Memory Lane

When I was in high school a bought a cookie book with an amazing shortbread cookie recipe. It was really simple and had only 3 ingredients: butter, flour, sugar. I like to make my own versions and when I made chocolate ones, I used cocoa powder imported from Holland that my mom always has in her pantry for her bitter hot chocolate. It really is pretty good.

This time I had to use Hershey's cocoa powder since that's pretty much all that's available around here, but it still turned out pretty good. I added cinnamon for added depth and vanilla for intense fragrance and now I'm in the tough spot of not being able to stop!

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
makes 16 cookie wedges
1 C butter (2 sticks), softenend
2/3 C sugar
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 3/4 C flour
1 t vanilla extract
1-2 t cinnamon, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and cinnamon and slowly add cocoa powder.
2. On a slow speed with your mixer, add flour until dry but still smooth.
3. Take dough out of the bowl and split into 2 rounds. Smooth out the rounds and flatten onto a cookie sheet. Score the circles into 8 wedges. Bake for 17 minutes. Once cooled, cut through the score marks and serve. The cookies might come out a little crumbly, but it's tasty:)