Amaretti cookies are one of my favourite easy recipes to use those leftover egg whites after making a batch of lemon curd or lemon bars. These Italian almond cookies store well in an airtight container and they are gluten-free!

Ingredients

Besides egg whites, you only need a few pantry staples to make these gluten-free cookies. Here's what you need:

• sugar—you will need both granulated sugar and icing sugar (powdered sugar) for this recipe. The granulated sugar is used in the dough, mixed with the egg whites to make a meringue and the dry ingredients, and also as a coating before the icing sugar
• egg whites—please weigh your egg whites to make sure you have the right amount. This recipe requires approximately 4 egg whites but going by weight is more accurate and will lead to more consistent results
• salt—I use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount to avoid making the cookies too salty
• almond extract—use pure almond extract, not artificial. It's usually available in grocery stores with the other extracts. While not essential, the almond extract really brings out that strong almond flavour and aroma that we expect from amaretti cookies
• orange zest—I used the zest of one Navel orange, which yields roughly 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of zest. Feel free to use more or less.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Instructions

Italian almond cookies are very easy to make, but it's best to whip the egg whites in a stand mixer to get the best texture.

Step 1—Combine the ground almonds with 100 grams (½ cup) of sugar and the zest of 1 orange with a Danish dough whisk (image 1). Whisk until evenly mixed (image 2).

Step 2—In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and salt (image 3). Whisk until frothy, then gradually add 50 grams (¼ cup) of sugar and whip until firm peaks form (image 4). Fold in the ground almond mixture, one-third at a time (image 5) being sure to fully incorporate it before folding in another portion of the dry ingredients (image 6).

Tip: adding salt to the egg whites helps to break up the globular proteins, allowing you to whip them up faster and create more volume more easily.

Step 3—The almond cookie dough will be thick like almond paste (image 7). Use a ¾ ounce scoop to portion out the dough in 24 equal scoops of approximately 22 grams (image 8). I like to portion out all the dough, rolling each scoop into smooth ball (image 9).

Step 3—Place the granulated sugar and icing sugar in separate shallow bowls and start by coating all the balls of dough in granulated sugar to coat (image 10) before coating them in icing sugar (image 11). Coat all the dough in icing sugar (image 12).

Step 3—Place 12 icing sugar-coated portions of dough on each parchment paper-lined sheet pan, staggering them and pressing down each mound slightly to flatten them out (if desired) (image 13). Bake until cracked and set (image 14).

Amaretti Cookie Baking Tips

I tested the recipe without any sugar coating, comparing it to cookies rolled in just granulated sugar, just icing sugar, or rolling first in granulated then icing sugar to show the difference.

Rolling the portioned-out amaretti cookie dough in granulated sugar, followed by icing sugar, is non-negotiable because it creates the most perfect cracked finish and the longest-lasting coating. If you don't roll in any sugar, the cookies don't crack and the surface looks a little more rough. Icing sugar alone is prone to becoming greasy as it absorbs the oils from the almonds. For best results, roll the dough first in granulated sugar, then icing sugar for perfectly cracked amaretti cookies and crinkle cookies.

Whether or not you decide to press the cookies before baking to flatten them out slightly is entirely up to you and the results are very similar, though the shape is different (round versus thick/flat).

Storage

When amaretti cookies are fresh, the day they are baked, they have a crispy exterior and a soft interior. As they sit in an airtight container, the texture will become more soft and chewy, and even throughout, like amaretti morbidi. These can be stored for weeks in a container and improve with age.

