In another bowl mix flour and baking powder together. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and vanilla.
Cream butter and sugar with a hand blender until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat for 30 secs.
Add ⅓ of the flour and blend on low until the flour is well mixed.
Add flour and milk alternatively and blend.
Weigh the dough and remove ⅓ of the dough
If using Melted Chocolate :
Add the melted chocolate to the ⅓ dough. Beat on low speed till fluffy and there are no white streaks of the dough anymore.
If using Unsweetened Cocoa Powder:
Add the unsweetened cocoa powder to the ⅓ dough. Now, beat on low speed. You may have to add milk, add one tablespoon at a time and beat well till fluffy and there are no white streaks of the dough anymore.
Chill both the dough in the fridge before you go further.
Shaping the Hoot Owl Cookies:
On a cling film, place the light coloured dough. Cover with another piece of cling film and roll it out in a strip 6-inch wide. Actually makes sense to make 2 strips and transfer them to the fridge but I am always out of fridge space so I make 1.
Make a nice long log of the chocolate dough the same length as the strip.
Place the log on the light coloured strip and cover the log with the light strip.
Here I cut the log into 2 pieces and make smaller rolls.
Cover with cling film and set in the fridge to cool. In my climate it is difficult so I let it sit in the fridge for another 3-4 hours. It is easier to make a smooth roll after 3-4 hours.
You can bake immediately but let them stay overningt in the fridge.
Shaping the Hoot Owl Cookies:
Preheat the oven at 180C or 350F.
Get the rolls out and remove the uneven edges with a serrated knife and make slices of the roll about 3cms wide.
On the greased baking tray or a Silpat place 2 cookie slices next to one another and press to make stick them together.
To make the ears of the owl you can pinch the corners of the lighter dough. What used the ends I had cut off from the roll. Make some small rolls and attached them.
The ears may seem weird and exaggerated when you make them but once baked they will be normal. Smoothen the edges a bit with your fingertips.
In the centre of the dark roll place the chocolate chip. Attach the almond or cashew nut as a beak.
Bake for 8 – 12 minutes or the edges become golden brown.
Remove from baking sheets after they cool in an air-tight container with parchment between the cookies.
Notes
You can use cashew nuts in place of almonds as eyes.
Keep space between 2 owls while baking these cookies spread.
While storing the baked cookies in a single layer with parchment paper between the cookies.
Stacking them causes the chocolate eyes to stick to the other cookies.
The cookies logs can be frozen in the freezer for a month. Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then slice and shape the cookies.