Que sera, Sarah

And also for Christmas and Chocolate Crinkles! Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve gotten permission from my cousin Kate to share her mom’s recipe for our family’s favorite Christmas cookie. I think this is a pretty standard holiday cookie, and I don’t know how Aunt Anne’s recipe differs from others — all I know is, these are the tastiest version of these cookies that I have ever eaten.

Chocolate Crinkles

yields approx. six dozen

4 one-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt chocolate,* combine with oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and blend well after each addition. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Chill overnight.

The next day, form into one-inch balls and roll thoroughly in the confectioner’s sugar.

Bake for ten minutes. Do not overbake.

I repeat, do not overbake. These cookies must be soft and chewy to offer maximum deliciousness. Overbaking can result in tragically diminished sugar-coated hockey pucks.

* I’m not a devotee of the old-school manner of melting chocolate on the stove in a double-boiler. I microwave it for about two minutes and it comes out perfectly melty and not burnt at all.

***

Updated March 2012 to put in a nicer photo, from 2011’s Christmas cookie baking.