Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These cookies are some of my favorites. They are simple, and so yummy! The basic cookies are a simple dough rolled in sugar and baked. There are also other options, which I had never tried until today. I'll let you know what the family thinks about them later. Make them, enjoy them!

(I usually double the recipe - the estimate below is somewhat under what usually comes out of the recipe. Today, with the doubled recipe, I got 40-50. They're small, so they disappear quickly.)

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
3 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
additional sugar

Instructions
Microwave chocolate and margarine bowl on high 2 minutes or until margarine is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Stir 1 cup sugar into melted chocolate mixture until well blended. Stir in egg and vanilla until completely blended. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1-in balls; roll in additional sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets (if flatter, crisper cookies are desired, flatten balls with bottom of drinking glass.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Jam-Filled Chocolate Sugar Cookies: Prepare Chocolate Sugar Cookie dough as directed. Roll in finely chopped nuts in place of sugar. Make indentation in each ball; fill center with your favorite jam. Bake as directed.

Chocolate-Caramel Sugar Cookies: Prepare Chocolate Sugar Cookie dough as directed. Roll in finely chopped nuts in place of sugar. Make indentation in each ball; bake as directed. Microwave 1 package (14 ounces) Kraft caramels with 2 tablespoons milk in microwavable bowl on high for 3 minutes or until melted, stirring after 2 minutes. Fill centers of cookies with caramel mixture. Drizzle with melted Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate.

**I made a few mistakes on these last two types. First, I put caramel (I used dipping caramel that was already runny -which I already had- instead of making the caramel the way it's shown above) on an unbaked cookie. Then, I read the directions more closely and baked several cookies without anything in them... not realizing that the jelly ones were supposed to be filled before baked. They're still pretty good, but I'm bummed that I messed it up! I'll have to try them again soon and do them right!

The following pictures are of the two other versions of the cookies (jam and chocolate-caramel)...

These are my two must-makes for the Christmas season. Love them!