CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

If you love chocolate as much as I do you'll be running to the kitchen as soon as you finish reading this post.  These little treats are fantastic!

Chocolate Crinkles                           

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 oz.  (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 powdered sugar (for rolling the dough in )

1.  Melt chocolate in a small bowl.

2.  In a large mixing bowl blend the oil and melted chocolate.

3.  Beat in the sugar and eggs (one at a time) and continue mixing until fully combined.

4.  Add vanilla.

5.  Stir in the flour, salt and baking powder.

6.  Cover dough (in bowl) and chill several hours or overnight.

7.  When the dough has fully chilled, make small balls of dough (about 2 Tablespoons) and roll in a bowl of powdered sugar.  Place on lightly greased baking sheets (or line baking sheets with Silpat liners).

8.  Bake at 350* (in pre-heated oven) for 8-10 minutes.

HAM BALLS IN BARBECUE SAUCE

I had some of these last night at a birthday party. I can't even begin to tell you how good they tasted. There were many many rave reviews over this dish and I'm sure, once you've tried them, you'll be anxious to share them with friends and family as soon as you can.

One of my favorite ways to serve these are over rice but you can serve it with whatever tickles your fancy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup onion

2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon of dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

12 ounces of ground cooked ham

12 ounces of ground pork or ground beef

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of catsup

2 tablespoons of vinegar

1 teaspoon of dry mustard

PREPARATION:

In a large bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, onion, milk, 1 teaspoon mustard, and pepper. Add ground ham and ground pork; mix well.

Shape into 12 balls using about 1/3 cup mixture for each ball. Place ham balls in a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

In a bowl combine brown sugar, catsup, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of mustard. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. Pour this over the ham balls.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until done. **An instant-read thermometer inserted into the balls should register 160 degrees.**

Transfer the ham balls onto a serving plater. Stir sauce in dish and then pour it over the ham balls to serve.

YUMMIE!

Good Eating.

Steve and Kim