Chocolate Walnut Cookies

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9 inch square baking pan and line it with enough parchment paper to reach 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.  In a separate medium bowl, cream the butter with the sugar.  Stir in the egg and the vanilla until blended.  Sift in the cocoa powder and add the flour mixture.  Stir until blended.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared  pan.  Sprinkle the walnuts on top and bake for 20 minutes.  While stir warm, invert the pan and peel off the parchment paper.  Turn pan right-side up and cut the cookies into 1 1/2 inch squares.

Anise Sugar Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons anise powder

1 cup granulated sugar

1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt set aside.  Add 1/4 cup sugar to the anise powder.  Use an electric mixer to beat butter, anise-sugar, and 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar until thick and pale.  Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk and the vanilla until mixture is light and fluffy.  Stir in the flour mixture gradually until a dough forms.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill approximately 2 hours until firm.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 large cookie sheets and pour the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow dish.  Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Roll the balls in sugar, coating well.  Place the cookies on cookie sheets approximately 3 inches apart.  Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the top of the cookies is light brown and crinkled.  Place cookies on rack to cool.  

Country Cookies

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons molasses

1/2 teaspoon baking powder dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons water

Make a well in the center of the flour.  Place all the remaining ingredients in the well.  Mix ingredients with your hands.  Gradually blend until a dough forms.  Roll the dough into a log approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the cookies 1/8 inch thick and place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake for approximately 12 minutes until light golden brown.  Place cookies on rack to cool.