Christmas Crinkle Cookies

A perfect blend of chewy and chocolatey.

Makes 48 small cookies
1 hour 45 minutes
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

Cookie dough

  • Butter, softened, ideally around 60°F
    113 g1 stick
  • Sugar
    400 g
  • Eggs
    3 whole eggs
  • Vanilla Extract
    6 g
  • Unsweetened Chocolate, 100% cacao
    113 g1 4oz bar
  • Flour
    275 g
  • Baking Powder
    8 g
  • Salt
    3 g
  • Powdered Sugar
    ~60 g

Method

Step 1: Cream the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with a whisk or hand mixer until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk thoroughly for 2-3 minutes or until well combined.

Step 2: Melt & add the chocolate

Melt the chocolate completely using your preferred method.

  • You can gently microwave it in a heat-proof vessel, stirring every 30 seconds, or use a double boiler on the stove.

  • Take care not to burn your chocolate. You just need it melted through.

Scrape the melted chocolate into the bowl with a spatula then mix it thoroughly into the batter.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the bowl. Mix well with a spatula until the dough is cohesive.

Place a cover on the dough and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

  • The dough can keep in the fridge for several days.

Step 4: Portion & prep the cookies

When you are almost ready to , take the cookies out of the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C.

Sift the powdered confectioner's sugar into a bowl or baking dish, and set to the side.

Using a scoop, portion the dough into 20-gram pieces, which will make about 4 dozen cookies. Feel free to make them larger 40-gram cookies instead, which will yield 2 dozen.

  • Note: In my tests, I found the ideal temperature of the dough for rolling is 50°F/10°C. If it is too cold, leave it on the counter for a bit before rolling.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then toss each in the sifted confectioner's sugar until fully coated (no bare spots).

Place the rolled, dusted cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Step 5: Bake

Slide the cookies into the 350°F/176°C oven and for 10 minutes.

The tops of cookies will crack or crinkle as they flatten.

After 10 minutes, check the temperature of a cookie with a thermometer, which should be between 175-185°F/79-87°C. They might need a few extra minutes to get there. When the cookies have reached this internal temperature, pull them out of the oven.

  • They will be soft and gooey at this stage. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet so they firm up.

Step 6: Store & enjoy

While these can be enjoyed right away, they get better as they rest for a day or two, and keep well in an airtight container for at least a week.

  • For a bonus treat, try making an ice cream cookie sandwich with mint chocolate chip ice cream!

“The Christmas crinkle is my favorite Christmas cookie. Why? They store well, look great, and remind me of my family. ”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

entire recipe
Calories4386
705g
166g
64g

Show macros split into…

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Recommended: 48 servings

FAQ

What is unsweetened chocolate? Do you mean dark chocolate?

This recipe calls specifically for an unsweetened chocolate bar, which you'll find in the baking aisle (sometimes referred to as "baker's chocolate"). Look for 100% cacao on the package. Bars usually come in 113-gram (4 oz) packages. If you can't find it, use the darkest chocolate you can find, and use slightly less sugar. In a pinch, you could also substitute the chocolate entirely for a 1:1 blend of cocoa powder and neutral oil (~55g of each), since chocolate bars are usually around 50% cocoa fat.

Is powdered sugar the same as confectioner's sugar?

Usually! The confectioner's sugar has some starch mixed into it, which will help the white crinkle pattern not melt completely into the surface of this cookie. Most powdered sugars sold commercially are confectioner's style sugar, which is what you want to get the visual effect of this cookie.