Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

It's cookie season. Lots of fresh-baked cookies around here. Recently I made these chocolava cookies. But since the first time I made them I've had to change a few things. The chocolavas are supposed to be rolled in powdered sugar, and I can't abide things rolled in powdered sugar. (Yes, I'm talking to you Mexican wedding cakes and powdered doughnuts!) So I switched it out for regular old granulated sugar. And I wanted my cookies to be super-crackly crinkly on top, so I added some baking soda to the dough. Oh, and I flattened 'em out before baking, cause I don't like a puffy mound of cookie, I like a flat circle of cookie. So here goes:

The ingredients are pretty simple. • flour • sugar • brown sugar • cocoa • baking powder • baking soda • salt • butter • eggs • vanilla

First you mix the dry ingredients together with the butter, until the mixture kinda feels like sand. It's a little like making pie dough. Best to do this with your hands. I tried making these in the food processor once and they came out tough.

Then add the eggs and mix them in until the dough comes together. It might seems a little crumbly at first, but if you get in there with your hands it will come together.

Now take tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in some sugar. It can get a little sticky, but just work through it. Place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. (I could get about 20 on mine)

Tangent: Don't you just love silpats? Paul, my manager, hates them and constantly makes fun of me for having them, but I swear, they are one of the best kitchen inventions EVER! Paul doesn't know what he's missing!

(Paul: you don't know what you're missing. Try one and you will fall in love like I have!)

Use the bottom of a glass to flatten each ball.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 350. I turn mine halfway through because I have a very emotionally unstable oven. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack.

Then give them to your kids and see some smiles. Sophisticated, these cookies are not. But they are delicious. Especially if, like me, you had a serious recent childhood obsession with Archway dutch cocoa cookies.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 1/3 cups flour

1 cup sugar plus extra for rolling

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp coffee

• Preheat oven to 350.

• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.

• Add eggs, vanilla, and coffee and mix by hand until the dough comes together.

• Place some sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll heaping tbs of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on silpat-lined or greased baking sheet about 2" apart.

• bake for 10-12 minutes, until crinkly on top and set around edges. Don't overbake, as you want them fudgy in the middle.

• Leave on baking sheet to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

• Eat with tall cold glass of milk.