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MAKES ABOUT 41/2 DOZEN COOKIES

21/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening (2 ounces)

2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined, without streaks of white flour; set aside.

2. Beat the sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft and frosting-like, if still a little grainy, about 2 minutes. With the beaters running, slowly drizzle in the oil, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary; continue beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Turn off the mixer, add the flour, and beat at low speed just until a soft dough forms, a little less than 1 minute.

3. Once a soft dough forms, remove the beaters and scrape any dough that adheres to the beaters back into the bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 11/2 inches apart on two large, nonstick, ungreased baking sheets. Roll only as many balls as will fit on the sheets for each baking—keep the remaining dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Use a fork to press the balls into a cross-hatch pattern, first pressing in one direction, then rotating the tines 90 degrees and pressing again. Don’t smash the dough balls flat; just press down with a firm but still delicate pressure.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, switching the sheets on the racks halfway through and rotating them 90 degrees. When baked, the cookies should feel dry and should have firm cracks around the edges. Cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool for 5 minutes before proceeding with additional batches.

Recommended storage

1 week at room temperature

3 months in the freezer

Customize It!

Substitute any of the following for the vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring, 1 teaspoon maple flavoring, 1 teaspoon orange extract, 1 teaspoon raspberry flavoring, 1 teaspoon rum extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or 1/2 teaspoon mint extract.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE SANDWICH COOKIES

These tender chocolate cookies surround a luscious filling reminiscent of dark chocolate truffles. The cookies are so rich, they almost melt in your mouth. Make sure you have plenty of friends on hand to share them.

MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 DOZEN COOKIES

FOR THE COOKIES

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE TRUFFLE FILLING

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

11/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. To make the cookies, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the walnuts on a large baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Cool the nuts completely, then grind them to a fine powder in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pour the ground nuts into a medium bowl and whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt until well combined; set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed soften the butter in a large bowl for a little more than 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until light and icing-like, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then slowly beat in the prepared flour mixture at low speed, adding the mixture in 1/2-cup increments; continue beating just until a very soft dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about