I grew up eating these classic chocolate crinkle cookies every December. To me they are the very definition of holiday sweetness and happy memories. While the dough will become quite stiff as you’re making it, the final result is a light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookie that marries perfectly with whatever you’re drinking, whether that's eggnog, hot chocolate, or a cold, frosty glass of milk. 

　　Editor’s note: You’ll notice the chocolate crinkle cookie recipe below instructs you to refrigerate the dough for a few hours after mixing with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. While this chilling process adds a few extra hands-off moments to your total time, this is essential for the best chocolate crinkle cookies because it allows the cookie dough to fully hydrate and firm up, preventing your cookies from spreading out too quickly in the oven’s heat. Once your chilling is done and the dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar, these are a snap; like many of our favorite easy Christmas cookies, cook time is just 10–12 minutes.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 3 dozen

　　1½ cups sugar

　　½ cup canola or sunflower oil

　　4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

　　2 tsp. vanilla extract

　　3 large eggs

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　2 tsp. baking powder

　　½ tsp. sea salt

　　Sifted powdered sugar

　　

Step 1

Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, combine the sugar, oil, melted chocoate, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

　　

Step 2

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the flour mixture using the lowest speed setting. Mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Transfer the cookie dough to a lidded container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape it into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with baking parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies have puffed up and appear cracked on the surface. Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack, then transfer to a lidded container.

　　Excerpted from Handmade Gatherings © 2016 by Ashley English. Photography by Jen Altman. Reprinted with permission by Roost Books. Buy the full book from Roost Books, Amazon, or Bookshop.