Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Why you’ll love it

• Fudgy like a brownie with a crisp, sugary crackled top.
• No mixer needed: just two bowls and a whisk.
• Makes about 48 cookies for trays, gifts and cookie swaps.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cookie dough

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (85 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or canola oil
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For rolling

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar

Step-by-step method

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until no lumps of cocoa remain.

2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cups (400 g) sugar with the oil until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, until smooth and glossy.

3. Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be very soft and sticky, like a thick brownie batter.

4. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the dough is firm enough to roll.

5. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar and the powdered sugar in two separate small bowls.

6. Shape and coat. Scoop the cold dough into 1 tbsp portions (about 22 g each) and roll into balls. Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then generously in powdered sugar so it is completely white. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheets, about 16 per sheet, and keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator.

7. Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies have spread, the edges are set and the tops are cracked but still look slightly soft in the cracks.

8. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, using a cool baking sheet for each batch.

How to know it is done

The cookies are ready when they have puffed and spread, the edges look set and dry, and the tops show deep cracks with the white sugar coating pulled apart. The centers should still look a little soft and fudgy inside the cracks; they firm up as they cool. If you wait until the centers look completely dry, the cookies will be cakey and hard instead of fudgy.

Tips for the best result

• Do not skip the chilling time; warm dough is too sticky to roll and the cookies spread flat.
• Rolling in granulated sugar first helps the powdered sugar stay bright white and creates bigger crinkles.
• Be generous with the powdered sugar; a thin coating melts into the dough and the crinkles disappear.
• Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, or use a kitchen scale.
• Always bake on a cool baking sheet; a hot sheet starts melting the dough before it reaches the oven.

Variations and substitutions

• Peppermint crinkles: replace 1 tsp of the vanilla with 1 tsp peppermint extract.
• Mocha crinkles: whisk 2 tsp instant espresso powder into the dry ingredients.
• Orange chocolate: add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the wet ingredients.
• Extra chocolatey: fold 1/2 cup (85 g) mini chocolate chips into the dough before chilling.
• Dutch-process cocoa: you can use it instead of natural cocoa for a darker, milder cookie; the baking powder makes it work either way.

Make ahead

The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead; keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator and roll it straight from the cold. To freeze, roll the uncoated dough into balls, freeze them on a tray until firm and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the balls in the refrigerator for 1 hour, roll them in both sugars and bake as directed, adding about 1 minute if needed.

Storage and reheating

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Over time the powdered sugar may soak in a little; roll them lightly in powdered sugar again before serving if you like. Baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer container for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature. For a warm, just-baked feel, microwave a cookie for 8 to 10 seconds.