Italian pretzel cookies

Ingredients

• Makes 46 cookies

Dough:

• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Dipping Chocolate:

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoons shortening

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Preparation

• Dough:
  Line 3 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set racks in upper and lower thirds.
• In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.
• In a separate bowl lightly whisk the eggs then add sugar and continue whisking until sugar appears to be well incorporated into the eggs.
• Finally add melted butter and vanilla and continue whisking.
  
• Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly making sure all the ingredients have been incorporated well.
• Separate into 1 oz pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch rope, then form each rope into a circle. Place cookies on each pan.
  Bake the taralli until puffed and golden, about 14 - 16 minutes. Cool on racks.
• Dipping Chocolate:
  Melt chocolate chips and shortening using a double broiler or in the microwave.
  Then carefully dip pretzel bottoms in the melted chocolate