Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Since it's so cold and miserable here in the midwest, cooking is a must to keep the house warm and silly as that sounds it works. Especially, when you made Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and modify the recipe a bitsy with a lot of Penzy's cayenne pepper.



I got the basic recipe here at Evil Shenanigans and when I saw the list of spices in them I decided to modify it since my family likes hot stuff.

Chocolate a heat go well together. I used 1/2 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the first dozen and then added another half for some real bite. They turned out well and would be good with or without the heat. They are a soft chewy cookies with a chocolaty flavor, next time I think Ill use all butter and no oil and see if they crisp up.

I prefer a cookie that is a little crisper but really these are great either way. I used Penzy's chocolate in my batch too and all Penzy's versions of the listed spices. They are my flavor connection of choice and have a store here near me.

Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Yield 4 dozen using a mini scoop

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons canola, or vegetable, oil
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
Powdered sugar for rolling the cookies

Heat the oven to 300 F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a mixer cream together the butter, oil and brown sugar until well combined but not fluffy.

Add the eggs all at once with the vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, spices, and salt together. Add the sifted mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.

Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons into the powdered sugar. Roll the dough to coat and place on the prepared sheet about two inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed all over. Cool on the sheet pan for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.