The Richest Chocolate Crinkles

I believe that the Crinkle Cookie is the quintessential Christmas cookie and while delicious in any flavor, nothing quite beats a rich chocolate at this time of year. I highly recommend using a coconut oil as it complements the chocolate so well however any lighter oil will work just fine in this recipe.

While any Crinkle recipe is pretty straightforward, I think it's important to note that these are simple to make ahead of time and they freeze well. The dough is going to be a little soft once fully mixed so it's important to place the dough in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for 1 to 2 hours. I do recommend letting the dough chill overnight as it really allows time for the cocoa and vanilla to develop their flavors in the dough. I especially like to make these with a vanilla bean paste for an added bit of flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup coconut oil, melted (vegetable oil is fine)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Stir in the oil and vanilla extract. Add each egg, one at a time and stir until just combined. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Cover the dough or wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight. This helps with the texture of the dough and really allows for the cocoa and vanilla to develop in flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350° and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar to roll dough balls in. Roll dough into 1 ½-inch balls. Dip the top halves in the bowl of powdered sugar and roll around to evenly coat. Place onto baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies stand on baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.