Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 7 teaspoons baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, Softened at Room Temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375*. Lightly grease cookie sheets or use parchment paper.

2. 2

   Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3. 3

   Cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

5. 5

   Gradually add flour mixture and blend well.

6. 6

   Gather dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, until firm.

7. 7

   Sprinkle a light coating of sugar on the counter. Using half the dough at a time, roll dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Lift cookies with spatula onto the cookie sheet. Leave about 1 ½" between cookies.

8. 8

   Make a stencil to create the “v” shape with the red sugar using a piece of poster board.

9. 9

   Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are firm and edges are just starting to brown.

10. 10

    Remove to wire rack to cool.

11. 11

    In a medium sauce pan, melt chocolate chips (or chunks) until smooth. Dip the cookies until the chocolate reaches the line of the red sugar “v”. Place on a wire rack and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the chocolate to harden on the cookies.