Fudgy, chocolaty, and delicious, these Chocolate Crinkles Cookies
have been a holiday favorite of mine for decades.
I had to go back to my high school recipe cards for this one. I found it hand-written on a card stuck in my old Better homes and Garden cookbook. It’s been around awhile and I’ve never changed a thing about this cookie recipe for Chocolate Crinkles. Well, except that I now melt the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave instead of a double boiler. Microwaves were available for home use in the 1960’s, but we didn’t own one until later. I started baking these cookies in the early 1970’s, when recipes were passed around on index cards or pieces of ruled notebook paper. I tell you this because I love the fact that this cookie recipe has not needed to be adjusted or changed or updated to make a better cookie. It’s wonderful just the way it is.
This was one of the cookies that made our Christmas cookie list each year growing up baking with my mom and sister. They are named Chocolate Crinkles for the classic crackling of the cookie made possible by rolling cookie dough in a bowl of confectioner’s (powdered) sugar prior to baking. So pretty!
The centers of these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are chocolaty, soft and delicious. Everyone loves these cookies & they are easy to bake, so keep them in mind for your holiday parties. I love too, that they freeze well. Who doesn’t like to bake ahead during the busy holiday season?
You’ll need a 4 ounce bar of unsweetened chocolate and a good brand of dutch-process cocoa for this cookie recipe, but other than those two ingredients, everything else is probably in your cupboard or refrigerator. I buy a premium brand of dutch-process Bensdorp cocoa from King Arthur flour. Grocery stores brands include a brand of Hershey, called Hershey Special dark, which is a blend of dutched and natural cocoa. The Hershey brand cocoa will also work in this recipe.
If you try this cookie recipe, I’d love to see any photos that you would like to share! Tag us #countrycupboardcookies and share on Instagram and/or comment below.
Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate ( I used 1 bar Baker's chocolate, but you can use any unsweetened chocolate)
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa*
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar for rolling dough balls
- Melt butter with unsweetened chocolate in microwave. Melt in microwave safe bowl, 30 seconds, stir. Then melt additional 30 seconds, stir. If more time is needed, melt in 10 second increments, stirring each time until butter and chocolate mixture is melted. Cool for a few minutes.
- Add white sugar and brown sugar and cream together.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in well.
- Add vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients of flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to batter and mix in.
- Chill one hour.
- Using small cookie scoop (1½ inch diameter), or 2 Tablespoons, roll dough balls into bowl of powdered sugar. Roll with hands after rolling in sugar.
- Place dough balls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or use silpat liner.
- Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- Cool on cookie sheet 10 minutes.
Hershey makes a brand called Hershey Special Dark, which is a blend of dutched and natural cocoa. I've also used this cocoa and find it works well.
Leave a Reply