Kerri's Texas Kitchen: Cookie Carnival -- Two-Tone Cookies

This month I picked the Two-Tone Cookies for the Cookie Carnival and dressed them up a bit in preparation for Valentines Day. The recipe was easy and a bit fun to make. The cookies turned out super cute and you could switch them up for any holiday.

Everyone at home and work that tried them out really enjoyed them. I liked that they weren't super sweet but just sweet enough.

Two-Tone Cookies
www.bhg.com

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Chocolate Ganache
Powdered sugar (optional)

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Stir cocoa powder into one portion of dough. Cover and chill dough halves in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375F. Roll each dough half to 1/8-inch-thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out dough with a floured 2-1/2-inch fluted square cookie cutter, or cut dough into 2-1/2-inch squares using a fluted pastry wheel. Use an hors d'oeuvre cutter to cut a 1-inch square, diamond, circle, or flower shape from the centers of half of cutouts of each color. Place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are set. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon Chocolate Ganache in centers of bottom side of each cookie without a cutout. Top each white cookies with a chocolate cookie with cutout, bottom sides down; top each chocolate cookie with a white cookie with a cutout, bottom sides down. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 30 cookies. (I made less cookies since I used a large cutter)

To store: Place unfilled cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen. Assemble cookies with ganache, as directed. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Ganache
Heat 1/2 cup whipping cream in a small saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge. Stir in 4 ounces chopped high-quality bittersweet chocolate using a wire whisk until mixture is smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator about 30 minutes or until mixture mounds slightly. Makes about 3/4 cup.