Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I decided to try something new this year for one of my Christmas cookie "slots", and honestly, it is EVERYONE'S new favorite cookie!

It is basically a brownie in cookie form. It is chewy, and chocolatey, and the powdered-sugar-crinkle outside is just the prettiest thing around. Another bonus is that it uses oil, so you don't have to wait for your butter to come to room temperature!

So, without further ado, and no more gilding the lily, I present to you my chocolate crinkle cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups (400 grams) white sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil 

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

+ powdered sugar for rolling (approx. 1/2 cup or 60 grams)

Directions:

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, mix together the cocoa, sugar and sunflower oil.

2. Beat in eggs one at a time.

3. Add vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Carefully add flour to cocoa mixture, while your mixer is going.

5. Cover your dough and chill for at least 4 hours.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C.

7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.

9. Using small spoons, scoop out enough dough to make rounded tbsp sized balls. The dough is VERY sticky, and this part is a little tricky. Once the ball is formed, plop (yes, this is the technical term) it into the powdered sugar, and roll it around until it is completely covered.

10. Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches from each other.

11. Bake for about 10-12 minutes (this is a cookie you don't want to overtake, or it won't be as yummy and chewy). Allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

12. Can be stored in an air tight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

These cookies are insanely delicious, and honestly I'm a little hesitant to share the recipe, in case as a result the world runs out of cocoa powder. :)

Ruby Chocolate Dipped Embossed Sugar Cookies

Since I made my favorite guy his own batch of Valentine's Day Peanut Butter Blossoms, I figured the kiddos could probably use a proclamation of my love, too - in cookie form.

Back during the Christmas holidays, I bought this amazing embossed rolling pin at the Budapest Christmas market. Sadly, I lost the business card of the artist, but you can Google search "embossed rolling pins", and find all different patterns, to fit any occasion.

I loved the one that I bought because it was reminiscent of some of the traditional Hungarian (or on broader terms, Eastern European) folk imagery. I've been dying to use it!

On a slightly sad note, my former sugar cookie dough and I on are a break. I want to be like, "it's not you, it's me", but really, I don't know who is at fault. The last couple times I've used it my cookies have spread to INSANE sizes and have lost all definition. I was on the search for the perfect "non-spread" sugar cookie dough recipe, as I really wanted the pretty pattern on these to stay defined and crisp. I decided to use one by Design, Eat, Repeat. I liked that it didn't need to be chilled. Well... it was okay. I cut out and baked a few cookies to start with, and felt like they were spreading more than I'd like. So, I cut out the rest, then let them sit in the fridge for maybe 15-20 minutes, and they turned out much better - but still spread more than "advertised". She has a picture on her blog post with the cookie cutter on top of her baked cookie, to show that there was basically no spread - I don't know what she did, but mine definitely spread, even with chilling a bit.

So, I'm still on the search for the perfect recipe.

That said, I will give you the recipe as I ended up using it, with you, sweet reader keeping in mind that if you have a favorite no-spread sugar cookie recipe, definitely use that! Also, hook a girl up! Let me in on your secret!

For these cookies specifically, you'll need these tools:

- a rolling pin with a thickness gauge (like this one, that I got for Christmas). Okay, this one isn't a "need", but I've found it to be really helpful.

- embossed rolling pin (you could just as easily cut out plain hearts and dip them, too. This just makes them a little "extra").

- Standing mixer

- Offset spatula

- Heart-shaped cookie cutter (any other shape will do too, but it's fun for Valentine's Day)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature - approx 2 hours)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

150 gr ruby chocolate

sprinkles of your choice - I found the cutest ones yet, here. (I also really liked them with just the chocolate. They looked a little more "elegant".)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C.

2. Cream together butter and sugar on medium setting for about 20-30 seconds.

3. While mixer is going add egg and vanilla extract.

4. On a low speed add in baking powder and salt.

5. Still on the low speed, add the flour 1/2 cup at a time.

6. Mix until flour just combined.

7. Pour onto a slightly floured surface. Kneed into a ball for about 10 seconds, then flatten into a disc shape.

8. Using your (lightly floured) rolling pin with thickness gauges, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Firmly roll the (lightly floured) embossed rolling pin over the dough, creating the gorgeous pattern.

9. Dip your cookie cutter in flour, find the part of the dough that fits it the best, and cut it out. Continue until you've used up all your dough, but do try hard not to re-kneed your dough over and over again. Makes 20-30 cookies, depending on size.

10. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Using an offset spatula, lift out the cookies and place them on the lined baking sheet.

11. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

12. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, and bake for 7-9 minutes, depending on size. (You can see in these two pictures - the top one was the first batch that I didn't chill. They got a little deformed. The second picture is of the ones I chilled. They kept their shape better.)

13. Allow cookies to fully cool. (10 minutes in baking sheet, then until room temperature on a cooling rack.)

14. While waiting for the cookies to cool, using the "Dutch oven method", melt the ruby chocolate. (A metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Make sure the water level in the pot is low enough that it doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.)

15. Take each cookie, dip it partially in the melted ruby chocolate. Allow excess to drip off, then place on a sheet of baking paper.

