Double-Dipped Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
An easy one bowl cookie recipe for the holidays.
Servings: 27 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (7.5 ounces; 210 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon freshly brewed espresso or strong coffee* decaf okay
- scant ¾ cup (144 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (204 g) bread* flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened (Dutch-process or dark) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup (98 g) confectioners’ sugar sifted
- ¾ cup (144 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the bread flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler or a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are almost completely melted and combined. [You could also do this carefully in the microwave#] Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the last remaining chunks of chocolate and butter are melted. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the mixture has cooled enough that you aren't going to cook the eggs, whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar, breaking up any chunks of the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and pour the flour mixture into the large bowl of wet ingredients. Gently fold the flour into the wet mixture until just incorporated; do not overmix. Cover the bowl with a lid, silicone top, or plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1-2 hours. [Any longer than that and you'll want to plan ahead ample time to let the dough unharden before scooping.]
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small wide bowl and the granulated sugar in a separate small wide bowl.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and form the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon (21 gram) balls, about 1 inch (2½ cm) in diameter. Roll them in the granulated sugar to coat completely, then without shaking off any of the sugar, roll the dough bowl in the confectioners’ sugar to gain a second coat. Again, don't shake off the excess. If the cookies did not pick up enough granulated or confectioners’ sugar at first pass (which is important for visual flair), go back and give the cookies a second roll. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Bake a single sheet at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through the baking time, until the cookies start to firm up along the edges, 10 to 11 minutes. If anything, pull these cookies a minute before you think they are done; they still taste fantastic slightly underbaked (with a gooey brownie-like texture inside). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes. Serve warm or transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Notes
How to store: The cookies can be kept, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Holiday modifications: replace ½ teaspoon of vanilla with a ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract and/or add some chopped peppermint bark to the dough when folding in the flour (plus balance a few small pieces on top of each cookie before baking for major flair)
*If you don't have bread flour, all-purpose will be okay
*In place of the coffee, add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients #instead of using a double boiler, you can use a microwave to melt the chocolate and butter together in 30 second bursts, stirring after each segment. It should take no more than 2-3 minutes of microwave time to melt. Don't let more than 30 seconds go by without stirring, or you could burn your chocolate at the edges.
*If you don't have bread flour, all-purpose will be okay
*In place of the coffee, add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients #instead of using a double boiler, you can use a microwave to melt the chocolate and butter together in 30 second bursts, stirring after each segment. It should take no more than 2-3 minutes of microwave time to melt. Don't let more than 30 seconds go by without stirring, or you could burn your chocolate at the edges.