The fifth hour Nutrition and Wellness Foodies learned about the differences between salted and unsalted butter for baking. They also learned about how to gauge how much salt to add to a recipe if using salted or unsalted butter.

Chocolate-dipped butter cookies

Ingredients, for cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Ingredients, for chocolate dip

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening
• nonpareil sprinkles, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine butter and sugar and beat together with an electric mixer until creamy and well combined, about three minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Pause to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated. With mixer on low, gradually add flour until it is completely combined. Pause to scrap the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.

Fit a large piping bag with a large piping tip and portion half of the cookie dough into the bag. Pipe cookies into swirl shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment. Make several cookie sheets with cookies. Do not pipe cookie dough on a hot or warm cookie sheet. Use a cooled cookie sheet.

Put cookies sheets in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cookies have cooled dip in melted chocolate. The chocolate chips and shortening should be melted in a small microwave safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

After dipping, transfer to cookies to parchment lined cool cookie sheet. Decorate with nonpareils or other sprinkles, if desired. Allow chocolate to harden before enjoying. This process can be sped up by placing cookies in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.