Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

What would Christmas be without cookies? And these cookies, my friends, are right at the top of cookie perfection. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Bursting with chocolate flavor that's only heightened by a roll in powdered sugar. Seriously good stuff.

Oh! And this is one of my Quick Start recipes. Yes! No soy oil or lecithin in these little gems. 

Now, I am going to warn you. These cookies aren't difficult but they are labor intensive. And you have to be patient. The dough needs to chill before you form the cookies. But it's worth all the work!

Speaking of chill. The recipe for these cookies originally says to refrigerate the dough. Don't do this! Put the dough in the freezer! Trust me on this one. The dough will be much easier to work with if it's super cold! And don't worry about the dough freezing solid. This won't happen.

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

Source: Adapted from Hershey's Kitchens

2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup baking cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

powdered sugar

Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add cocoa, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.

Cover; freeze until dough is firm enough to handle, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. 

Working with one batch at a time, shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Put remaining dough back in freezer while first batch bakes.

Bake 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Prepare next batch of cookies.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Tip: If you need to avoid eggs, Food Allergy Mama substitutes 1 cup of applesauce for the eggs in her version of the cookies.

Quick Start with MSPI Mama: This is one of my Quick Start recipes.