Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These cookies always remind me of Christmas and, along with a few other cookie recipes, I pretty much never make them any other time of year. They are chewy, chocolately, and always better the next day. Not to mention they are fairly low in calories and fat (~79kcal and 4g of fat per cookie) which is a plus during the holiday season when I'm bound to eat numerous sticks of butter disguised as baked goods and topped with fluffy peaks of fresh whipped cream.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I've always used Baker's brand baking chocolate for recipes requiring melted chocolate mixed in, but with all the hype about high-quality small batch chocolate (Scharffen Berger, Valrhona etc.) I decided to try it. While good quality chocolate obviously tastes much better when eaten by itself, I was skeptical that I would be able to tell much of a difference in a cookie that it would be worth the price difference, (Fairway sells Baker's for $2.99 for 8oz whereas Scharffen Berger is $4.50 for 6oz). Well, I was CERTAINLY wrong. Not only did the cookies have a better richer flavor but even the consistency was better.

Makes about 48 cookies

3 beaten eggs

1.5 cups unrefined pure cane sugar or turbinado sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see head notes, I used Scharffen Berger)

1/2 cup olive oil (I use a light color for a less pronounced flavor)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

sifted powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, melted chocolate*, oil, baking powder, and vanilla.
2. Gradually add the flour to the chocolate mixture, stirring till thoroughly combined.
3. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours until the dough is easy to handle and not too sticky.
4. Preheat oven to 375
5. Shape dough into 1inch balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat.
6. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets 1 inch apart
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are crackled

*To melt chocolate, break it into chunks and place in a stainless steal or pyrex bowl. Fill a frying pan halfway with water and place it on the stove. Put the bowl of chocolate in the pan and bring water to a boil, (be careful not to get any water in the chocolate or it will seize up and become useless). Watch closely so it doesn't burn, stirring frequently.

EDIT: I specifically chose Scharffen Berger over Valrhona or Lindt because they were a small local company that produces their chocolate bean to bar. However, to my disappointment, I discovered Scharffen Berger was bought out by Hershey in 2005. Hershey now outsources to their produce to Mexico thereby negating my attempt to support a smaller domestic company. For this reason, next time I would prefer to use Valrhona or Equal Exchange instead. Equal Exchange is the best choice since it is local (Massachusetts), organic and fair trade.