Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies

   A few years ago I made these cookies....and they were terrible! I have a recipe from a book I bought for a fund raiser, and I was certain the recipe was good, it was just me that sucked. Well, me and my seriously crappy, circa 1960's oven I had been given. O.k, I still was getting my real "sea legs" (or, um, baking  legs?), but it was a pretty close race in suckiness between me, and the oven. This same oven decided to fully crap out on me while I was trying to bake a multi-layered, multi-coloured cake for a birthday. My husband ended up having to buy a sheet cake from the grocery store. They let him buy a froze, un-iced one because I had already made a jumbo bowl of buttercream frosting I needed to use up! I digress....also, I think I've told this story before...
   Anywhooo, I hadn't tried making them again since that time years ago, but I sure wanted to try! I'm not a big fan of letting any baked good beat me, so round 2 was on!
  These cookies are super-fudgey, and simple to make for how beautiful they turn out. I mean, really, look at those beautiful cracked (crinkled) cookies? Lovely. Simply lovely.
   I added mint extract to make them more Christmas-y, but you can use vanilla extract if you would prefer!   

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 Cups flour
  
• 1 Cup sugar
  
• 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1/2 Cup cocoa powder
  
• 1 Tsp Baking powder
  
• 1/4 Tsp salt
  
• 1/4 Cup butter, softened at room temperature
  
• 2  Eggs, whisked
  
• 2 Tsp mint extract
  
• Icing sugar, just a sufficient amount for rolling the dough balls in
  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. 
3. Add the butter and combine with a  pastry cutter or your hands until the mixture is well combined and crumbly.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and stir by hand just until the dough comes together. Don't be worried if this heap seems dry, it'll come together. Have faith, keep mixing!
5. Put some icing sugar into a shallow dish, then scoop dough out in 1 heaping tablespoon scoops and drop 'er into the icing sugar. 
6. Roll the dough in the icing sugar to coat. 
7. Place the dough balls about 2inches apart on the prepped cookie sheet. 
8. Bake for 12–14 minutes. Oh please, don't overcook these fudgey beauties! They will have cracked (or crinkled), and the edges will be set while the middle will still be a smidge soft.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool

   The best thing about these cookies? They are super-duper freezable (as opposed to just plain old freezable?). Would I share a possible holiday get-together cookie with you if it weren't freezable? I made mine, stashed 'em in an airtight container, and have been pulling cookies out about 4 at a time to add to give boxes and dessert plates. Oh, just be careful to only touch the sides of these though, a giant finger print in the middle of a cookie you're giving too someone else seems yucky. 
   Today I have a wonderful (beautiful) friend coming over and we're going to try to make Nanaimo bars! I've been told it's easy to do, but I had never tried! So, I'm looking forward to trying something new! 
   I'll let you know how it goes!  :)