Chocolate Fudge Crinkles

These decadent chocolate cookies are the result of a little baking therapy. You see, my “baby” just started kindergarten and I’ve been busy doing one of the things I do best — worrying! Will she eat her lunch? Will she make new friends? Will she learn to jump rope? Will she find the bathroom? Will she learn to read? Will she get on the bus…Will she get off the bus? You get the idea.

While some women might deal with this kind of anxiety by shopping or working out, I prefer baking my worries away. And bake I did – four batches of these cookies until I got them just right. And believe me when I tell you, they are sooo right…deeply chocolate, crisp and powdery on the outside, and soft and fudgy in the center. If you can imagine what a brownie would taste like in cookie form, this is it. (And if that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will!)

The key to making great chocolate crinkles is to use a good quality chocolate, such as Ghirardelli, and accentuate it with a hint of espresso powder. Coffee has an incredible way of intensifying chocolate flavor without calling any attention to itself, and it certainly does the job here.

To get the crinkled appearance, you simply roll the dough balls in confectioners sugar. As the cookies bake, they spread which causes the sugar to crack, revealing the fudgy chocolate cookie underneath.

So, what happened to all those cookies? I have no idea but let’s just say it’s probably not a good idea to leave certain elementary school children alone with chocolate…

“Who, me?…It’s a carrot, I swear.”

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Chocolate Fudge Crinkles
Printable Recipe

Makes about 48 cookies

Note: Be sure to make these cookies a few hours ahead of time because the dough needs to chill in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Use a whisk to mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Combine chocolate and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Place in microwave and cook in 20-second intervals, stirring between each bout of heat, until almost melted. The chocolate will continue to melt as it sits. (This technique ensures the chocolate mixture will not get too hot and scorch.) Add espresso powder and stir until completely melted and smooth.

3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with both sugars and vanilla extract. Use whisk to smash any lumps of brown sugar. Stir in chocolate mixture.

4. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

5. Set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place about 1 cup confectioners sugar in small bowl. Roll chilled dough into 1-tablespoon balls, then roll each ball in confectioners sugar. Arrange 12 balls evenly on baking sheet and bake for about 12 -15 minutes, until puffy and just dry in center. Cool pans on rack for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an air-tight container.