Other Crinkle Cookies

I am obsessed with crinkle cookies and the deep cracks that form on the surface. They have such a unique texture! Here are a few more crinkle cookie recipes to try:

If you tried this recipe for orange almond amaretti cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Orange Almond Amaretti Cookies

Learn how to make the best orange amaretti cookies with this easy recipe. These gluten-free Italian almond cookies are made with egg whites and ground almonds, and flavoured with lots of orange zest and almond extract for a soft and chewy texture that everybody loves!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Total Time 47 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 109kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• Danish dough whisk
• 6-quart KitchenAid Pro mixer
• ¾ oz scoop
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 300 grams ground almonds
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 10 mL finely grated orange zest equivalent to the zest of one Navel orange
• 105 grams large egg white(s) room temperature
• 0.625 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 10 mL pure almond extract

For coating

• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 30 grams icing sugar

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, sugar, and orange zest until they are well mixed. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until very frothy, then gradually sprinkle in the sugar, a little at a time. Continue whipping until you form a meringue with fairly firm peaks.
• Sprinkle one-third of the ground almond mixture on the meringue and fold it in with a spatula. Repeat with half of the remaining almond mixture, folding it in, then folding in the remainder. You will have a thick almond paste dough that is a little sticky.
• Place the granulated sugar for coating in a shallow bowl, and the icing sugar in a separate shallow bowl.
• Portion out the dough into 24 scoops of approximately 22 grams each (0.77 oz). Roll each into a smooth. ball.
• Roll each ball of almond cookie dough in the granulated sugar to lightly coat it all around, then roll in icing sugar to coat.
• Place 12 cookies per sheet pan.
• Bake the cookies, one sheet pan at a time, until the surface is cracked and set and the bottom begins to brown. This takes approximately 17 minutes in my oven.
• Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

• Use room-temperature egg whites so that they whip up more easily.
• You can make this recipe with any finely ground nuts, like almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts, or a combination of them.
• You can flavour this cookie with orange zest or lemon zest.
• I like to use a ¾ ounce scoop to portion out the dough.
• Please note that I bake with uncoated aluminum sheet pans that are light in colour. If you are baking this recipe with darker bakeware, you may have to drop the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) to prevent your baked goods from browning too quickly.
• Freshly baked amaretti will have a crunchy exterior and softer interior initially. Then after storage, the textures will become more soft and chewy throughout.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
•  

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post Orange Almond Amaretti Cookies appeared first on The Bake School.

I have been searching for the perfect molasses cookie for a long time. I was looking for a cookie that was chewy and not too soft. Most importantly, I wanted it to have that crackled finish. I think this is pretty darn close to what I had in mind.

Molasses cookies are quite different than ginger cookies. They get most of their sweetness and depth of flavour from molasses, instead of granulated or brown sugar. Molasses cookies, in the most classic sense, are not flavoured with warm spices, like ginger or cinnamon, though some recipes do feature it.

Molasses cookies tend to have a cracked or crinkled appearance on the surface of the cookies, so they may be called molasses crinkles or molasses crackle cookies.

What Molasses Cookies Are Made Of

If you want to make thick and chewy molasses sugar cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

• butter, preferably unsalted butter because you will add salt to the dough, but if you have salted it, it will work. Just adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly, otherwise, your cookies may be too salty
• light brown sugar, which adds to the molasses flavour and also helps make a slightly thicker cookie that has a chewy texture
• molasses, specifically Fancy molasses or baking molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses, which may be too bitter for this recipe
• large eggs—don't use smaller eggs because your cookie dough may be too dry, leading to cookies that don't spread at all in the oven, and don't use extra large eggs which might make the dough too wet and loose causing the cookies to puff and spread too much
• all-purpose flour is needed to bind all the ingredients together and give the cookies structure, contributing to the chewiness of the cookies as well. If you don't use enough flour, your cookies may spread too much as they bake
• baking soda is a base (alkaline) and contributes to that signature cracked finish that we expect of the best ginger cookies. You need baking soda for the cookies to spread properly and to crack. Do not use baking powder. Read up on baking soda vs baking powder if you are unsure
• salt is really important to balance out the sweet molasses flavour. Please don't skip it. I like to use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt, but table salt will work, though the cookies will be saltier and you may want to halve the salt in that case.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Note that we are not baking with ground ginger or cinnamon, or adding any warm spices to the dough. This cookie is all about the flavour of molasses and by eliminating the typical spices that we use in gingerbread cookie cut-outs and crystallized ginger cookies, we are giving the chance for the molasses to shine through.

