As I head off to visit family in Michigan, where there is NO snow, I’ll dream of my white christmas while gazing at a plate of spiced chocolate crinkle cookies, which resemble a snow-covered hill if you squint and use your imagination.

I’ve been playing around with this recipe since I pined after it last year for my fantasy cookie exchange.  I spotted the recipe at Little Brown Pen, where Nichole’s lovely Paris photography has made me a hero amongst my friends because I frequently click over to her Etsy store and proceeded to empty my PayPal account.

But about the cookies.

My riff is simply to add some warm spice - cinnamon, ginger and black pepper for kick.  And whenever I bake with cocoa I sprinkle in a little ground espresso to accentuate the flavor.  I find these cookies are the perfect blend of chewy center with delicate crunch.  Spiced or not, they’re a crowd pleaser.

I hope your holiday is filled with light fluffy snow and the sweetness of your choice.

Spiced chocolate crinkle cookies

Adapted from Little Brown Pen, who adapted from AllRecipes.

Makes about four dozen cookies

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon finely-ground espresso powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or a hand mixer), stir together the cocoa and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until blended.  Dump in the vanilla, espresso, cinnamon, ginger and pepper and mix until blended.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the batter and mix only until combined.  Overmixing will give you a tough cookie.

Roll into one-inch balls (a tiny ice cream scoop can help with the measuring).  Roll in confectioners sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake in the center of the oven until they sound slightly hollow when you tap them with a finger, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  Store in your favorite cookie tin.

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