Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

OK, now we're back to our cookies again. We tried Martha Stewart's first, but Michael said they were too dry. I liked the firmness, but taste is what really matters, so it was on to another recipe. I found an old volume of Spirit of Christmas and this one added vanilla extract and salt. Maybe that's what it needed. They were much better than the first batch and I think the process of cutting out the cookie shapes after baking was great. I wanted a thicker cookie, so I used a narrower baking pan than the one listed.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES - adapted from Spirit of Christmas
makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon table salt
additional powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa and salt. Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture, combine well. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Press dough into a 15" by 10" jellyroll pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning pan halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, about 2" wide or cut into squares or bars. Remove cookies from pan onto cooling racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. When completely cooled store in an airtight container. (May also be decorated with an icing glaze made of 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons of milk, and a tiny drop of food coloring.)