It is hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away. We have started some holiday baking – one of my favourite activities this time of year. There are a number of recipes we only ever make at Christmas – it makes the season more special with home baked treats to share and enjoy.
First up this week, was Chocolate Crackle Cookies. These cookies have an intense chocolate flavour from the melted chocolate and dutch cocoa. By rolling the cookies first in granulated sugar, and then in icing (confectioners) sugar, they create a lovely textured covering. The brilliant white contrasts so well against the dark chocolate. I think they look very festive! A batch of these Chocolate Crackle Cookies would be perfect packaged with some homemade Hot Chocolate Mix and Chocolate Covered Spoons – a chocolate lovers delight!
- 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1½ cups (330 g) dark brown sugar 3
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (70 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
- Coating:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ (icing/ powdered) sugar
- Chop the chocolate into small ½ inch chunks and place in heatproof bowl on top of a pan of simmering water, until melted and smooth. Place aside to cool.
- Place the butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together until the butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the second one. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and beat to incorporate.
- Add the cocoa powder to the dough and beat to incorporate. Add the milk and beat to incorporate. Add the flour and beat to incorporate and a sticky dough forms. Divide the dough into 4 parts, flatten and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
- Once they have chilled, preheat an oven to 350˚F (175 deg C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of baking paper. Divide one of the dough sections into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball . Roll the ball in the granulated white sugar than in the confectioners’ sugar afterwards. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until they are just barely set (don’t overbake). Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s book, Cookies – one of our favourite baking books.
Chocolate Crackle Cookies are absolutely delicious and be warned – it is hard to stop at one! Check out more of our favourite cookie recipes here. Nothing beats a home baked treat from the kitchen to give at Christmas.
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