Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I thought I'd pop my head up to say hi and that while blogging time remains elusive, sewing and knitting continues apace. At last count I have 10 unblogged sewing projects and at least 2 knitting ones. C'est la vie.  But I'm hoping to find some time to photograph these projects this week. Fingers crossed.

Over the last few months, I've tried a bunch of new to me recipes and here is the real winner from the bunch: chocolate crinkle cookies from ATK. They are like mini brownies, but in cookie form. And the crackled sugar coating really makes them one of the more attractive things to come out of my oven.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) brown sugar
3 large eggs
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder, (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup (2 ounces) confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
2. Whisk brown sugar; eggs; espresso powder, if using; and vanilla together in large bowl. Combine chocolate and butter in bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined. Fold in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Let dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
4. Place granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar in separate shallow dishes. Working with 2 tablespoons dough (or use #30 scoop) at a time, roll into balls. Drop dough balls directly into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Transfer dough balls to confectioners’ sugar and roll to coat evenly. Evenly space dough balls on prepared sheets, 11 per sheet.
5. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool completely on sheet before serving.

If you are thinking, but how do they taste? The answer is really really good!  They are chocolate decadence. 

The cookies are rather large as you are directed to make them. I found that one cookie was enough. But really is one cookie ever really enough? So, on my next batch I made half of the batter/dough into the large size cookies (2tbsp) and half into much smaller cookies (scant tbsp). It worked out well.

I need to tinker with the timing of baking the smaller size. The larger cookes, which I baked first came out fudgey and dense, and smaller cookies came out more like a rich cakey brownie. So, depending on your brownie preference, you can adjust your cooking time so you have either a more fudgey or a more cakey result.  (I am a fudgey girl all the way!)

Anyway, if you crave a very chocolaty almost brownie, I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot.