Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Additional sugar for rolling and topping
• Topping:
• 3/4 cup ground pistachios, or other nuts of your choice
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheets.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter with sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well. Gradually add the flour mixture. Blend well.
4. Gather dough into a ball and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until firm.
5. Divide dough in half. Use a pastry cloth and rolling pin sleeve.
6. Sprinkle the pastry cloth lightly and evenly with sugar. Roll out one half of the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 - to 3-inch cutter, cut out cookies, then lift with a spatula onto cookie sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Sprinkle with sugar and pistachios. Gently press nuts into cookies.
7. Bake 8 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are firm and edges are just beginning to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
8. Melt chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in oil and stir until chocolate is smooth. Spoon chocolate into a small, heavy-duty plastic storage bag or a pointed paper cup. Force chocolate into one side of the bag, near a corner (or the bottom of the cup). Cut a tiny snip off the corner of the bag or the pointed end of the cup. Squeeze chocolate from bag or cup onto cookies, drizzling it in a free-form design. Let set.