Classic Chocolate Crinkles

Tastes of the season
It’s here. After a lot of musing, planning, and preparation, Cookie-Pa-Looza weekend has arrived. This means starting this evening, my daughter and I will begin the process of making and baking cookies—and distributing Christmas Cookie tins to friends and neighbors. It’s a labor of love. And, we love to do it.

For the most part, the cookie tins contain the same cookies each year—as some would be dearly missed if they were not there. (See the links to the recipes below). I like to make sure that there is a variety of flavors in the cookie box. Something with ginger, something with a citrus flavor, and always something decadent and chocolaty.

Last year we made Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies but I wanted to do something different this year. Still chocolatey, but different. So I am going with these Classic Chocolate Crinkles.

Chocolate crinkles are a well-loved Christmas cookie. The key is good quality chocolate. And, pro tip, roll the dough balls in superfine sugar before rolling them in powdered sugar. This ensures that the cookies get that snow-covered look.

Be careful with these as they can be very addictive. It’s amazing how many of them “break” and don’t make it to the cookie tin…

Amy’s Classic Christmas Cookies
Swedish Ginger Cookies
Gingies as we call them, are a family favorite. They are easy to make and go great with tea & coffee and you can keep a log in the freezer to cut and bake as needed. When in doubt make more than you need as it’s always fun to share…

Six Layer Bars
Somewhat rich, but oh, so good. This old-fashioned recipe makes great-tasting, nutty bars. It is an easy dessert made with common pantry items. Great for potlucks, parties, and bake sale treats!

Cranberry Orange Biscotti
This recipe is one everyone can enjoy—they are lighter than traditional Italian biscotti and still crunchy. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, but are relatively easy to pull together. They make a delicious, light dessert.

Italian Hazelnut Cookies (Baci di Dama)
These tiny Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are made from a very rich, fragile dough that easily crumbles when you bite into them.

Molded Gingerbread Cookies
I consider these to be project cookies–they take longer than usual to make. But, the results are very much worth the extra labor.

Classic Scottish Shortbread
This recipe adds some oats to the mix for a slightly nuttier flavor. It’s fantastic, and a good choice for gift-giving.

Classic Chocolate Crinkles Recipe
Adapted from King Arthur Baking
Yields about 5 dozen cookies

This variation includes espresso powder, giving the chocolate flavor a boost and adding the slightest aromatic hint of coffee. For a mocha crinkle, increase the espresso powder to 1 tablespoon or more, to taste.

Do ahead: Mix up the dough the day before and chill it in the fridge. Read more…

Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies

C Is For Cookie
Recently, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about cookies. It’s not that I have a raging craving, though I am always up for a tasty cookie. The reason is that I am finding it harder to find a really great cookie that I don’t make myself. I’m talking about cookies you can bring as a hostess gift or that work well on a pretty plate for an easy dessert for a dinner party. For years, Taste of Denmark (a.k.a Neldam’s), had some of the best tea cookies around. But alas, they are gone.

Here at the store, we used to carry multiple vendors’ cookie tubs and we still have a couple, but the others have disappeared. Not sure if they were just victims of the pandemic or simply went out of business. (For example, Gianna’s. It happens…)

Many large chain grocery stores are packaging their on-site bakery cookies in convenient economy sizes which can be great for those times you need to bring a treat for a crowd. Do they blow me away flavor-wise? Not really. Although, with apologies to my beloved Oreos and Walker’s shortbread, they are a step up from the everyday boxed cookies on the shelf.

Nowadays you are no longer limited to the grocery aisles to cure your cookie craving. If you have been anywhere near a suburban strip mall recently you will no doubt have seen or at least heard about a certain cookie chain that has taken the country by storm. I have tried their cookies a few times. And, for me, the cookies are too sweet and underbaked. I know that I am very much in the minority with that opinion.

So, for the next few weeks, I’m going to be presenting cookie recipes for everyday eating. These are cookies that, while tasty enough to be considered for the Christmas cookie box, are really for your lunchbox or that three o’clock afternoon snack.

First up, these beauties, Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I have a hard time refusing anything that has the flavor of coffee in it. Add chocolate to the mix and you have my full attention. These cookies are gooey from the oven but cool to something that is a bit chewier—like a brownie. One of these cookies with a latte in the afternoon can change your whole outlook on life!

Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Yields 18 large cookies
Adapted from Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk Read more…

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate Chip MVP
I don’t usually consider a chocolate chip cookie to be decadent. I do consider them awesome and worthy of binge eating—but not necessarily decadent. That was until my sister made some cookies for my Super Bowl party.

Since I was in charge of the main meal, I asked my sister to bring something sweet. She rolled up with some of the best cookies I have tasted in a long while. If you were fortunate to get a box of Sees candy for Valentine’s Day, you may have encountered the piece they call a Butterscotch Square. It is one of my all-time favorites. It is a mouth-wateringly-tasty morsel of brown sugar goodness covered in chocolate. And, it was the first thing I thought of when I bit into those chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe for Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies has no regular granulated sugar. It is all about the brown sugar. And, I am here for it. That is what makes them so gloriously rich and decadent. I am usually good for at least two but usually three chocolate chip cookies when given the chance but not these. I could only handle one.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t go back later and try again…

Full disclosure, the original recipe calls for using milk chocolate. We both agreed that while the milk chocolate was tasty, it didn’t provide enough chocolate oomph for our tastes. Therefore I am suggesting using bittersweet chocolate. Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies Recipe
Adapted from All About Cookies by Christina Tosi
Yields 12 to 18 cookies Read more…

Decadent Chocolate Tart

Chocolate Decadence
It’s no secret that I have a sweet tooth. I like desserts of all kinds—but I do have a bit of a preference for fruity desserts. Except when I don’t.

When handed a dessert menu at a restaurant I will scan the entire list of offerings. I look for the fruity one first, then the carb-y one. (I’m looking at you, bread pudding.) There is almost always something chocolatey. And, although I love chocolate, it’s usually my last choice. There are occasions however when nothing but chocolate will do.

When I am in the mood for a chocolate dessert, I need some serious chocolate. I don’t mean something with a little chocolate in it or a few chocolate chips. I mean I need some seriously deep, death-by-chocolate flavors. I want decadence. I want something that requires coffee or some other beverage to cut the richness. And, don’t even think about stealing a bite. There will be no sharing. You need to order your own.

This Decadent Chocolate Tart is the exact type of chocolate dessert I mean. It’s gorgeous in its simplicity. It’s dark and rich and the shiny ganache on top dares you to swipe your finger through it. You could also make it in smaller individual tarts if, like me, you don’t want to share.

Decadent Chocolate Tart Recipe
Adapted from Epicurious
Yields 8-10 Servings Read more…