Cookie-a-day: Chocolate Crinkles or Black and Whites

Heather says:

As you can tell this fun little cookie has several names. They also go by krinkles, and kringles. Soft and chocolatey the powdered sugar adds a nice counterpoint, both with color and taste. It makes an attractive addition to your holiday baking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark, richer taste without a gourmet price)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 6-oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
• confectioners sugar to taste (1/2 - 1 cup)

Directions after the jump.

Beat together the sugar, cocoa, and melted butter.

Add the vanilla and the eggs, mix until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder,baking soda and salt. Mix into the butter and sugar, a little at a time. Stir until just blended. If you are including the chocolate chips, fold in gently.

Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Roll the dough into 1″ balls.

Roll in the confectioners sugar before placing on an ungreased baking sheet. Generously sprinkle the cookies with additional powdered sugar. (If the dough is not heavily coated with sugar it will look greasy and unattractive. This can be remedied by adding additional powdered sugar after cooling, but the contrast of the black cracks is then lost.)

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 350F.

Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.