Our cookbook club chose the A16 Food+Wine cookbook several months ago.

I brought two dishes, Croccante cookies and the Chocolate and Sea Salt Shortbread Cookies. Both were the celebrated success of the evening.

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Penzeys Dutch Process)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup or 8 ounces room temperature unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon sea salt

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. In a mixer, combine butter and sugar, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until pale and smooth. Switch to low speed, add the flour mix in 3 additions, beating after each addition until just incorporated. Add the chocolate, vanilla and salt and mix just until blended.

Divide the dough in quarters. Put the first quarter on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a log about 1 inch diameter. Repeat with the next three. Wrap the logs separately in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.

Put the oven rack in the middle and upper third and preheat to 300.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a Silpat-type lining.

Cut the logs into ¼ inch rounds, set out on the baking sheet. Bake, rotating the sheets once from front to back, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until baked through but still soft. Transfer the sheets to wire racks. The cookies will firm up as they cool.

And damn, they’re delicious.