Puppy Love Cookies

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour*
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly
1 1/2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond or peppermint extract
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
30 brown or pink candy coated chocolate candies (noses)

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and almond/peppermint extract and beat until well combined. Mix in eggs until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until incorporated.
Divide dough in half. Mix cocoa powder into 1/2 of the dough. Flatten both halves of dough into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove and roll out plain dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a silicone mat or a flour dusted cutting board.
Cut out 10 hearts using a 3-inch wide cutter. Then cut out 10 hearts using a 2-inch wide cutter and 10 more using a 1 1/2-inch wide heart cutter.
Remove excess dough and set the large heart cookies on parchment paper lined baking pans. Repeat doing the same thing with chocolate dough.
Then take remaining plain dough and chocolate dough and marble it. Roll it out and repeat cutting as listed above.
To assemble puppies turn large heart cookies so point is facing up. Set one of the smallest hearts on top of each large heart so that the point of the small heart rests in the groove of the large heart. This will create the puppies snout.
Then cut 1 3/4-inch hearts in half from tip to groove creating two tear drop shaped ears. Brush a bit of water on one edge, near tip of the ear, then press that up against tip of the large heart cookie. Repeat, attaching two ears to each puppy cookie.
Mix and match doughs so that you end up with a fun variety of light, dark, swirled, and even spotted dogs.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake cookies, 1 tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes just until edges begin to brown slightly. (Chocolate cookies will lose their shine once baked through.)
Remove and allow to cool completely.
Use melted chocolate or frosting to attach a candy coated chocolate nose on top of heart shaped snout near the groove. Also attach two candy eyes just above heart shaped snout.
If desired, cut or shape red candy into a tongue and attach to puppy cookies.
Store in an air-tight container until ready to use.