By December. The school year is different in December than it is in other months — more fragile and more vivid simultaneously. The kids pick up whatever is in the air. My kids specifically: Rosa's transitions got harder for about a week in early December before they stabilized again, which happened last December too (in previous schools' records). T. missed two days with a cold and came back quieter than usual. Marcus kept initiating communication all through December, which is his particular superpower — the calendar has no effect on his device-pressing. I noted this. I note everything.
One year since I graduated NIU. One year since Babcia Rose said "I'm proud" in the parking lot. One year since I moved into Pilsen, got the job, built the classroom, met those eight kids. It has been — a lot. A year that looks enormous in the rearview and felt completely manageable while I was in it, which is the best thing I can say about any year. I handled it. I was built for this. I think I knew that from somewhere inside the terrible semester in 2016 but it took all of 2017 and most of 2018 to confirm.
Made ginger cookies this week — the soft chewy kind, with a lot of ground ginger and molasses and a roll in sugar before baking. The kitchen smelled like December in the best possible way. Brought a dozen to school. Carla ate three. T. said "These taste like my grandma's." I said really. He said "Hers are better." Of course they are. They always are. But these were good and I made them and the classroom smelled like ginger for the whole afternoon.
Brought the rest to Babcia Rose on Sunday. She ate two and then wrapped the rest in a cloth and put them on the counter. That means she is keeping them. I said nothing. She said nothing. This is our language and it is working perfectly. December in Oak Lawn, ginger cookies in the cloth, Babcia Rose's counter. Everything in its right place.
The ginger cookies were for December — for the classroom, for Babcia Rose, for the particular kind of quiet that settles in when a hard year is almost over and you realize you handled it. When I want that same feeling in a different key — something chocolatey and fudgy and worth wrapping up and keeping — these gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies are the ones I reach for. They roll in sugar before baking too, just like the gingers, and they come out of the oven looking like they already know they’re special.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min (plus 2 hours chilling) | Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 oz dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Stir in the melted dark chocolate.
- Form the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The dough needs to be cold to roll cleanly.
- Preheat and prep. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Roll and coat. Scoop dough into 1-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball. Roll generously in powdered sugar until fully coated — don’t be shy here, the crinkle effect depends on a thick coating.
- Bake. Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the tops are crinkled and set but the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool.
- Cool. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 105 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 55mg