Chocolate Cookie Bites

I love these cute bite-sized cookies! They have that almond extract taste to them so if you like that, you'll like these. They are a nice change from your everyday cookie and just the right size to pop in your mouth. I first got this recipe from my friend/neighbor Kat around Christmas time. She brought me over a baggie of them and after sampling the first cookie, I found myself hiding the rest of the bag in a secret cupboard so I didn't have to share with all the boys. I knew they just wouldn't appreciate them as much as me and we had plenty of other junk food around the house at that time! The next week at church, I spotted Kat and just as I was going up to ask her for the recipe, she was already talking to someone else about sending them the recipe too. You can put any color sprinkles you want on them, I was just wanting to use up some brown sprinkles. But they look even cuter with silver or even those little pearl sprinkles. And I definitely like them best as bite-sized cookies for some reason. Maybe it's because I can eat more of them without feeling as guilty:) It does take longer than rolling out bigger cookies, so recruit some family members, but in the end that's my favorite way to eat them. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cookie Bites
Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 C. flour
1/2 C. cocoa
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
additional sugarIcing:
Powdered sugar
Milk
Melted butter
Almond extract

Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating to form smooth dough.Heat oven to 350. Roll dough into balls. If you choose to make the cookies bite-size you will need to make the balls really small. Probably about the size of a large marble. They probably cook up just less than double the size of the dough, so take that into consideration.

Next, roll dough in a bowl of granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb into the top of each ball to flatten a little. (You will be filling the the imprint with your icing later on)Bake 8 to 9 minutes. You may need to cook longer if you are making regular sized cookies. Make sure you don't overbake them, although the icing softens them up a little bit too.

Next make the icing. I forgot to measure out the ingredients, I just kind of eye-balled it. I'll try and remember to add them next time I make these but it is really easy. Just put a few cups, or however much you think you will need, of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Then very slowly add the milk to the powdered sugar until you reach the consistency you want. I like the icing on the thicker side so I probably only add a few T. or so. Then add 1-2 capfuls of almond extract. It depends on how much you like almond extract. I love it so I probably added at least 2. Then add a T. or so of melted butter for each few cups of powdered sugar and mix well.

Ice cookies, add sprinkles and enjoy!