by Amy L. Hatch
When I woke up today I knew it was time.
Time for what, you ask? Time to finish my holiday shopping? Time to put up the Christmas tree? Time to put the lights on the house?
Yes to all of the above. But, most of all, it was time to bake the chocolate crinkles.
Off all the weapons in my holiday arsenal, the chocolate crinkle is perhaps the most powerful. Sure, telling the kids that Santa is watching might get them to stop misbehaving.
But offering them a crinkle if they promise to get along? That will bring them to their knees. This isn’t just a cookie: This is a Cookie.
Just ask Laura, who once famously said that it isn’t Christmas until “Amy bakes the crinkles.”
Alas, Christmas has arrived. This weekend, I finally baked the chocolate crinkles. And they are perfect, at long last. I’ve been working on them for eight years, trying to achieve the texture my mother was always able to get when she made them every year.
And yes, I will share that secret with you, my friends.
First, gather your ingredients:
- 1/2 cup veggie oil
- 4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz), melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Now, I made a double batch, and while I can’t say for sure, I think that was part of my success this year. You might want to consider it.
First, mix together the oil, sugar and chocolate. Then, add the eggs, beating after each addition. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring until fully incorporated.
Refrigerate the whole thing. The original recipe calls for the dough to chill for at least four hours or overnight, but this year my dough sat in the fridge for a week because I was too busy to get to baking the cookies.
I’m pretty sure that is the secret to the texture. So, make these at least two days in advance, and chill.
When you’re ready, use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the dough, then roll it into a ball. Drop the ball in confectioner’s sugar and roll until it’s covered in powdery goodness.
Place on a well-greased baking sheet and bake at 350-degrees (convection if you have it) for about nine minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These are soft and chewy cookies. Don’t let them get brown.
Store in an airtight container, or in a cookie jar with a small slice of apple. The apple keeps them soft.
Laura, there’s a box of these at my house with your name on it.