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1
Into a bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
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2
Chop chocolate and in a small heavy saucepan melt with butter over very low heat, stirring until smooth.
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3
Remove pan from heat and stir in sugar.
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4
Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl and cool 10 minutes.
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5
Stir in eggs and vanilla until just combined.
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6
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
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7
Halve dough and roll out each half between sheets of wax paper into an 11 1/2-inch round (about 3/16 inch thick).
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8
Remove top sheet of wax paper from each round and with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter cut rounds, leaving all of dough on wax paper.
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9
Cut a 3/4-inch-diameter hole (we used wide end of a pastry tip) in center of half of rounds.
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10
(Do not remove any of cut-outs from dough; keep rounds intact on wax paper).
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11
Replace sheets of wax paper and stack dough on a baking sheet.
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12
Chill dough until firm, at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days.
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13
Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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14
Finely chop candy canes.
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15
Transfer dough rounds, still between sheets of wax paper, to a work surface.
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16
Remove top sheet of wax paper from each dough round.
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17
Replace wax paper loosely and flip over each wax-paper-enclosed dough round.
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18
From each dough round remove and discard sheet of wax paper now on top (this process prevents cookies from sticking to wax paper).
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19
Lift cut-out centers and scraps from wax paper and reroll them to make more 1 1/2-inch solid rounds and rings in same manner, chilling until firm.
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20
Center rings on top of solid rounds and fill each center with about 1/4 teaspoon chopped candy cane.
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21
Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
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22
Bake cookies in batches in lower third of oven 8 minutes, or just until candy begins to melt (not liquefy).
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23
With a spatula transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
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24
Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in airtight containers at room temperature, 1 week.
