As the Holiday season is well underway, it is very easy to get caught up in Holiday madness: gift shopping, gift wrapping, tree trimming, house decorating, meal planning, Christmas parties, etc. We need to remind ourselves that the Holidays are the time of year when we should be slowing down long enough to enjoy the little things that make Christmas special, such as the ritual baking of Christmas cookies.
Every year around this time, my family gathers around piles of recipes to make the critical decision of choosing which Christmas cookie we will bake. The usual suspects make their appearance without fail, but we always throw a couple of new recipes into the mix to test out. This is one of those “new kids on the block” recipes that we will bake this year.
Fudgy Chocolate-Mocha Crinkles
The dough for these fudgy chocolate-mocha cookies comes together easily, and can even be made the day before. The dough needs to be really cold before being formed into balls. As It is a slightly sticky dough, you will need to work quickly to form the balls, but this consistency will ensure their wonderful fudgy and chewy texture. After a quick 10-minute trip to the oven, your house will really smell like the Holidays are finally here!
- 1 cup unsweetened, good quality cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups white granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 lg. eggs
- 2 tsp. orange extract or vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1½ tsp. espresso powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup Confectioners’ sugar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the orange extract (or vanilla extract).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Add this to the chocolate mixture on low speed until just combined, making sure not to overbeat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill the dough for several hours (or overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the Confectioner's sugar in a wide bowl. Using a teaspoon, scoop pieces of the chilled dough and roll them between the palm of your hands into 1” balls. The dough will be slightly sticky, so work fast and use a light touch. Once you have formed all the balls, roll them one by one in the Confectioner's sugar and place on the cookie sheets.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes depending on the size. Remove them from the oven when the tops of the cookies are still soft to the touch. Allow them to cool for a minute or two on the sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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