Chocolate Desserts
Is there anything better, dessert-wise, than chocolate? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how much you like chocolate. (I personally love it.)
That said, here are six yummy chocolate desserts, including Chocolate Mousse and Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART
This recipe came from Grancery Tavern and was adapted by Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Amanda wrote, "It is hard to believe in this day and age – when salted caramel ice cream is almost as ubiquitous as vanilla – that desserts in which salt plays a starring role was once a newfangled concept. This recipe, an adaptation of one attributed to the pastry chef Claudia Fleming, came to The Times in a 2000 article by Amanda Hesser about the development of that very trend, and it is a perfect example of how it's done right. Layers of silky caramel and dark chocolate ganache topped with a sprinkling of crunchy, snow-white fleur de sel make this an unforgettable combination of flavors and textures."
Yield: 10-inch tart (12 to 16 servings); Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This was featured in "There's a New Flavor in Town and It's . . . Salt; Dessert Traditions Go Over the Shoulder", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9360-chocolate-caramel-tart.
Ingredients
For the chocolate dough:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the caramel filling:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (available at specialty food markets)
Pinch of salt
For the chocolate glaze:
3-1/2 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate (70 to 85%), chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fleur de sel
Preparation
Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.
Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.
Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
I saw something similar to this a few years back and tweaked it a little. For anyone who is sure that he or she won't like tofu, this may be the game-changer.
Ingredients
1 10-12 ounce tub of silken tofu
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
2 - 3 tablespoons milk (you can use soy milk, if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Directions
Melt chocolate chips along with the milk over low to medium heat, stirring constantly.
Place silken tofu, melted chocolate chips, vanilla, and syrup into blender. Blend on a medium setting, pulsing if needed to combine.
Pour into 4 bowls or small cups, and let cool for 10 minutes or so.
Dig in! Yum!
DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL SORBET
This was in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Time (page 51). It begins, "You won’t find anything like this rich, decadent-tasting sorbet in the ice cream case at the grocery store! Dark chocolate and a caramelized sugar syrup base give it a creamy texture—without any cream or dairy."
While the website says that this makes one (1) serving, the magazine stated that it makes 1 quart.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-caramel-sorbet-recipe/..
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation
Place sugar in large saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until sugar has melted and caramelized to rich amber color, stirring occasionally.
Stir in lemon juice (mixture will boil violently for several minutes). Slowly add 2-1/2 cups boiling water, and stir until hardened caramel is dissolved. Stir in cocoa powder and salt, and bring mixture to just under a simmer. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then blend smooth with immersion blender. Transfer to covered container, and refrigerate overnight.
Pour sorbet base into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
SPICED MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "We know what you're thinking; cinnamon, chocolate and... cayenne in a cookie!? Yup! Our Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies are a decadent, dark chocolate cookie elevated with a perfect hum of heat. These ingredients are traditionally found in Mexican cuisine, and when combined in the form of a dessert, the result is out-of-this-world good! The flavor profile of our Mexican chocolate cookies is rich, warming and simply irresistible. Try adding our cayenne chocolate cookies to your seasonal cookie tray, or have fun experimenting with a truly exciting new recipe. Remember, no whisk, no reward!"
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Servings: 36
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons Demerara (raw) sugar
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and red pepper; set aside.
In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat; stir in granulated sugar. Pour into large bowl. Beat in eggs with spoon one at a time until blended. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.Shape dough into 36 (1-1/4 -inch) balls. Lightly butter hands if dough is sticky when shaping into balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of Demerara sugar over top of each cookie.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 20 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
tip 1
Demerara sugar is an amber-colored cane sugar whose crystals are slightly larger than regular granulated sugar. Sprinkled over the top of these Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies, it adds a nice crunch and a lovely appearance.
Tip 2
When it comes to spices, freshness counts. To get the most flavor, spices should be stored in sealed containers and kept in a cool, dark place. Ground spices over a year old have likely faded in potency and won’t give your baked goods all the flavor they deserve.
tip 3
Cayenne may seem like a strange ingredient for a cookie, but, in this case, it adds just enough heat to be interesting, without being overwhelming.
tip 4
For best results, bake your Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies on the middle oven rack. For even baking, it’s best to bake one sheet at a time.
DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this yummy cookie recipe, Dorie wrote, "Deeply chocolaty like devil’s food cake, speckled with sugar on the outsides and filled with soft chocolate or jam in the centers, these cookies are a double pleasure: delightful to eat and fun to make. While “thumbprints” is an adorable name, it’s a misnomer: You use every part of your hands to form these. The cookies need to be pinched, patted, rolled around and poked before they’re sent into the oven. It’s a great project to do with kids — small thumbs are perfect for forming little dimples in the dough. What you fill the centers with is up to you. Chocolate with chocolate is great — naturally pink ruby chocolate is particularly pretty — and jam is delicious, too."
Yield: About 40 cookies; Time: 45 minutes, pus chilling
This was featured in "Mistakes Happen. In the Kitchen, That Can Be the Best Thing." (which was Dorie's final column for the Times), and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023005-double-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies.
