9 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS! Every household I am sure is bursting with the smells of holiday baking. Sugar cookies were as far as I went last season. Not sure why? Maybe because I was pregnant and exhausted, or I was afraid that I would consume every last cookie I made. This year, however, has been a different story. I have a few great cookies that I now know will be a yearly christmas treat. These crackle cookies have an intense chocolate-coffee combo and stay chewy for days on end. Watching the transition of a powdered sugar covered cookie ball turn into a festive crackle pattern was quite entertaining. The secret to a great crackle is using granulated sugar prior to the powdered sugar-coating. Omit the coffee if you’d like, and skip the granulated sugar step if you dare. Either way these cookies are sure to please!
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Tbs Butter
- 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 4 oz melted, cooled chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup of Flour
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 4 tsp Espresso powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- You will need 1 cup of granulated sugar for rolling, and 1-2 cups of powdered sugar for the second coating.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350*
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the 4 oz of chocolate chips (do 30 seconds at a time until the chips have melted, do not overheat!) Let the chocolate cool. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and egg. Add the cooled chocolate, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stir in the tablespoon of milk. Let the dough chill for at least 45 minutes in the fridge. Take approximately 1 Tbs of dough, roll into a ball. Dip the ball into granulated sugar, and then generously roll the ball into powder sugar. Place onto a non stick cookie sheet, with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes.