Ritz-dipped Chocolate Cookies

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until very fluffy, about 45 seconds. Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two increments, beating well. At first, the dough will be very crumbly, but beat it until it comes together in a mass. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as well.

On a cocoa-powder dusted surface, roll the dough out to ¼” thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Re-roll scraps as needed. I got 10 cookies with my 3″ heart-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on a parchment paper- or Silpat-lined sheet pan, and place in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

When the oven is hot, slide the cookies directly from the freezer into the oven. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until fragrant and the tops look dry. Remove from oven. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes.

Move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will be very easy if you let them cool on the baking pan for at least 5 minutes. If you move them immediately, they will fall apart.

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 seconds pulses in the microwave. Stir between each pulse. Remove the chocolate from the microwave before the chips melt fully, and stir until smooth. It took me 45 seconds on medium power.

Dip each cookie into the chocolate, and then sprinkle on the crushed Ritz crackers. Let the chocolate dry on the cookies before serving.

Notes: You can substitute regular unsweetened natural cocoa powder.