By the way, I have to add this note: Dorie, you'll be missed! Thanks for all the yummy recipes over the past few years!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cold large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sanding or granulated sugar, for coating (about 1/3 cup)
For the Filling:
4 ounces chocolate (white, milk, dark or ruby), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon canola oil (optional)
Directions
Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Place a heatproof medium bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water; don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Drop in the chunks of butter and scatter over the chocolate. Heat, stirring now and then, until the butter and chocolate are melted, but not so hot that they separate, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the sugar. (Don’t be alarmed when the mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth, and the whisk leaves tracks. Beat in the vanilla, then switch to a spatula and add the flour in 3 additions, stirring gently between each addition, until the flour disappears into the dough. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the sanding or granulated sugar in a small bowl and, if you’ve got one, have a cork from a wine bottle at hand.
Using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop mounds of dough, each a scant tablespoon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the baking sheets, giving them 1-1/2 inches or so of space to spread. Press the cork into the center of each cookie or use your thumb to make an indentation.
Bake 1 sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firmish. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack. The indentations will have puffed in the oven, so you’ll want to press them down again. Repeat with the second sheet. Let cookies cool completely.
Fill the prints: Melt milk, dark or ruby chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using white chocolate, add oil before melting and stir until smooth. While the chocolate is still warm and fluid, use a small spoon to fill each indentation to the brim, letting the chocolate fall from the end of the spoon. Slide the cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The cookies will keep for about 5 days in a covered container at room temperature.
CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "The “crinkle” in this recipe’s name comes from their distinctive crackle-top. The look is achieved through the transformation of sugar-coated dough balls into distinctively textured cookies. Not only are chocolate crinkle cookies beautiful to look at, they’re the perfect combination of chocolatey taste and chewy texture."
Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes; Servings: 72
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions
In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
tip 1
When baking batches of cookies, use completely cooled cookie sheets. Cookies will spread too much if put on a hot or warm cookie sheet.
tip 2
What is baking chocolate? In its most traditional form it’s unsweetened, made from 100% chocolate liquor—which is processed and ground cocoa beans. It’s used in recipes that have enough sweeteners to balance its bitterness, serving up a deeply satisfying chocolate flavor.
tip 3
Because this dough is a dark, use your fingertip to check for doneness—err on the side of removing them from the oven a tad early rather than risk overbaking them.
Tip 4
Use baking parchment to line your baking sheets (instead of shortening or cooking spray) to make removing the warm cookies a breeze. You can reuse the sheets multiple times before recycling or composting them.
That said, here are six yummy chocolate desserts, including Chocolate Mousse and Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART
This recipe came from Grancery Tavern and was adapted by Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Amanda wrote, "It is hard to believe in this day and age – when salted caramel ice cream is almost as ubiquitous as vanilla – that desserts in which salt plays a starring role was once a newfangled concept. This recipe, an adaptation of one attributed to the pastry chef Claudia Fleming, came to The Times in a 2000 article by Amanda Hesser about the development of that very trend, and it is a perfect example of how it's done right. Layers of silky caramel and dark chocolate ganache topped with a sprinkling of crunchy, snow-white fleur de sel make this an unforgettable combination of flavors and textures."
Yield: 10-inch tart (12 to 16 servings); Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This was featured in "There's a New Flavor in Town and It's . . . Salt; Dessert Traditions Go Over the Shoulder", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9360-chocolate-caramel-tart.
Ingredients
For the chocolate dough:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the caramel filling:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (available at specialty food markets)
Pinch of salt
For the chocolate glaze:
3-1/2 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate (70 to 85%), chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fleur de sel
Preparation
Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.
Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.
Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
I saw something similar to this a few years back and tweaked it a little. For anyone who is sure that he or she won't like tofu, this may be the game-changer.
Ingredients
1 10-12 ounce tub of silken tofu
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
2 - 3 tablespoons milk (you can use soy milk, if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Directions
Melt chocolate chips along with the milk over low to medium heat, stirring constantly.
Place silken tofu, melted chocolate chips, vanilla, and syrup into blender. Blend on a medium setting, pulsing if needed to combine.
Pour into 4 bowls or small cups, and let cool for 10 minutes or so.
Dig in! Yum!
DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL SORBET
This was in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Time (page 51). It begins, "You won’t find anything like this rich, decadent-tasting sorbet in the ice cream case at the grocery store! Dark chocolate and a caramelized sugar syrup base give it a creamy texture—without any cream or dairy."
While the website says that this makes one (1) serving, the magazine stated that it makes 1 quart.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-caramel-sorbet-recipe/..
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation
Place sugar in large saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until sugar has melted and caramelized to rich amber color, stirring occasionally.
Stir in lemon juice (mixture will boil violently for several minutes). Slowly add 2-1/2 cups boiling water, and stir until hardened caramel is dissolved. Stir in cocoa powder and salt, and bring mixture to just under a simmer. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then blend smooth with immersion blender. Transfer to covered container, and refrigerate overnight.
