Chocolate Crinkles

Today, I baked the Chocolate Crinkles that were featured in the Sunday Times recently. These cookies are also called Black and Whites, a fudge like chocolate cookie that is encased in a coating of confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar.

I forgot to coat mine with icing sugar, so it ended up as cracked little mounts of chocolate cookie. But nonetheless, it tastes so good. I used the best ingredients I have. Valrhona dark chocolate, Valrhona cocoa powder and madagascar vanilla essence. Its so chocolatey that after just one cookie, I could almost feel a sorethroat coming. :-(


These are my crinkles.

Apologies for a ill-focused picture.

The real crinkles are meant to look like this. Taken from Joy of Baking.

Look so much more lovely, doesn't it. I still have some dough in the fridge. Will try to coat the second batch tomorrow.

The recipe is adapted from Field Guide to Cookies by Anita Chu.
Make about 20-22 cookies (I made about 22, with leftover dough for about another 8 cookies)

Ingredients

170g dark chocolate
85g butter
1 Tbs brandy (optional)
185g plain flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking power
115g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt

Method
1. Melt chocolate, butter and brandy together bain marie or using the microwave. Stir well and set aside to cool.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and smooth using a mixer. Add vanilla and the melted chocolate. Mix until combined. Add the flour and cocoa mixture and the salt. Mix until well combined.
4. Scoop the dough out into a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170 degree C. Take the dough out of the fridge and let soften for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. (I did not wait 20 minutes, only 5).
6. Line cookie sheet with baking parchment. Scoop out generous tablespoonfuls of dough, roll into balls and place on the cookie sheet about 3cm apart. The balls should be about the size of an unshelled walnut. Place the unused dough back in the fridge.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are cracked. Remove from oven, let cookie cool for about five minutes then transfer them to metal rack to cool completely.
8. Store cookies in air tight container.

Update:

Tried coating with icing sugar. Need to do it really fast as the icing melts easily coz the dough is wet.