"Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are so festive looking, making them perfect for holiday sharing. Slightly fudgy inside with a delicate crunch to the outside - how can they not be delish? The dough is very sticky to start, so it's important to allow it to refrigerate for at least a few hours, if not overnight.
This recipe is modified from the Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook
How to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies...
I am not a baker. Well, my last name is Baker, but I'm not known for my baked goods. Not that when I bake my goods are not good, but I just am more of a cook. I like to change things up, and generally, with baking, you have to be pretty exact. And substitutions don't work as well. And it's all pretty fussy.
But I do enjoy a sweet now and again, and I like to share sweets especially at this time of year when we've been given carte blanche to eat whatever we want to. Come New Year's Day we will all be back on track, but for now, bring it on!
So while I was looking through my cookbooks, trying to find some new, interesting cookies to go with my annual Christmas Sugar Cookies with Perfect Sugar Cookie Icing I came across these festive-looking cookies.
I just loved the way these deep dark chocolate cookies looked like they had little snow caps on them. And from the description, they were fudgy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Perfect.
What ingredients do I need to make these cookies?
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- Oil - I use a mild olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Granulated sugar - pure cane sugar is best
- Eggs - at room temperature
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder
Why it's important to read the whole recipe first...
I had all the ingredients on hand so immediately set out to make these an early morning project.
Figured I'd have them done in no time at all.
"Until I read through the WHOLE recipe and found that they needed at least 3 hours of refrigerator time."
That's why I put that at the top!
So you know.
That's why my dough was in the refrigerator overnight.
So I could make them an early morning project.
The next day.
Once my dough was properly chilled, I took my small ice cream scoop (1 tablespoon size) and proceeded to make my balls to cover in the confectioner's sugar.
The origianl recipe said to make the ball, drop in the powdered sugar, and then put it on the cookie sheet.
I found that the dough still has a bit of stick to it, making the "dropping into the sugar" kind of messy. My fingers were getting coated with the sugar, and I was transferring that to my dough.
So I found it much easier to make all my chocolate balls, AND THEN roll them into the confectioner's sugar.
Much easier.
"Form the balls, then roll them in the sugar"
Lindy's Tip: To help keep the dough firm keep it in the refrigerator between batches.
FAQ's
The simple answer is no. Unsweetened chocolate contains absolutely no added sugar. Bittersweet chocolate has anywhere from 10% to 50% sugar. Because of the difference in sugar content, these two types of chocolate are not really interchangeable in recipes.
I like to use mild olive oil. Mild olive oil has a buttery taste that adds to the flavor of the cookie. You could also use Avocado oil, Grapeseed Oil, or plain vegetable oil. You could also use a bit, I would say not more than 50% of a flavored oil such as orange. Orange and chocolate are naturally complementary flavors.
I know, it seems silly right? But the truth is a room-temperature egg will mix more readily into the cookie dough. You shouldn't leave your eggs out for more than 2 hours to bring them to room temp.
The answer to that question is almost as complicated as how much does 1-cup of flour weigh. And the answer is, it depends. It depends on who you are asking. The differences are as extreme as 120g per cup (according to King Artur's Flour) to 142g per cup (according to Cook's Illustrated. It is best to follow the grams as listed in the recipe you are making to ensure perfect results.
If the recipe only shows cups I would default to somewhere in the middle of 130g per cup (according to Bon Appetite). For this recipe, my scale showed 272g for 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
Again, that depends. The truth is, I like dark bittersweet chocolate over milk chocolate every day, every time. Yet there are a number of milk chocolate lovers who really hate bittersweet chocolate.
So, if you are a milk chocolate lover, choose Baker's Chocolate or Hershey's Baking Chocolate.
If you are a bittersweet fan, then Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, or Guittard would be your best bet.
Pure vanilla extract is made by steeping vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol. If the vanilla extract is “pure” it means that the vanilla flavoring comes from only the vanilla bean, so the price is a little higher
Synthetic vanillin is an artificial vanilla flavor. It is a chemical compound designed to taste like vanilla. There are no health benefits to consuming this artificial compound. Artificial Vanillin has been shown to cause headaches and allergic responses.
So keep it real.
Yes. Finely chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans are excellent. Just make sure they are toasted!
If you are toasting them yourself, toast them whole and then chop them.
The result is a delicious fudgy cookie with a crinkly crunchy outside.
Perfect to enjoy with a cup of hot coffee by the fire...
Or perhaps with some hot chocolate (spiked?) after a day on the slopes...
Or make your friends super happy by gifting them!
This post has been updated and republished.
How to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking (cookie) sheet
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped
- ½ cup oil I use mild olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (275g) I like King Arthur
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ approximate confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Place the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl (we are going to make the recipe in this bowl, saving us dishes) and put into the microwave. Cook at 50% power for 2 minutes, stir. Chocolate does not melt melt in the microwave, it holds it's shape so you have to stir to see where it is in its cooking process. If not melted completely, place back into the microwave and microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals until you have a velvety smooth chocolate mixture. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly.
- Once the chocolate has cooled but is still soft, add the oil and mix with a hand mixer until well incorporated. Add the sugar and mix until smooth, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing them in along with the vanilla extract.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Heat oven to 350°F (177ºC)Prepare cookie sheets by either greasing them well, using parchment paper or a Silpat silicone cooking sheet (I love these, some even show you your spacing). Using a heaping teaspoon or small (1-inch) ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and roll between your hands into a ball. Once all the cookies have been made, drop in the powdered sugar and roll until completely covered; space two inches apart on your cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until puffed and just set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store covered in airtight containers.
Brian
What a treat for the holidays! These are great...and pair nicely with a single malt scotch! 🙂