Chocolate Crinkles (by padaro69)

[BakerAunt]

Padaro69 posted this recipe on November 19, 2012 at 8:40 p.m. on the King Arthur Baking Circle. I found a printed copy, so I am adding it to the recipes at Nebraska Kitchen that were saved before King Arthur closed the site.

Chocolate Crinkles

Yield: 5 dozen

Like every recipe, including the very simplest, this one has gone through a number of permutations. This variation includes espresso powder; it gives the chocolate flavor a boost while adding the merest aromatic hint of itself. (For a mocha crinkle, increase the espresso powder to 1 tablespoon or more, to taste.)

1 1/3 (8 oz.) chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1/2 cup (4 oz. or 1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup (4 3/4 oz.) sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 2/3 cups (7 oz.) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

confectioner's sugar for coating

Note: For a peppermint twist, substitute 1/4 tsp. peppermint oil for the vanilla. We often call for our glazing sugar to be substituted for confectioners' sugar, as it's a "purer" sugar; it doesn't include cornstarch. However, in this case, go with confectioners' sugar; the cornstarch keeps the sugar from melting atop the cookies as they bake.

Dough:
Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, and heat or microwave until the butter melts. Remove form heat, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and espresso powder. Stir in the chocolate mixture, baking powder, and salt, then the flour. Chill the dough for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight; it will firm up considerably.

Shaping:
Put about a cup of confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Using a teaspoon-sized cookie scoop, a spoon, or your fingers, scoop out heaping teaspoon-sized portions of the dough; they should be roughly 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Drop the dough balls into the confectioners' sugar as you go. Once about five or six are in the bowl, shake and toss the bowl to coat the balls with sugar. If you try to do this with too many balls at a time, they will just stick together.)

Baking:
Place the coated dough balls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between them. Bake the cookies in a pre-heated 325F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, switching the position of the pans (top to bottom, and front to back) midway through the baking time. As the cookies bake, they will flatten out and acquire their distinctive "streaked" appearance. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Note: To decorate as shown in the photo [none included here], simply press your thumb gently into each warm cookie and add the filling of your choice.

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[kimbob]

Thanks, BakerAunt!

[Author]

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