Recipe

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ground chocolate, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters with a rubber spatula as needed. Cover and chill dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one-quarter of the dough to 1/4" thickness. (Leave the remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to use.) With cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until no indentation remains in the cookies when pressed lightly. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, melt the butter over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When melted, remove from the heat and add the ground chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the water, whisking continuously until mixture is smooth. Add the 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the additional water 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until glaze reaches desired consistency. Drizzle or spread on cooled cookies.