Chocolate Crinkles

I have had fun experimenting with these cookies until I got them just right. My grandmother always had a cookie can at her house. It was an old gallon can with a plastic lid - definitely not fancy, but always full of cookies when we came to visit. If we emptied it during the few days we were there, we would get to bake more cookies with her. This is one of the recipes she wrote down to share with our family. She passed away when I was only 9 so the few things I have from her are precious. Making these cookies always makes me think of her and the special memories I have of being in her home.

I have finally figured out a way to make these cookies fully storable and more healthy by replacing the egg and oil with mashed black beans. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine and that you can build some special memories as you bake them together.

Chocolate Crinkles
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour	¾ cup + 2 Tbsp thick black bean puree
2 cups sugar	2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp cocoa	2 Tbsp oil
½ tsp salt	1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp baking powder	¼–½ cup water
1 tsp baking soda
Combine dry ingredients. Puree black beans with just a little bit of water to make a thick paste. Add to dry ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients. Add just enough water to make a sticky dough. (The amount of water you will add will depend on how thick your bean puree was.) Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F 8–10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet before removing to a wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.