Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Put shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached. Mix on medium speed until well combined and light in color.
Turn the mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, until it’s all incorporated into the shortening mixture.
Place cookie dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll to ¼“ thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut into individual figures. Peel cookie dough away from shaped cookies. Flip the parchment paper over onto a greased cookie sheet and gently peel cookies off and onto the cookie sheet.
Roll out the remaining dough on the parchment paper and cut with cookie cutters. Continue until all the dough is used.
Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until there are no wet spots on top of them. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Decorate with powdered sugar, glaze or frosting, if desired.
Hack: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 6 months.
Hack: Unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 6 months.