Recipe for "snowball-2"

NAME

     SNOWBALL-2 - Chocolate cookies with powdered sugar coating
     This recipe was handed down to me from  my  step-sister  who
     got it from her mother.

INGREDIENTS (Several dozen)

     120 ml    vegetable oil
     400 g     granulated sugar
     120 g     unsweetened chocolate
     4         eggs
     10 ml     vanilla
     10 ml     baking powder
     200 g     flour
     150 g     powdered sugar

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave.
          (2)  Combine  melted   chocolate,   granulated   sugar,
               vanilla, and vegetable oil in a mixer.
          (3)  Add eggs, one at a time, blending well each  time.
               Sift  (or  stir) together flour and baking powder,
               add to wet mixture. Mix well.
          (4)  Let stand in refrigerator for a few hours or over-
               night.   Roll dough into small balls (no more than
               3 cm in diameter),  and  roll  in  powdered  sugar
               until coated.
          (5)  Bake for 12 minutes in  a  preheated  175  deg.  C
               oven.

NOTES

     The temperature is very important: any lower and the cookies
     won't  bake properly; any higher and the powdered sugar will
     glaze.
     If you coat your palms with powdered sugar before attempting
     to  roll the balls your hands will get less sticky.  Put the
     dough back in the refrigerator whenever you are not actively
     using it; it is easier to work when cold.
     You don't actually have to bake these: they make  a  reason-
     able fudge when left uncooked, but if left in the refrigera-
     tor for several days before baking they  will  become  dried
     out.   When  done, the unused powdered sugar will have small
     shards of chocolate in it; these can be strained out and the
     sugar will be re-usable.

RATING

     Difficulty: moderate.  Time: 30 minutes  preparation,  over-
     night  chilling,  20 minutes baking and cooling.  Precision:
     measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Judy Anderson
     Lucid, Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA
     edsel!yduj@labrea.stanford.edu