Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 0.5 cup canola oil 
• 1 large eggs 
• 1.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tablespoon milk 2% reduced-fat
• 1 teaspoon meringue powder 
• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.8 cup cocoa dark unsweetened (such as Hershey's Special )
• 0.3 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 1 cup flour whole-wheat

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• blender
• plastic wrap
• ziploc bags
• measuring cup

Directions

1. To prepare cookies, place the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
2. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg; beat until well blended.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.
4. Combine flours, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
5. Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated.
6. Place half of dough between two sheets of plastic wrap; roll to a 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
7. Place dough (still wrapped in plastic wrap) on a baking sheet. Chill 45 minutes or until firm.
8. Preheat oven to 37
9. Cut dough with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch cutter to form 40 cookies (reroll scraps as necessary). Arrange 20 cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (keep remaining cookies chilled).
10. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes or until set. Cool on pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; remove cookies from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
11. To prepare icing, combine 1 tablespoon water and meringue powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
12. Add milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.
13. Add powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Spoon icing into a small zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole in one bottom corner of bag; pipe designs on cookies.