Pour sorbet base into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
SPICED MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "We know what you're thinking; cinnamon, chocolate and... cayenne in a cookie!? Yup! Our Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies are a decadent, dark chocolate cookie elevated with a perfect hum of heat. These ingredients are traditionally found in Mexican cuisine, and when combined in the form of a dessert, the result is out-of-this-world good! The flavor profile of our Mexican chocolate cookies is rich, warming and simply irresistible. Try adding our cayenne chocolate cookies to your seasonal cookie tray, or have fun experimenting with a truly exciting new recipe. Remember, no whisk, no reward!"
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Servings: 36
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons Demerara (raw) sugar
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and red pepper; set aside.
In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat; stir in granulated sugar. Pour into large bowl. Beat in eggs with spoon one at a time until blended. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.Shape dough into 36 (1-1/4 -inch) balls. Lightly butter hands if dough is sticky when shaping into balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of Demerara sugar over top of each cookie.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 20 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
tip 1
Demerara sugar is an amber-colored cane sugar whose crystals are slightly larger than regular granulated sugar. Sprinkled over the top of these Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies, it adds a nice crunch and a lovely appearance.
Tip 2
When it comes to spices, freshness counts. To get the most flavor, spices should be stored in sealed containers and kept in a cool, dark place. Ground spices over a year old have likely faded in potency and won’t give your baked goods all the flavor they deserve.
tip 3
Cayenne may seem like a strange ingredient for a cookie, but, in this case, it adds just enough heat to be interesting, without being overwhelming.
tip 4
For best results, bake your Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies on the middle oven rack. For even baking, it’s best to bake one sheet at a time.
DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this yummy cookie recipe, Dorie wrote, "Deeply chocolaty like devil’s food cake, speckled with sugar on the outsides and filled with soft chocolate or jam in the centers, these cookies are a double pleasure: delightful to eat and fun to make. While “thumbprints” is an adorable name, it’s a misnomer: You use every part of your hands to form these. The cookies need to be pinched, patted, rolled around and poked before they’re sent into the oven. It’s a great project to do with kids — small thumbs are perfect for forming little dimples in the dough. What you fill the centers with is up to you. Chocolate with chocolate is great — naturally pink ruby chocolate is particularly pretty — and jam is delicious, too."
Yield: About 40 cookies; Time: 45 minutes, pus chilling
This was featured in "Mistakes Happen. In the Kitchen, That Can Be the Best Thing." (which was Dorie's final column for the Times), and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023005-double-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies.
By the way, I have to add this note: Dorie, you'll be missed! Thanks for all the yummy recipes over the past few years!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cold large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sanding or granulated sugar, for coating (about 1/3 cup)
For the Filling:
4 ounces chocolate (white, milk, dark or ruby), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon canola oil (optional)
Directions
Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Place a heatproof medium bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water; don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Drop in the chunks of butter and scatter over the chocolate. Heat, stirring now and then, until the butter and chocolate are melted, but not so hot that they separate, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the sugar. (Don’t be alarmed when the mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth, and the whisk leaves tracks. Beat in the vanilla, then switch to a spatula and add the flour in 3 additions, stirring gently between each addition, until the flour disappears into the dough. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the sanding or granulated sugar in a small bowl and, if you’ve got one, have a cork from a wine bottle at hand.
Using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop mounds of dough, each a scant tablespoon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the baking sheets, giving them 1-1/2 inches or so of space to spread. Press the cork into the center of each cookie or use your thumb to make an indentation.
Bake 1 sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firmish. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack. The indentations will have puffed in the oven, so you’ll want to press them down again. Repeat with the second sheet. Let cookies cool completely.
Fill the prints: Melt milk, dark or ruby chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using white chocolate, add oil before melting and stir until smooth. While the chocolate is still warm and fluid, use a small spoon to fill each indentation to the brim, letting the chocolate fall from the end of the spoon. Slide the cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The cookies will keep for about 5 days in a covered container at room temperature.
CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "The “crinkle” in this recipe’s name comes from their distinctive crackle-top. The look is achieved through the transformation of sugar-coated dough balls into distinctively textured cookies. Not only are chocolate crinkle cookies beautiful to look at, they’re the perfect combination of chocolatey taste and chewy texture."
Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes; Servings: 72
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions
In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
tip 1
When baking batches of cookies, use completely cooled cookie sheets. Cookies will spread too much if put on a hot or warm cookie sheet.
tip 2
What is baking chocolate? In its most traditional form it’s unsweetened, made from 100% chocolate liquor—which is processed and ground cocoa beans. It’s used in recipes that have enough sweeteners to balance its bitterness, serving up a deeply satisfying chocolate flavor.
tip 3
Because this dough is a dark, use your fingertip to check for doneness—err on the side of removing them from the oven a tad early rather than risk overbaking them.
Tip 4
Use baking parchment to line your baking sheets (instead of shortening or cooking spray) to make removing the warm cookies a breeze. You can reuse the sheets multiple times before recycling or composting them.
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