Chocolate Sugar-Crusted Slice Cookies

Ah - the holiday season is over - otherwise known as "the baking binge season", or "the baking bender season".  I was too busy hosting, visiting, baking, shopping, and drinking wine to post anything in the month of December, and for that I do not apologize!  

Each year I try one or two new cookie recipes out to go along with my tried, tested, and true family favourites.  This year was a success on both counts - and here is the first.

These cookies were easy to make, easy to freeze, and easy to bake.  A four star cookie for a busy lady. 

Watch for the cinnamon zing!

This recipe is from the December 2012 edition of Chatelaine magazine

Chocolate Sugar-Crusted Slice Cookies

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter 
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• coarse sugar for rolling- I used red sugar cookie decorating crystals

1. Sift flour along with cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. 
2. Cream softened butter with brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  
3. Add flour mixture, mix until well combined.  
4. Make dough into a ball, and divide in half.  On wax paper, roll each half until it is in log form.  The original recipe suggests 10 inches, but shorter log will make bigger cookies, so whatever you prefer!
5. Sprinkle the coarse sugar crystals onto wax paper liberally.  Roll each log in the sugar until it covers the log. 

6.  Repeat for each log, and wrap well in wax paper to chill for one hour or    

    freeze (well wrapped cookies freeze well for several days). 

7. Oven at 350 degrees F.  Slice logs into 1/4 inch thick rounds and leave 1   

    inch apart on baking sheets.

8. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are firm.