Chocolate Cookie Cutouts

from ButterYum

makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the cookie dough:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the BeaterBlade attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine.

4. Add flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

5. Remove dough from mixer bowl and wrap well with plastic wrap; chill for 1-3 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375F.

7. Roll each dough portion to 3/16-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

8. Cut out desired shapes with floured plunger cutters, without plunging the design into the cutout.

9. Chill dough before transferring cutouts to sheet pan to prevent distorting.

10. Place cookies 2-inches apart on silpat lined sheet pan.

11. Bake for 6-8 minutes; remove from oven and top with fondant cutouts that have the design pressed into them.

12. Cool completely before serving. Store in airtight container between with wax paper between layers.

Note: Recipe makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size. Plan to use about 1/2 pound fondant (I like to buy white fondant so I can color it any way I like). Fondant cutouts can be made a day or more in advance if stored on wax or parchment paper in an airtight container. If the cookies cool before fondant toppers are applied, you can warm the cookies for a few seconds in the microwave (but I recommend applying the fondant to cookies as soon as they come out of the oven).