Thyme Sugar Chocolate Cookies

It’s  cookie thyme!

I know.

Sorry.

Couldn’t resist.

These cookies are a good combination of sweet and savory. The fragrant thyme sugar adds something special. 

You could leave these plain for a more savory option but I would recommend using the icing because it really adds something unique to the overall taste.

Next time I will play with the icing flavor, maybe make it chocolate to further accentuate the chocolate in the cookie.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 ounces of milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup butter
• zest from one orange
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup rice flour

• In a grinder or food processor, Combine the thyme and sugar.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
• Combine the butter, half the thyme sugar, orange zest and salt. Beat until creamy.
• Add the chocolate and the flours to the butter mixture and beat until combines.
• Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
• Roll the dough out between two pieces of baking paper.
• Remove the top piece of paper and cut out shapes using your favorite cookie cutters.
• Using some of the reserved thyme sugar, sprinkle over the raw cookies.
• Bake cookies one baking sheet at a time in the middle position of your oven for 10-15 minutes. 
• Remove and transfer to wire rack for decorating.
• While cookies are cooling, mix together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl alternating the sugar and milk until it reaches piping consistency. Color with food coloring.*
• Put into piping bag and using a #2 tip, pipe the veins on the leaves or outline the cutter shapes you have used. 
• After piping three cookies, lay them down and sprinkle the thyme sugar over them. Shake off the excess sugar and place them back on the cooling rack until the icing dries.
• When icing has dried, transfer to a serving plate.