Don’t let their cobbled texture fool you: underneath the crinkle is an amazingly soft and chewy chocolate cookie!
With amazing recipes and gorgeous food photography instantly available to us with the swipe of a finger on our screen, it’s easy to forget that there was once a time when cookbooks reigned supreme. Time travel with me back to the 1950s, and in my kitchen, you’d find an array of Betty Crocker cookbooks. Besides the main cookbook, one of the most popular cookbooks was Cooky Carnival (yes, that’s the spelling—what can I say? It was a different time). It’s in this popular cookbook of yesteryear that the chocolate crinkle cookie first caught on.
In the recipe intro, it’s claimed that a Minnesotan baker, Helen Fredell, gave her recipe for crinkle cookies to Betty Crocker, and the cookie has been a holiday staple ever since. With the snow-like powdered sugar coating and delicious chocolate flavor, it’s easy to see why. And you might enjoy them any time of year, not just at the holidays!
Chocolate crinkle cookies are wonderful cookies to have in your repertoire because the recipe makes a lot, they are made with simple ingredients and require no special equipment, and the texture and chocolate flavor are amazing. The powdered sugar topping “crinkles” so that some of the chocolate cookie underneath is exposed, and underneath that slightly crunchy sugar coating is where the magic is.
How Much Is A “Pinch” Of Salt?
In the recipe below, you will see that you need two pinches of kosher salt. So, how much exactly is a pinch (or in this case, two pinches) of salt? You can always wing it, but if you’re like me, these are the kinds of things you wonder as you’re baking. For most people, if you pinch some kosher salt between your pointer finger and thumb, you will get around 1/16th of a teaspoon. So for this recipe, use about 1/8th of a teaspoon.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Layer the cooled cookies in an airtight container, with parchment paper between each layer. Keep them at room temperature and they will stay soft for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Increase The Chill Time
In step 5, you chill the dough for at least an hour. If you have time, chilling up to 4 hours is even better. You can actually chill the dough overnight (up to 12 hours), but if you chill it for that long, you might need to set it out on the counter for 15 minutes before working with it. Any extra chill time you can get past the hour will make the dough easier to work with.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re enjoying chocolate crinkle cookies during the holidays, they are delicious with hot chocolate (try adding a little peppermint schnapps to the adults’ mugs!) or even eggnog. On a holiday cookie tray, they go well with any number of holiday favorites, including Pizzelle, Easy Lemon Bars, Peppermint White Chocolate Bars, and Frosted Sugar Cookies.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a thick dough forms.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls.
- Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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