These cookies are a favorite from my childhood. My mother would make them when company was coming, but since we never really had actual chocolate in the house, she would make them with cocoa. They still turn out tasty rich and chocolately, but still relatively healthy . . . a great combo!

Chocolate crinkle cookies, or black and whites, need to be made ahead of time and the dough chilled, so keep this in mind when planning to make them.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cocoa

Makes 2 doz.

1/2 c. oil

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. cocoa

2 tsp. baking powder

2 c. flour

Icing sugar

In a bowl, mix the oil, vanilla and eggs. Beat well. Add the sugar and mix.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture and beat until smooth. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Take tablespoonfuls of the chilled dough and roll into 1″ balls. Roll in icing sugar until thoroughly coated and place on baking sheets, about 2″ apart.

Bake for 12-15 min. or until slightly firm when pressed.

This chocolate sauce was a recipe born of necessity. I had a chocolate craving and we only had vanilla ice cream in the house. We needed something special to top it off with, so I concocted this rich, creamy sauce. Turns out homemade isn’t just cheaper, it is also better tasting than the storebought stuff!

The ingredients are simple, so if you find yourself like I did, with ice cream and nothing to put on it, make sure you try this recipe out.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Makes about 1.5 cups

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 Tblsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. milk

In a large saucepan or pot, stir together the dry ingredients until well mixed. Add vanilla and milk and set over medium heat. Stir with a whisk constantly.

Once the mixture begins to boil, keep stirring until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly and serve over ice cream. This will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Note: I have some other fun desserts that you can make using this same recipe, so stay tuned!