Chocolate Dipped Cut-Outs

I found this recipe years ago and am now copying it here from our family cookbook binder. Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Cut-Outs

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbl. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 to 2 ½ cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Coating:

• Nonpareils or coarse decorating sugar
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 Tbl shortening

Directions:

1. Combine butter and sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.  
2. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients.  Beat until well mixed.  Divide dough in half.  Wrap each half in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least one hour).
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  
4. Roll out dough on heavy floured surface (and rolling pin), one half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to ¼ inch thickness, but not too thin or they break when you handle them after cooking.  Dough will absorb most excess flour when cooked, so don’t worry if they have a light flour coating on them after you cut them.  Cut with cookie cutter.  Cookies are delicate when done, so use a small cookies cutter.  Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  
5. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm.  Let stand 1 minute.  Remove from cookie sheets.  Cool completely.
6. Place nonpareils or course decorating sugar in small, shallow dish; set aside.  
7. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in 1 qt. saucepan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat.  
8. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate mixture.  Immediately roll chocolate-coated edges of cookie in nonpareils or course sugar, if desired.  Let stand on wax paper until set.