Chocolate Peanut Crinkles
This is only the second time I’ve eaten a chocolate crinkle, and I LOVE them! These soft, fudgy, chewy cookies with white, cracked confectioners’ sugar resemble the ordinary chocolate crinkle cookies you see at Christmas time, but the similarity stops there. The difference in these is the gentle crunch you taste from the crushed peanuts before the cookies seem to melt on your tongue like a soft chocolate ganache. Feel free to use any type of nuts you have on hand – hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, or almonds would work just as well in this recipe.
This Chocolate Peanut Crinkle cookie recipe comes from Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark’s cookbook, “The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion”. Bill Yosses is the Executive Pastry Chef at the White House. Enjoy!!!
PS- I must give credit to my mom and sister for making the dough of these cookies. I was out shopping in Dallas for the afternoon while they were back at home baking! However I was home in time to help roll and bake the chocolate peanut crinkles!
In a food processor, finely chop the nuts with the granulated sugar.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
Cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, until incorporated.
Beat in the melted chocolate, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides before beating again.
Mix in the milk and vanilla.
Mix in the flour mixture in three additions.
Fold in the nuts.
Form the dough in a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Measure out powdered sugar/confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl.
Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Coat generously with powdered sugar and transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until cracked, but not completely firm.
Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve the crinkles with a cold glass of milk. Enjoy!!
Chocolate Peanut Crinkles
Ingredients
2/3 cup toasted, skinned unsalted peanuts
2 tbsp granulated sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 60 to 66% cacao content), chopped (about 1 cup)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups light brown brown sugar
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for the pan
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, finely chop the nuts with the granulated sugar. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over (not in) in a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the melted chocolate, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides before beating again. Mix in the milk and vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture in three additions. Fold in the nuts.
3. Form the dough into a ball and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 3 hours or overnight.
4. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 11 x 17-inch baking sheets with the unsalted butter. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Coat generously with sugar and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and sugar.
5. Bake the cookies, turning the baking sheets from back to front and switching them between the top rack and the bottom halfway through, until cracked but not completely firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet so they can firm up a bit, about 2 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Yield: 3 dozen (1 3/4-inch) cookies