Chocolate Sugar Heart Cookies

Chocolate hearts are a favorite anytime of the day really, they serve as snacks for my son's tiffin, cheat snacks for the strictly dieting types (well actually for me) and for the husband who looks rumbles about kitchen looking for something/ anything to munch.....

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 3/4 cup
Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 1 cup, room temperature
Granulated Sugar - 1 3/4 cups
Eggs - 2 large eggs
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl,beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes depending on the size until they are firm around the edges. Remove them from the oven and let them cool onto a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack. Frost with royal icing if desired or do some creativity with some ready made sprinkles using a little corn syrup. Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper and store in between layers of wax paper.