosting on each cookie.  Let them hang out to air dry before serving.  Makes about 18 2 inch very rich cookies.

I have a somewhat mixed review on these.  The taste was very good and the texture was fine.  I thought the icing was way too sweet and it made entirely too much of it.  I didn't use even half of the recipe.  I stuck the leftover in an air tight container in the refrigerator and will make another batch of the cookies this week.  I will not use chocolate chips in the next recipe.  I am going to increase the sugar by a couple of tablespoons, add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of oil. ( Will not be sure of the cocoa amount until I risk my life and actually consume tastes of the raw cookie dough and adjust as needed.  I guess I am just brave like that.)   It should be enough  to compensate for the chips sweetness and fat content.  I didn't find the chocolate taste of the cookies bold enough to warrant using chocolate chips when cocoa should work perfectly fine.  Will let you know!  I guess I rate these and overall good, but I think I would prefer to save the chocolate chips for something that needs them rather than to just give a chocolate flavor to a pretty basic cookie.

Update:  I did try these again substituting 4 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa,  1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 4 tablespoons additional sugar in place of the chocolate chips.  It worked perfectly fine but I can't tell you it tasted exactly the same since I did not have one from each batch to do a side by side comparison.  It was worth it to me if for no other reason than having one less dish to wash.  The cookies had a similar "feel" to them, so I would call it ok to make with cocoa.  I know I will!