brownie roll-out cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a bowl until evenly combined. With a stand- or hand-mixer, beat butter, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic or parchment and chill for at least one hour, or until firm to the touch.On a floured counter roll dough to desired thickness. Most sugar cookies are rolled to 1/8-inch thick but shown here are 1/4-inch thickness, which is better at delivering a “brownie” effect. 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 firm 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for firm 1/4-inch cookies; for softer 1/4-inch cookies, as shown, bake for 8 to 9 minutes) until the edges are firm.Transfer to a wire rack to cool. To keep cookies as tender as possible, store in an airtight container, not just a covered tin.An even easier way to make sugar cookies: You can use the cold butter, no-flour rollout method outlined in the Unfussy Sugar Cookie recipe here as well.