Substitutions and Variations

• Molasses—use fancy molasses (which you can find on Amazon), which is sometimes called baking molasses or original molasses in the US (available on Amazon) or black treacle, which I used in these soft gingerbread cookies. You can also order black treacle on Amazon. Both are by-products from the sugar refinement process in the transformation of sugar cane). Mild molasses also works.
• Brown sugar—I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar also works
• Sugar coating—I love to roll the scoops of cookie dough in turbinado sugar, a coarse crunchy non-melting sugar, but you can also roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar or even icing sugar or both (like for chocolate crinkle cookies and lemon ricotta cookies)

Note: Do not use blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is very dark and has a more bitter taste, whereas Fancy molasses has a milder taste that is more suited for regular homemade cookies and Christmas cookies.

How To Make Molasses Sugar Cookies

Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl of your stand mixer after each step to ensure all the ingredients are properly mixed. Otherwise, you will end up with textural defects in your cookies that may show up on the surface of them (like crystallized or shiny patches).

Step 1—Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (image 1) and mix them until creamy and smooth before adding the molasses (image 2) followed by the egg (image 3).

Step 2—Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (image 4) and then add them to the mixer (image 5). Stir until you form a thick, sticky dough (image 6). I like to transfer the dough to a smaller bowl or container to chill until firm (image 7)

Step 3—Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (image 8) and then roll each scoop in turbinado sugar to coat it all around (image 9). I like to do all the scooping at once and then all the rolling in sugar at once so that my scoops are ready to bake (image 10).

Step 4—Stagger the cookies on a baking sheet, six per half-sheet pan (image 11) and bake until set and cracked (image 12).

Baking Tips For Thick Chewy Molasses Cookies

To achieve the perfect thick and chewy molasses cookie with a cracked surface:

• chill the cookie dough properly so that the edges will set before the baking soda reacts, which will lead to cracking when the leavening kicks in. Insufficient chilling may lead to thinner cookies
• use the correct type and amount of chemical leavener: in this recipe, we use baking soda, not baking powder, and we use a lot of it to achieve the right flavour, browning, and cracked finish
• roll the cookies in turbinado sugar, which adds a coarse crunch to the outside of the cookie and a little sparkle.

You could also opt to roll in granulated sugar, like for the classic ginger cookies, or icing sugar. You need to make sure to really coat the scoops of cookie dough thickly with sugar to achieve an even crackle finish.

If you want a thicker powdery white crinkle on the outside, you can roll the balls of dough into granulated sugar first before coating them in icing sugar (powdered sugar). The granulated sugar will help absorb the moisture on the surface of the cookies, drying them out and helping the cookies crack in the oven when they are baked. Really coat the cookies generously in a lot of powdered sugar so that they are well covered in a thick layer of icing sugar.

Other Baking Recipes With Molasses

If you love the taste of molasses, here are a few other recipes to try:

• ginger cookies with white chocolate
• moist gingerbread cake topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and lemon curd
• gingerbread muffins with cranberries

If you tried this recipe for the best molasses sugar cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Molasses Sugar Cookies

These sparkly molasses sugar cookies have a bold molasses flavour and a great chewy texture. These cookies are thick with a crunchy exterior because the scoops of cookie dough are coated in turbinado sugar before baking.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Chill time 1 hour hour

Total Time 26 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 189kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 1-⅓oz scoop
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 115 grams unsalted butter softened
• 100 grams light brown sugar
• 225 grams Fancy molasses
• 1 large egg(s)
• 345 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 5 mL baking soda
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 150 grams turbinado sugar