16. If desired, use sprinkles at this point.

17. Allow to fully cool. Keep in a cool, dry air tight space.

18. Take adorable pictures - because, memories. <3 

Extra tip:

- Ruby chocolate is a bit of a novelty, and I hated to let any go to waste. I had some left over after dipping all the cookies, so I poured it into a silicone ice cube tray, placed it in the fridge for it to set up, and then moved the chocolate cubes to a ziplock - ready to be quickly melted for a drizzle got another day.

If you decide to try this recipe, I would LOVE to know how it goes! Please feel free to leave a comment. :)

Valentine's Day Peanut Butter Blossoms

I am not a huge fan of peanut butter. Shhh...

But my favorite guy IS! So, for Valentine's Day I decided to make a batch of peanut butter blossoms just for him!

Valentine's Day of course means hearts, so I set out looking for chocolate hearts... I could not find them ANYWHERE!! They all had some kind of filling! I finally found some plain Milka hearts, but then were large and thin. 

So, I decided to make my cookies bigger too, and double up on the chocolate hearts for a nice chocolate to cookie ratio.

They turned out super cute, and hopefully made my honey feel very loved. So now I'm sharing the recipe with you!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter at room temp.

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg at room temperature

2 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

48 large Milka hearts

extra sugar in bowl

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the ingredients in order given (except for chocolate and extra sugar).

2. Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C. 

3. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

4. Scoop out approx 2 tbs cookie dough, roll into ball, roll in sugar and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 

3. Flatten top slightly.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, until edges slightly golden brown.

5. Remove from oven, set on heat-safe surface.

6. Gently press 2 chocolate hearts stacked on top of each other onto the cookie, until cookie slightly cracks around edges. (Do this step as soon after they come out of the oven as possible.)

7. Using a spatula transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, and allow to fully cool. (Because you have to wait for the chocolate to fully harden back up too, it'll take a little longer than other cookies.)

Makes 24 cookies

+ If you were able to find chocolate hearts that are about the same size as chocolate kisses, or one Milka chocolate square, make your cookie balls 1 tbs size and bake for 9-10 minutes. There is also no need to flatten them down at this size. Will make approx 48 cookies.

So, happy Valentine's Day to my favorite peanut butter loving guy!  

You're simply the best!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Mmmm... I think we have a new addition to the Christmas cookie repertoire! Dan special requested these, and since they're one of my favorites too - I was happy to oblige!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)

- 1 cup brown sugar 

- 2/3 cup granulated sugar

- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tbs corn starch

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or, in my case, a chopped up bar of white chocolate into "morsels")

- 1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts - some chopped, some left whole

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F/165 C.

2. Cream together (manually, or in a standing mixer) butter and sugars very well.

3. Add vanilla, eggs and salt, and mix well.

4. Add corn starch, baking soda, baking powder and flour. Mix until well combined.

5. Stir in nuts and chocolate.

6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

7. Drop 2 tbs of dough (I used an ice cream scoop to get them all the same size) at a time, approx. 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10-11 minutes.

9. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Store in an airtight container, or you can even freeze them!

Makes about 44-48.

These are delicious! I've shared them with neighbors and friends, and I can tell you - they're a hit! 

Please let me know if you decide to try these, I'd love to know how they turn out.

Here are some mouth watering pictures of these sweet things:

While I was taking pictures, I accidentally left some cookies within baby's reach - and when I turned around, she gave me the most satisfied look! Of course... I didn't let her eat it, but she loved sucking on it for a couple seconds, lol!

Meringue Cookie Recipe, Using Meringue Powder

I ordered meringue powder a couple months ago for royal icing.  I've been searching for recipes that also call for it, and finally found one for meringue cookies.  I modified the recipe a bit, and here you go!

What you'll need:

- stand mixer

- whisk attachment

- parchment paper

- piping bag with a 1m tip

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup Meringue powder (I bought my Wilton one from Amazon.)

- 1/2 cup cold water

- 1 1/3 cup sugar

- 1 tsp extract flavoring (we chose strawberry first, and lemon the second time - I think we preferred the lemon!)

- (optional) gel food coloring (I used Wilton red the first time- which of course turned pink, like I wanted :), and yellow the second time around.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 °F / 120 °C - don't use a convection setting.

2. In a stand mixer combine meringue powder and water until soft peaks form.  (Whip at high speed for about 5 minutes.)  Gradually add in sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.

3. Scrape down side of bowl.  Add extract and coloring.

4. Gradually turn mixer back on to high speed, until color is fully dispensed.  (Be careful not to over-beat, though.)

5. Spoon into piping bag with the tip you want. (Or, into a zip-top bag, with the tip cut off. That's what I did the second time.)

6. Pipe onto parchment paper lined baking tray, about the size of a mandarin orange.

7. Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Check on them at 45, and if they are not quite done, keep going for 5 minute increments.  It's okay if they're a little gooey on the inside, but the outside should be hard.  As they cool, they'll crunch up a little more.

8. In an airtight container they should keep for about 3 days. :)

And here are the yellow ones we made a few days later. 

These cookies are crisp and light - perfect for Spring! They're also easy to make with kids, and the added bonus is that you're not using fresh egg whites - therefore, if they lick their fingers (like mine did), you don't have to worry about salmonella! Score!

Happy baking!