Rich Chocolate Cutout Cookies

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
• 2 with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 3-4 minute.
• 3 beat in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla.
• 4 reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in three additions.
• 5 shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hrs (or up to 1 day).
• 6 preheat oven to 375°f remove 1 disk from refrigerator, and let stand until room temperature.
• 7 lightly dust two large sheets of parchment with cocoa powder, and roll out disk of dough between sheets to a 1/4 inch thickness.
• 8 transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• 9 remove top parchment sheet, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
• 10 remove excess dough and space cookies evenly. re-freeze until firm.
• 11 bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.