Chocolate Crinkles

I've been in the cookie baking mood lately. That is why I was so excited when I got my recipe for my second blogging event. This event is a holiday recipe exchange. Each participant submits a holiday dessert recipe to the organizer. The organizer mixes the recipes up and assigns a recipe to each participant. The participants have to make the recipe and post a blog about it by December 22. The recipe I was assigned is for Chocolate Crinkles. I got my recipe yesterday and I started it the same day. You have to refrigerate the dough for 3-4 hours or overnight so I baked the cookies today. I wonder if I am the first person to make my recipe.

There are several reasons why I couldn't wait to start my cookies.
1. I've been in the cookie baking mood (like I mentioned earlier).
2. I just got new cookie sheets and I couldn't wait to try them out. They are wonderful by the way. I didn't even use any non-stick spray or anything else and the cookies came right off. They baked evenly and did not spread out too much. I called my sister as soon as I bought my new cookie sheets to let her know that these were my Xmas gift from her. I told her I would bake some cookies on them for her and we could call it even. Guess what sis you are getting some Chocolate Crinkles!
3. I love chocolate.
4. I already had all the ingredients to make these cookies. This is one of the few recipes I've made that I followed the recipe and ingredients exactly. I'm kind of proud of myself for that.

Thank you whoever submitted this recipe! It is delicious and I would definitely make it again!


Chocolate Crinkles
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateCrinkles.html

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter
8 ounces (225 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Topping:
1 cup (110 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (3-4 hours or overnight).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. With lightly greased hands, roll a small amount of chilled dough to form a 1 inch (2.54 cm) diameter ball. Place the ball of dough into the confectioners sugar and roll the ball in the sugar until it is completely coated and no chocolate shows through. Gently lift the sugar-covered ball, tapping off excess sugar, and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue forming cookies, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on baking sheets. (If you find the dough getting too soft for rolling into balls, return to the refrigerator and let chill until firm.)

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


Sources:

Baggett, Nancy. 'The International Chocolate Cookbook'. Stewart Tabori & Chang. New York: 1991.

Lebovitz, David. 'Room for Dessert'. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 1999.