This is a recipe that came from my grandmother.  I remember these cookies from when we were little going to her house for the family Christmas Eve party.  I LOVED them then and still do today.  I hope someday that my children will be making these cookies with their children so the tradition will continue on.

These are my go to Christmas cookie because they are a bit different.  They have a savory taste with a bit of sweet.  They make a large batch and they are fairly easy to make.  I was always told they were called meatballs because when they are undecorated they look kind of like meatballs.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups milk
• 5 1/2 – 6 cups flour
• canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together shortening and sugar until well combined.  Add cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves to mixture and combine well.
3. Pour milk into the bowl with 4 cups of flour.  Stir to combine.  Slowly add flour up to 5 1/2 – 6 cups.  Dough will be stiff and you may have to use hands to combine.
4. Grease hands with a bit of oil to roll 1″ balls.  They should not be sticky.  If they are sticky add a bit more flour to the dough and combine.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Remove cookies to cooling racks and allow to cool completely before decorating.  Use vanilla, chocolate frosting, glaze or sprinkles to decorate.