Chew on This | Sassy Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

We have an elf. On the shelf. 

He gets around.

He perches on the light fixtures. Lounges in candy jars. Hangs out in stockings. Balances precariously on pillars. Makes elf angels in a pile of flour. And repeatedly ignores written requests from the children in this house to answer a few personal questions.

Our elf, Allie, is pretty clever. Yet I have come to find that many of the friends of The Sprite and The Boy have elves that are much more clever and ornery. And they are capable of returning written post to their curious owners.

Drat! The ante has been upped. 
Get to work elf.

But first, make these sassy little numbers. Oh, this is something blissfully different you definitely have to try! The spice in these cookies creeps up on you. After your first two bites you'll realize something is warming you from the inside out. It's magical. And truly delicious. 

Cares

Here's our recipe:

Sassy Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

(makes two and a half dozen cookies)

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake)

2 eggs

1/4 C canola oil

1/4 C applesauce

1 t vanilla

2 T cocoa powder

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t cayenne

1/2 t chili powder

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly coat cookie sheets with baking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly. The dough will be very sticky. Drop a tablespoonful of dough onto a plate of powdered sugar. Roll dough in powdered sugar to cover completely and to also form dough into a ball. Place dough balls onto your cookie sheets and bake in your preheated oven for 10-13 minutes. When the cookies are done, allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!