Sunday Dessert: Double Chocolate Crackle Cookies

I was in the mood for something chocolatey this afternoon and decided on some cookies. I found this recipe online sometime last year and saved it, but hadn't yet tested it out. I can't remember where I found it now, but I made a few adjustments (as I'm wont to do) to make it mine.

Double Chocolate Crackle Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if desired) in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl. Add the sugars and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, and mix until a soft dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix to incorporate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and set aside. Keeping dough well chilled, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar to coat generously -- do not shake off excess sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking pans. Bake until cookies have puffed and cracked and are slightly firm to the touch -- 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Makes two dozen.

One tray rolled in sugar, about to go in the oven:

I made the note above about the cinnamon being an optional touch. That was my own personal addition today. I love adding cinnamon to chocolate - it adds a unique flavour and also enhances the chocolate. Coffee is my other favourite ingredient to add to chocolate. Really, these cookies could be flavoured with anything - you could add an extract (peppermint, almond) or a liqueur of your choice (Kahlua, Grand Marnier). Or if you're a purist and you like your chocolate plain and simple, then don't add any fancy extras.

The finished product:

They were SO good. There aren't words to accurately describe how amazing these cookies tasted, especially fresh out of the oven when the chocolate chips were still melted inside. Might just be my new favourite cookie. It will be difficult to usurp my favourite cookie of all-time, however (to come in a later post).

Lastly are my beats for these cookies. I cranked up some Black Keys while concocting these beauties. I'm in love with all the singles off El Camino, but figured I'd post a different, lesser-known track off the album. Although they're all strong offerings, I'm going with Dead and Gone today because it made me bounce up and down in the kitchen while mixing the dough!