Dia De Los Muertos Cookies

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, dutch process
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, lump free
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 to make the vanilla dough, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together with a whisk or a fork.
• 2 set aside.
• 3 in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• 4 beat in the egg and vanilla.
• 5 on low speed, beat in the flour just until incorporated.
• 6 form the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter.
• 7 set aside.
• 8 to make the chocolate dough, in a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
• 9 set aside.
• 10 in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with the back of a spoon or an electric mixer until smooth and creamy but not fluffy (less than 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer).
• 11 beat in the egg and vanilla.
• 12 on low speed, beat in the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
• 13 form dough into a log the same length as the vanilla log.
• 14 if the dough is too soft and sticky to handle place it in the freezer to firm.
• 15 to shape the skulls, reshape each log of dough so that it is skull shaped rather than round: make one side narrow for the chin and jaw and leave the other side wide for the cranium.
• 16 wrap and refrigerate the chocolate dough. form features in the vanilla dough, using the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes for eyes through the entire length of the log.
• 17 form the nose with a skewer, poking two holes for nostrils.
• 18 form the mouth by inserting a narrow table knife and wiggling it back and forth to lengthen and widen the opening.
• 19 don't try for perfection: irregular holes make the best and weirdest skulls. wrap and refrigerate the vanilla dough.
• 20 chill both doughs at least 2 hours, preferable overnight.
• 21 position rack in the upper and lower third of the oven.
• 22 preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 23 cut the chocolate dough into 1/8-inch slices and place them at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
• 24 cut the vanilla dough into 1/8-inch slices and place 1 slice on top of each chocolate slice.
• 25 bake until pale golden at the edges, 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking.
• 26 slide parchment liners onto cooling racks or transfer the cookies directly from the pan to the rack with a metal pancake turner, waiting 1 to 2 minutes if necessary to let the cookies firm up before moving them.
• 27 cook cookies completely before stacking or storing.
• 28 cookies keep at least 1 week in an air-tight container.