Have you been baking up a storm for the holiday season? Growing up, it never felt like Christmas in my house until my mom, brother and I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — or, as we more often called them for their powdery white dusting, "Snowtops." (In case you were wondering, my dad acted as the official taster. A very important job.)

These cookies are über chocolaty and have a wonderful fudgy texture. If you'd like, add a few drops of mint extract to the batter for a chocolate-mint combo. The best part is rolling the cookie-dough balls around in a heap of powdered sugar — it's a great excuse for some messy fun! Kids love it.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
makes roughly 30 cookies

4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar, give or take

Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, sugar and canola oil; stir. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Pour the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll the cookie-dough balls around in the sugar, thickly coating each. Place them on a baking sheet about 1 and 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, until just set.

Let cool, then store them in an airtight container with a scrap of bread to keep them moist.