Intense cocoa cookies

This is the last of my Christmas baking. I neglected to get this recipe up on the blog before the end of the holidays because, well, I was too busy eating the cookies to write about them.

I've made variations on this recipe for four years now (with espresso, toffee and peppermint-dusted versions in the past) and I'm starting to run out of names! This time, I added a touch of Bailey's to the base recipe, and used gourmet Vahlrona cocoa powder brought home from Paris. Vahlrona BLOWS Fry's out of the water. The texture is like powdered silk, the colour a luscious, deep brown and the taste intense and rich. It was pricey, but I immediately regretted not having bought a second tin. I'm hoping the Whole Foods that just opened in the city might carry it.

xx

To make, beat 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter until fluffy. Sift 1 cup icing sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa, then beat with butter. Add 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup Baileys and 1 tsp vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together 1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Working in batches, add flour to mixture (you may need slightly more or slightly less flour). Shape dough into a disc, wrap in Seran and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick on a surface dusted with cocoa powder (Note: This is a trick I learned recently - for light-coloured cookies dust with flour, for dark ones use cocoa powder). Cut into shapes, then bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes. 

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Wait a few minutes, then dust with icing sugar (Note: If you do this too early the icing sugar will melt and disappear into the cookies). I spooned icing sugar into a loose-leaf tea ball and 'tapped' it onto the cookies but any fine-mesh sieve should work.