Brownie Cut outs - Secret Recipe club

This month, I was lucky enough to be assigned the Secrets from the Cookie Princess blog.

From her description:

“For 2011, I made 142 dozen cookies. I know it’s less than last year, but I also made pie, bars, muffins, candy and a bunch of other stuff. Don’t judge me.”

What’s not to love about that? (and no one here that just let their children eat popcorn for dinner is judging, believe me.) Someone at Secret Recipe HQ must know my weakness for baked goods. There were plenty to choose from here. I was tempted by these PB Chocolate Surprises, and then these Lumberjack Cookies. But finally, I settled on these Brownie Cut out cookies. And they were a big hit.

I even served them on this adorable Fishs Eddy notebook paper plate that my sweet boss gave me. Kind of like a love letter, written in chocolate hearts.

Brownie Cut outs, from Smitten Kitchen, via the Cookie Princess.

 

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat butter then add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla and cocoa powder, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl as needed to incorporate. Switch to a paddle attachment and gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until combined. Turn dough out onto a counter top and knead together any last bits of dough to create a ball.  Divide into 4 parts, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. Working with one part of dough at a time, roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick, depending on your preference. Cut into desired shapes and arrange on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 (for 1/8 inch thick cookies) to 11 minutes (for 1/4 inch thick cookies), until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffy.  I served mine with a little bit of powdered sugar on top.

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