Chocolate-Coated Party Rings

Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating until just blended. Mix in the dry ingredients and 2 oz of the chopped chocolate to form a firm dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter two cookie sheets.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Cut out the centers with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Gather the dough scraps, reroll, and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used.

Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, placing them 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Cool until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer to racks to finish cooling.

Set out a large sheet of parchment paper. Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Dip the cookies completely in the chocolate. Place on the paper and let stand for 30 minutes until set.