Chalkboard Cookies: Quick and Easy Holiday Treat

As someone with limited baking skills, I always get a slight twinge of anxiety when, as the holidays approach, a deluge of fabulous cookie recipes appear online, festive cookie exchange parties are planned and magazines feature picture perfect treats on their glossy covers. 
An avid consumer of sweets, I ironically never mastered the particular art of these bite size delights. Of course this doesn't stop me from poring over recipes during on a recent search, I found dozens of fabulous ideas for the most delightful chalkboard cookies!

As expected, most of these beautifully made cookies required a scratch recipe, fondant or carefully crafted royal icing. How, I pondered could I whip up a just-about-as-cute but simpler semi scratch version?

With some trial and error, store-bought cookies, some vanilla and black chocolate melts (leftover from Halloween), I concocted a fast and easy adaptation of these trendy treats. 

With chalkboard "everything" still going strong in the world of decor and crafts, these cookies go with a variety of themes and can be customized for any time of year including, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or make a sweet gift for teachers.

You'll Need

Any plain flat round cookies 
(I used sugar and chocolate from my local supermarket)
black and white chocolate melts
plain white and wax paper
optional: 
confectioner's sugar
and
Wiltons white cookie icing
fine paint brush

Lay out plain white or parchment paper and using black chocolate melt trace out cookie shapes, spacing an inch or so apart.
Cover with wax paper so tracing is clearly visible

Melt black chocolate according to instructions. 
Gently spoon chocolate onto wax paper in center of traced circles, leaving border around inside edge

While still warm, gently press the cookies into chocolate
Let cool completely 

peel cookies carefully from paper and turn over 
the chocolate should have a smooth surface

break a few white chocolate rounds in pieces to use as "chalk"
and write on cookie. 
you can warm (but don't melt) white wafers slightly in microwave for a few seconds for brighter color writing
If desired rub a bit of powdered sugar around edge of chocolate for a chalky finish

for more detailed look or brighter white you can create designs using a new clean paint brush and ready made icing
simply melt icing according to directions, pour onto a plate and paint on or use a combination of the white wafers accented with icing

While this technique doesn't render the most perfect lettering, the effect is lots of fun and it's an easy, enjoyable kitchen activity for kid's to help you with

Serve with tea or cocoa and arrange with seasonal accents 

or use winter or Christmas themes to enjoy or give as holiday gifts

Wherever you are and whatever you celebrate,
Wishing our wonderful readers all the sweetness
of the 
Season