Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.53 ounce) package CACAO RESERVE by HERSHEY’S 65% Extra Dark Chocolate, chopped*
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in a large deep bowl just until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg and melted chocolate, until blended. Reduce the heat to low. Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately, in 3 parts, beating just until blended after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, shape into disks, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter 3 baking sheets.

On a lightly floured work surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 piece of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 3-inch scalloped-edge cutter. Transfer the cookies to the baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Gather up the dough scraps for rerolling. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack with a long thin metal spatula to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

*Note:  If you don’t have the specific chocolate called for, substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity - the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor.  Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.