Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

Christmas in Cincinnati meant plenty of good cooking from my daughter-in-law and her sister - with a few sides thrown in by Emily and even ole' Mom. One of the things Emily brought was a batch of brownie roll-out cookies. Actually, I think there might have been more than the batch for Tim and Joy as I distinctly remember a rather pretty box lying around, waiting to be mailed to a special friend and her hubby. Last I saw, those cookies were still being transported from condo to hotel to rental car to Tim's car...all in the hope of finally hitting up a post office and getting the proper postage for a flight to DC.

I really liked the texture and subtle taste of the cookies Emily brought so I came home and made my own batch. Mine had a slightly different flavor as I was missing an extra ingredient Emily had added to the ones she made; something that gave each cookie a nuanced taste of orange mixed with the chocolate. That variation was amazingly good but the original is pretty darned awesome, too.

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies
Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients
3 cups (375) grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
2/3 cup (55 grams) unsweetened cocoa
3/4 t. table salt
1/2 t. baking powder
16 T (225 grams or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl, and set aside. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl. Mix in vanilla. Gradually mix the dry ingredients. Wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.

Roll out cookie dough on a floured counter. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. (It does disappear once baked, though, so don't overly fret if they go into the oven looking white) Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8 inch cookies, the latter for 1/4 inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.