Double chocolate?

Don’t mind if I do.

If we’re being honest here (and we are) I had never seen or heard of Crackle or Crinkle cookies until recently.  It seems that the two terms are used interchangeably.  I first spied them in Food Network Magazine, and wanted to make them, thinking they were something a little “different.”

I was so wrong. 

You know how once you see something you never noticed before, you start seeing it everywhere?

That’s exactly what happened with these cookies.  As soon as Thanksgiving passed, my Google Reader was filling up with recipes for these cookies.  I quickly learned they are a traditional Christmas cookie.  I’ve seen lots of variations, but I stuck with the one that initially caught my attention.   

Double Chocolate Crackles

Original Recipe Here

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter and eggs until combined, then stir in the white chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls, then roll in the confectioners’ sugar until well coated. Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
3. Bake until the cookies are puffed and the tops are cracked, about 10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Despite being dubbed “double chocolate,” the flavor was not too intense.  I liked that the “double” chocolate in this recipe came from white chocolate, which is a favorite of mine!  These cookies were slight crunchy on the outside, and rich with a fudgy, brownie-like texture on the inside. 

I made them bite-size, almost like munchkin donuts.  The cookies were beautiful- like snow-covered mountains!  Served on a platter with some festive candy cane sprinkles, it made for a striking presentation.