Chocolate Crinkles: This cookie will change your life

I come from a family of women who know how to cook. How old-fashioned, right? But also, how terrific! Every holiday dinner, every birthday, every party has been an opportunity for them to show off their skills, most times choosing a signature dish that never fails to please.

There are my grandmother's pierogis, my aunt's stuffed mushrooms, and my Cousin Mary's hot cider. The recipes for each of these dishes are floating around somewhere, but I made it a point very early on to obtain the recipes for a few particular Christmas cookies that always made it to the table. I have a recipe for macaroons and one for Rugelach, but the most prized cookie recipe I have is one that is also quite well known: Chocolate Crinkles (slightly adapted). Up until this year, I've only dusted this recipe off at Christmas time, dutifully making my share, then forgetting about them until the following winter. This year, however, I simply was not strong enough to part with these cookies, and so just this past weekend, I found myself mixing up another batch of batter. However, I'm convinced that there's nothing wrong with that. These chocolaty cookies are really just too chewy and too sweet to ignore, and they've already been the centerpiece for two post-holiday parties. Some people were all too familiar with the
cookie, and unabashedly ate seconds and thirds, and others were
sampling it for the first time, and were delighted with the results.
It's impossible for me to say for sure, but I do believe that this
might be one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes. Ever.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

In a microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips. Stir until smooth; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well. Stir in melted chocolate.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-13 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.