Chocolate Charms

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened coca powder plus some for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Sift flour, cocoa and salt into a bowl.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffly about 5 mins. Add sugar and beat about 2 mins more until very light in color and fluffly, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add vanilla if using. Add flour mixture and combine lowspeed, scraping with spatula if necessary until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers. Form dough into a flattened disk, wrap in plastic. Chill until firm at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Using a spoon, form dough into 1 inch balls place on prepared baing sheet. Bake until firm, 20 to 25 minutes rotating halfway through. Cool completely on wire rack. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.