April 29, 2012

Chocolate Crackle Cookies


Everyone knows these delicious cookies by a different name - chocolate crackle cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate snowcap cookies, and my grandmother calls them snow-covered turtles.

Whatever you call them, they are sweet and soft, chocolatey and scrumptious.

Source: cuisine.com
Ingredients
100g softened butter/margarine
150g white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
160g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
60g icing sugar (for dusting)

Method
1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between, then beat in the vanilla extract.

3. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then add the baking powder and salt.  Fold into the batter.  Yes, it will look sticky and not at all cookie dough-like, but that's OK.  It's why the biscuits turn out so soft in the end.


4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2-ish hours.


5. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (338 F)

6. Place the icing sugar in a zip-lock bag/plastic bag - you could use a bowl and roll the dough balls around in there, but I've found that using a bag is easier.

7. Take tablespoons of the cooled batter and roll in icing sugar.  Try not to touch the batter too much because it's sticky and it will cling to you like nobody's business.


Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Make sure to leave room as they spread when baked.


8. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes.  The icing sugar coating should have cracks in it, the outside should be firm-ish and the inside should still be squidgy.


9. Leave to cool on a tray for 5 minutes, then consume with joy.