Mud Ball Cookies

Alert: Copy cat recipe for Swig Dirt Balls.
I'm a fan of Swig (a Utah born cookie and drink establishment). My son Neal found a copy cat recipe on line for Swig-like Sugar Cookies that is great--(the frosting amount is about 3 times more than you will use). However, when you are at Swig and craving some chocolate, nothing but a Dirt Ball will do!
Here is my version of a Dirt Ball with a little extra chocolate oomph so I call them...Mud Balls! (Wouldn't Grandpa Bennie be happy with this name?)

Mud Balls
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/3  cup powdered sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons Hersheys Chocolate Syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Cream butter, oil, sugars, egg, chocolate syrup and salt together until smooth. Add cocoa powder, 2 cups flour and baking powder then mix well. Add more flour if necessary to form a stiff but not dry dough that forms a ball.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop golf ball sized portions of the dough into your hand and roll into a sphere. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Use a flat bottomed glass and flatten the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick. (dip the bottom of the glass in sugar to prevent sticking) Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. When cookies are room temperature, cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Frost just before serving. Makes 24-30 cookies.
*For standard dirt ball cookies omit chocolate syrup and decrease cocoa to 1/3 cup.

Cocoa Sour Cream Frosting
2 tablespoons softened butter
4  tablespoons sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
Cream butter, sour cream, salt, vanilla and cocoa together until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, adding enough to produce a silky, soft frosting. (The butter and cocoa mixture will loosen up as you stir in the powdered sugar.)

Such simple ingredients but such wonderful flavor! The textural trick is in the butter and oil combination. Using some saturated fat and some unsaturated fat yields that chewy, brownie like texture that is so blissful. Mix that mouth feel with sugar and chocolate? What's not to love???

Hints: It is critical not to over bake these. This is not supposed to have much crunch at all. We are looking for a smooth, moist, chewy texture. Don't allow the cookies to dry out. I use a plastic container with a tight fitting lid to chill them. They will hold a day (or two, although there have never been any left two days later) in the fridge. The frosting will need to be refrigerated if not used all at once because of the sour cream.

You may be upset with me for posting this--it is really hard not to make these every day! Hence the paper plate to show that these are perfect for giving away. (Of course, keeping one or two to eat your self.) Warning: Definitely not a health food recipe. Loaded with fat and sugar.  Honestly. these may be  on par with Hostess Cupcakes health wise.