Category Archives: cookies

The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies + 5 Crinkle Cookie Recipes for the Holidays!

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chocolate crinkle cookies

We got back from our Thanksgiving trip to Philly a day early, thinking we would take a day to recover from all the eating, drinking and socializing we enjoyed days before.  I woke up blurry eyed on Sunday, wanting and needing more sleep.  I walked downstairs to find the kids eating breakfast, full of energy, ready for the next…holiday.  Bubba poured me a giant cup of coffee.

“Want to get the tree today?” Today? Can I go back to bed instead? Can we enjoy the after glow of Thanksgiving for just a minute?

“We are getting our Christmas tree today!” the kids sang, as they did laps around the house.  What did they eat for breakfast? A doughnut and a glass of Red Bull.  Ugh, Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is some of my kids’ energy.

“Sure.”  Bubba’s favorite thing about Christmas is getting the tree. How could I say no?

Two hours later we are on the road, again, heading to a Christmas tree farm.  We arrive at the farm only mildly annoyed with each other.  A man in jeans and a barn coat directs us to a hill.  “If you have 4 wheel drive, head up the hill.”  The hill is more like a small ski slope and we wonder if our Pilot can make it up.  Bubba guns it and before long we are looking down at a hill-side sporadically covered with Douglas and Fraser Firs.

“Is this it?” The kids.

“Yup.” We say unknowingly. Bubba steps out of the car and grabs the saw from the back.  The kids follow him. I grab the baby and we are on the hunt for the perfect tree.  I point to a sad little Charlie Brown tree. “What about this one?”

“No way Mama!”  I guess they don’t share my love for the unloved trees, yet.

The trees start to all look the same, my feet are cold and the baby has a giant snot sliding towards his lips.  I search my pockets for a tissue, but find nothing, so I use my fleece mitten. It’s laundry day.

I point to a tall, skinny tree not far from us.  We walk over to take closer look.

“Looks good!” Bubba.

Before I can record the cutting of the tree or even ceremoniously say timber, the tree is lying down in the snow.  I put the kids in the car and we hoist our skinny Douglas fir to the roof of the car.  Bubba realizes we don’t have any rope to tie the tree down, so with an Exacto knife, he slices an old bicycle tube in half and secures the tree.  I married MacGyver.

Excitement fills the car as we head home.  “My favorite thing about Christmas is unwrapping presents!” G. C nods and agrees.  “I like decorating too.”

“I love getting the tree.” Bubba. Ok my turn.

“I love making Christmas cookies.”  There it is: making Christmas cookies gets me through the holidays, especially when little hands help.  I’m not sure if it is the copious amounts of butter sugar that make me smile or taste testing each batch; either way I love it.

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ccc0012I am starting this season off with Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.  I found a recipe in the most recent addition of Cook’s Illustrated.  This recipe promised moist and tender cookies with a rich chocolate flavor and plenty of tiny, irregular cracks.  I adapted the recipe only slightly by adding both natural unsweetened cocoa and Dutch-processed cocoa powder.  Why? Because I didn’t have enough natural cocoa powder in the house.  I bet all of one powder or the other will taste just as good.  I like to think maybe the combination of cocoa added more depth of flavor to the cookies.  Maybe…

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The thing that excites me most about these cookies are the tiny powder sugar-coated fissures covering the surface.  Turns out it is all about science. Imagine that!  To learn more about the science behind crinkly cookies head here.  Enjoy the day they are made with a cold glass of milk!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Makes about 22 cookies

Recipe slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated November & December 2014

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder ( I used Hershey’s.)

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa ( I used Guittard.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs

4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (Optional but I used it.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

For Coating:

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 325F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoas, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, espresso powder and vanilla.  Make sure it is well combined!  Next, melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave safe bowl.  (I checked and stirred the chocolate/butter mixture every minute for 3 minutes.  You could also melt the chocolate and butter using a double boiler.)

Allow the chocolate to cool a bit and then whisk into the egg mixture until combined.  Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until well combined and no flour streaks remain.

Now let the dough rest, alone, at room temperature for about 10 minutes.   While your dough is relaxing, pour the granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar in two separate bowls.

Using a #30 scoop or 2 tablespoons of dough, roll into balls.  Place the dough ball in the granulated sugar, coat, and then drop it into the confectioners’ sugar; roll and coat evenly.  Place coated dough balls on prepared sheets and bake one sheet at time for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through baking time.  **The cookies are done when they looked puffed, edges are set but centers are still soft.  The cookies will seem underdone between the cracks. That is a good thing!** Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.  The cookies taste best the day they are made, but still taste great a couple of days later.  If you have any leftover, store in air-tight container at room temperature.

5 Must Make Crinkle Cookie Recipe Links!

If you love lemon flavored cookies, check out Cooking Classy’s lemon crinkle cookie recipe.  Red velvet nut? Cooking Classy also has a red velvet crinkle cookie recipe for you. Yum!

