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12 Days Of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Crackles

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  • Author: Mavis Butterfield

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool.
  3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate.
  5. With mixer on low-speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined.
  6. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
  7. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking.
  8. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.
  9. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely.
  10. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12  to minutes.
  11. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely.
  12. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes

Recipe Credit: Martha Stewart’s Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share (Martha Stewart Living Magazine)