Nan's Chocolate Crinkles

I always called my great-grandma "Nan." It wasn't until about 5th or 6th grade that I realized her name was actually Marjorie. She was a feisty, young-at-heart, Italian red-head from the east coast (Jersey, maybe?). As long as I knew her, she had white hair and deep wrinkles. She wore a bright coral-pink lipstick, always the same shade. She smelled of baby powder. I loved writing and receiving mail, and so she became my pen-pal. Everyday after school, I stopped at the mailbox to see if she'd written. Her letters were usually about the weather or her cats, Koko and Kellie. She always sent me a one dollar bill with her card. I always addressed my letters to "Nan," and the ladies in my great-grandma's apartment complex thought it was the cutest thing. One time, I accidentally put the stamp and the return address label on the wrong sides. The mail carrier still delivered it. Again, the ladies at my great grandam's apartment complex thought it was the cutest thing. I, on the other hand, was mortified!

Nan passed away when I was in 7th grade. I remember hearing my name called over the announcements between classes asking me to report to the main office, and I just knew. We made it to the hospital in time to say goodbye. A few days later, I received my last pen-pal letter from her. It contained a dollar bill as always. She wrote to tell me she loved me, that she would be watching me from heaven with my great-grandpa Bobby, and most importantly, she asked me to take good care of my mommy for her. That was nearly 13 years ago. Every year at Christmas, I get a little teary and remember her. She had her designated chair at Christmas Eve and usually wore a red or black sweater with a string of pearls around her neck. We always gave her a bottle of strawberry bubble bath from Shopko. My grandma always gave her a pastel sweatshirt with flowers or birds on it. I can almost hear her disapproving voice scolding my brother for picking on me. Holidays just aren't the same without her.

When I think of Nan's cooking, I think of spaghetti and crab cakes. I think of potato salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs on top, sprinkled with paprika. I think of coming back from the pool to eat turkey sandwiches with iceberg lettuce, Kraft Singles and Miracle Whip on white bread. I think of eating macaroni and cheese with hotdogs and ketchup, while fighting with my brother under her huge dining room table. I think of the way my great-grandpa "Bobby" used shake powdered Kraft cheddar cheese on everything, particularly mashed potatoes. I think of fridge full of Diet Coke, a full stick of butter in crystal on the countertop and a candy dish full of mini Milky Way candy bars. I think of her Flour, Sugar, Coffee and Tea canisters that were the basis of many of my first "experiments" in the kitchen. I think of her wooden spice rack hanging on the kitchen wall across from her plastic dried chiles.

Before I left for graduate school, I transcribed all of my favorite family recipes. There were surprisingly few of Nan's. One of the recipes, in her handwriting, on the back of a check register, was for chocolate crinkles. Who knows where she got the recipe, or, if she ever even made them.  Nonetheless, the recipe is written in her later-in-life hard-to-read handwriting which is enough to make it special. When I finally got around to making cookies, I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. I made them for a Pampered Chef party and they were the first to go! If you decide to try them, keep in mind that the dough has to be chilled overnight, and be sure to heed the *DO NOT OVER-BAKE* warning! Mint-Chocolate lovers: take note of the variation at the very bottom!

Chocolate Crinkles 
1/2 cup oil
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, melted chocolate and sugar. Continue mixing and add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the oil mixture and mix until the flour is just incorporated. Chill overnight.  Drop the dough by the teaspoon into the powdered sugar and shape into balls. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes on a greased baking sheet. *DO NOT OVER-BAKE*

**Variation: Chocolate Mint Crinkles** to take these to the next level, stick half of an Andes Mint in the center before baking! Absolutely best warm from the oven, but great afterward too. I got this fabulous idea from A Finn in the Kitchen.