Looking for a decadent, fudgy yet flourless chocolate crinkle cookie? Head to Reclaiming Provincial for the recipe.  Sounds interesting and Carey’s photos are beautiful!

Molasses and ginger scream holidays to me. So wow your friends at your next cookie swap with Averie Cook’s Soft Molasses Coconut Oil Crinkle Cookies.  Amazing!

I made grapefruit crinkle cookies last year and Bubba’s co-workers went nuts for them.  Head to Cups + Spoonfuls for the recipe.

 

 

 

Chewy Oatmeal Ginger Cookies + 5 Incredible Cookie Links

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We got away from it all last week; away from our schedule and unfinished house projects, away from traffic and boisterous neighbors. We spent the week together in quiet, bucolic, Little Compton, Rhode Island. I think each of us fell in love with this town, because it is such stark contrast to our hometown. We had the best of both worlds: the countryside and the ocean. Driving along the quiet, wide open roads lined with beautiful, stone walls, windows down felt great, like a dog sticking its head out of the car window great. The countryside, a lush green, was breathtaking.  “It’s so green here.” Me. “It feels like we are in a different country, like Ireland.” Bubba.

We spent the days at the beach. C took on the waves with her boogie board. G busied himself with rocks, shells and sand. They played in the shallow inlet next to our beach chairs while the baby nursed and slept. N was our “wrap it up” alarm. Once he got fussy, it was time to head home. The kids, tired from the beach, zoned out to a show while Bubba and I enjoyed cold beers; N asleep on one of us or cooing to the sounds of his brother and sister. We made easy dinners, ate s’mores and lit sparklers. We put the kids to bed tired and happy. (Most of the time they were tired and happy; after all it is a family vacation with 3 kids six and under. You know how that can go.)

At least once a day, we drove by a farm stand over flowing with fresh, local produce. We stopped at a few times to load up on fruit, corn, veggies and greens. I was in food heaven. On one of my morning runs I saw a small sign that read “farmer’s market, Thursday, 2-4”, a tiny arrow pointing me in the direction. “Ya, it’s Thursday!” But, since I get my chance to run in the morning, it was way to early to check it out. Later that day I escaped to the market, alone. I took my time looking over the produce, all of it made my mouth water, except for maybe the kohlrabi. (If broccoli and cabbage have a baby this what they get. No thanks.) Yet among all of this delicious produce a glass cookie jar, sitting on a shelf, surrounded by potatoes of all things, caught my attention. “Oatmeal Ginger Cookies” the tiny sign read. Yes please. 3 remained, I took one. (I should have grabbed all 3. I know. I regret that decision.) After the kids went to bed, I split the cookie in half and took a bite. The cookie was crisp, yet chewy and sugar-coated with bits of chopped, crystalized ginger throughout. So good. So good, that I almost ate Bubba’s half. Bubba ate his half and I thought about this cookie for days. When we got home, I tried to recreate that cookie. Here is the recipe. Enjoy, warm with a glass of milk.

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Chewy Oatmeal Ginger Cookies

makes 24 large cookies

Recipe adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large  egg

2 tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 cups of old fashion oats

1 tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped

1/2 cup raw sugar for rolling

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom, salt, baking soda and oats. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated. Next , add the water and vanilla.

Slowly, add dry ingredients to wet mixture until combined. Add chopped ginger.

Now you can either bake immediately or place the cookie dough in an air-tight container and refrigerate for a few hours or over-night. (The flavor really sets in when you allow the dough to rest, but sometimes you can’t wait that long, and that’s ok!)

Pour 1/2 cup of raw sugar into a bowl and set aside. ( I like raw sugar because it adds a nice crunch to the outside of the cookie.)

When ready to bake, use and ice cream scoop  and scoop the dough. Roll each cookie ball into the raw sugar and place on your prepared baking sheet. Wet your hand, flatten each cookie ball into a 5 inch round. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If you have any leftovers, these cookies will last in an air-tight container for a couple of days. Enjoy!

5 Incredible Cookie Links!

If you are looking for a new take on a shortbread cookie, head over to Design Love Fest for her shortbread cookies with beet glaze. I didn’t know you could use beets as part of a cookie glaze either. I am fascinated and they look beautiful!

Need a ridiculously yummy cookie to bring to your next summer gathering? Bakers Royal has a recipe for you. Here’s a hint: the cookie is both a brownie and an oatmeal cookie with M n M’s.

Almond + Matcha Green Tea Cookies. Yes they exist and I need to try them. Kiran Tirun has the recipe for you. Check out her other awesome recipes while you are there, like mango strawberry salsa or roasted cherry balsamic lassi.

I love the idea of a breakfast cookie, especially a blueberry waffle cookie. Head to Bakers Royal for the yummy recipe.

Before we know it berry season will turn into apple season. Joy the Baker’s Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie is a cookie I will definitely make this fall!