Chocolate crinkle cookies are a favorite for many. It's also easy to add a little flair to them by giving them a bit of a kick with some spices or stuffing them with caramel.
Mix 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate in a large bowl. Stir in 4 large eggs, one at a time. Add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder, if using. Mix well. Cover, or wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat (NOTE: Cookies baked on silicone mats will spread more than those baked on parchment).
For regular or Spiced version: Using about 1-2 tsp of batter at a time, roll dough into small balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to completely coat.
For caramel stuffed version: If making the caramel stuffed version, use about 1 Tbsp batter for each cookie. Flatten the dough into a dish in the palm of your hand and place a caramel in the center. Fold the dough around the caramel to completely enclose it. Roll into a ball and coat completely with powdered sugar.
Place balls about 2" apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies have cracked but the cracks still appear wet. Do not overbake. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack.