This holiday season is always filled with sugar cookies upon sugar cookies. So why not add some chocolate to the dough? It's time to switch it up.

I have this Martha Stewart "Cookies" book from 2007. The pages are dirtied and marked on, with notes and tabs for my favorite recipes. I haven't, in the TEN years I've owned the book, made a recipe from it that was not good. Now that is a good book! Well, long story short, these cookies are from that book. Martha makes them giant using an ice cream scoop, but I used a regular cookie scoop for these.

They are chewy and brownie-like, but a sugar cookie. Trust me, you'll enjoy this one.

Hope you all are having a happy holiday season!

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies

(From Martha Stewart's "Cookies" book)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, substitute 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (or additional butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, about 16-18 minutes. But check them at 15-16 minutes to see if the edges are firm yet. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.