Dark Chocolate Crackles
by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Yields about 5 dozen cookies.
To learn more, read the article:
A Cookie for Every Occasion
11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 oz. (2/3 cup) natural, unsweetened cocoa, sifted if lumpy
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled until barely warm
3/4 cup (4 oz.) chopped chocolate (white, bittersweet, or semisweet)
1/3 cup granulated sugar; more as needed
Tip: For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to
use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.
Tip: These cookies are fragile when hot, so be sure to let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line three large cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, cocoa, orange zest, and vanilla on medium speed until well combined, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly between additions. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until almost completely blended, about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until blended, about 15 seconds.
Shape the dough into 1-1/4-inch balls with a small ice-cream scoop or two tablespoons.
Pour the granulated sugar into a shallow dish. Dip the top of each ball in the sugar and set the balls sugar side up about 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are puffed and cracked on top, 11 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Make Ahead Tips
The balls of dough may be frozen before baking for 1 month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.
nutrition information (per serving):
Size
:
per cookie;
Calories
(kcal):
110;
Fat
(g):
5;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
45;
Saturated Fat
(g):
3;
Protein
(g):
2;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
1.5;
Carbohydrates
(g):
16;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
0;
Sodium
(mg):
45;
Cholesterol
(mg):
20;
Fiber
(g):
1;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 89
, pp. 71
October 15, 2007
