Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today, we bring you 10: Shannon Armour's Okay-Maybe-I-Care-About-Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.
While the "Who-Cares-About-Chocolate Lemon Crunch Sugar Cookies" were baking, I came across these Black Forest Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and decided that I must make them that very instant (it was like 1 a.m. at this point -- I was a little delirious). I'm a big fan of using instant coffee as flavoring plus these cookies looked like something good ol' mom would make.
The cookies didn't turn out as pretty as the pictures on Sweet Pea's Kitchen's blog (I think the key is chill the dough and then roll the dough balls three times in powered sugar) but according to the boyfriend, who never eats anything I bake, they tasted great.
He ended up shoving like five of them in his face before proclaiming, "Get these away from me woman, they are the devil!" And since this recipe only made about 14 cookies, that left just a few left for my Chow Bella friends.
The next morning there were even fewer left in the bag. He tried to blame the dogs but i'm pretty sure they don't have the necessary flanges to open a cupboard, get the Ziploc bag open, eat just three cookies, and then reseal the bag. If they did complete this cookie thieving mission, then I'm going to be really pissed that they can't figure out how to feed themselves every morning (which would buy me about 15 extra minutes in bed every morning).
Anyway, thanks for eating all the cookies, jerk boyfriend.
Black Forest Crinkle Cookies
(from Sweet Pea's Kitchen but minus the cherries)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 Starbucks VIA Instant coffee packet or 1 Tablespoon espresso powder, mixed with 2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried tart cherries (1.5 ounces)
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
Melt butter in a second small bowl in a microwave or a small saucepan over low heat.
Add cocoa to melted butter, whisking until smooth. Stir in the egg, espresso mixture, and vanilla, fully blending in each one before adding the next.
Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture just until combined.
Fold chocolate chips and cherries into the dough until evenly distributed.
Shape into generous 2 inch balls using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon measure.
Roll balls in powdered sugar two times, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until cookies are cracked, yet still soft, do not overbake.
Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
The Chow Bella Christmas Cookie Exchange -- so far:
Check back tomorrow for our next cookie. Have a favorite cookie exchange recipe to share? Leave it in the comments section.
