Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

It all started out like usual. I was baking cookies for my friend's 30th birthday. I added the flour like normal and that's what started it all...

The great mess of 2011. Next thing I had to add was the sugar. Simple enough...

*sigh* I decided at this point that I was going to blame my running 9.5 miles in the morning. Must have made my hands shaky... yeah.

Well, for Casey's 30th I wanted to try to decorate the cookies with powder sugar outlining the number 30. 

They weren't turning out as well as I had hoped, so I switched to hearts.

This was better, but I was scared that the powdered sugar would get all messed up traveling to his party. So, naturally, I took the easy way out. I grabbed an edible marker and marked some cookies with "30."

Of course, all of this powdered sugar caused an even bigger mess...

Ah well. Even though I might be a messy chef, I can tell you that these cookies were fantastic! Make sure you have some milk on hand while eating. :) 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

Directions
1.Sift together the flour and baking powder; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir chocolate and cocoa into melted butter until melted and smooth. Mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in confectioners' sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 9 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are cracked. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Erika's Extras: I used parchment paper for the first time. I got an unbleached, environmentally friendly kind and I am in love with it.

Bake well and prosper!