Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes Stenciled Chocolate Cookies 3.6 (89) 2 Reviews By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 18, 2020 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Yield: 1 Yield Varies After all these years and thousands of holiday cookies, we still find stenciling to be one of the prettiest -- and easiest -- ways to decorate. Ingredients 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup ground cinnamon Salt 3 sticks unsalted butter 2 ½ cups sifted confectioners' sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Royal Icing for Noah's Ark Sugar Cookies Confectioners' sugar or luster dust ( nycake.com) Directions Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out cookies in desired shapes using cookie cutters, and transfer to baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crisp, but not dark, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely. Punch desired shape out of stiff paper (we used a thick envelope) using a craft punch. Hold stencil over 1 cookie, and brush a thin layer of icing over exposed surface using a small food-safe paintbrush. Holding stencil in place, gently sift confectioners' sugar over cookie through a fine sieve to evenly coat exposed surface. Lift stencil, and return cookie to wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let dry. Print