Metric - US

Instructions

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the molasses, then beat in the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add half this dry mixture to the mixer bowl and stir it in on low, then mix in the rest.
• The dough is soft so cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (175 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Roll 40 grams of dough into round balls, then roll them in the turbinado to coat them on all sides. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for about 11 minutes or so, the edges will be firm. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

• Variations:
  • Molasses—use fancy molasses (which you can find on Amazon), which is sometimes called baking molasses or original molasses in the US (available on Amazon) or black treacle, which I used in these soft gingerbread cookies. You can also order black treacle on Amazon. Both are by-products from the sugar refinement process in the transformation of sugar cane). Mild molasses also works.
  • Brown sugar—I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar also works
  • Sugar coating—I love to roll the scoops of cookie dough in turbinado sugar, a coarse crunchy non-melting sugar, but you can also roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar or even icing sugar or both (like for chocolate crinkle cookies and lemon ricotta cookies) 
  • Salt—I bake with Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount or the cookies may be too salty.
• Please note that I bake with uncoated aluminum sheet pans that are light in colour. If you are baking this recipe with darker bakeware, you may have to drop the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) to prevent your baked goods from browning too quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Molasses Sugar Cookies appeared first on The Bake School.

These crinkle cookies are super chocolaty and not too sweet, even with all that powdered sugar. The texture is amazing, fudge-y but light, and the chopped walnuts add a little bit of a soft crunch to them (just like for brownies).

These cookies are easy to make and you can make the dough a few days ahead of time before rolling and baking them.

What You Need to Make Chocolate Crackle Cookies

• butter—I bake with unsalted butter. If using salted butter, please adjust the amount of salt to avoid the cookies being too salty
• sugars—you will need both granulated sugar and icing sugar (also called powdered sugar)
• eggs—I bake with large eggs. Avoid using smaller or larger eggs as this may affect the texture and spread of the cookies
• salt—I bake with Diamond Crystal Fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, please add half the amount or the cookies may be too salty
• flour—I used bleached all-purpose flour though unbleached will work fine
• cocoa powder—I always bake with Dutch-processed cocoa powder. For this recipe, I used Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa powder, which has a reddish tint
• chocolate—use a dark chocolate that is not too sweet and with a high percent of cocoa solids (around 70 %). Do not use chocolate chips as they don't melt well and they may make the cookies too sweet
• leavening—the leavening is crucial in this recipe and you will need baking powder. The cracking effect of these cookies comes from the surface drying as they bake before the leavening starts to act.
• nuts—I love brownies with walnuts and so added chopped walnuts to the chocolate cookie dough. Do not skip the nuts because the cookies may spread more without them.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Sugars—you can roll the scoops of cookie dough in granulated sugar, then icing sugar, or you can skip the granulated sugar and simply roll in powdered sugar. The crinkle cookies rolled in both granulated and icing sugar have a more consistent look and they are more stable upon storage. The surface of crackle cookies rolled in straight icing sugar may absorb or dissolve the icing sugar in places, creating an uneven and less attractive finish
• Nuts—I love to add walnuts to brownies and so these crinkle cookies are made with chopped toasted walnuts. You can replace them with chopped almonds or pistachios. Note that if you want to omit the nuts, the cookies may spread more.
• Cocoa powder—please use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a higher pH than "natural" cocoa. If you use natural cocoa powder, this will affect the leavening, causing the baking powder to react prematurely, which may affect the spread and rise of the cookies when they bake.

How to Make Perfect Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Step 1—Start by melting the dark chocolate over a pan of simmering water (image 1) until smooth and glossy (image 2). While the chocolate melts you can chop the walnuts fairly finely (image 3) and sift the dry ingredients together (image 4) so that they are well mixed. Set all these ingredients aside for later.

Step 2—In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar (image 5) and mix until light and fluffy before adding the eggs and vanilla (image 6), then add the cooled melted chocolate (image 7).

Note: the cookie dough may seem curdled after the eggs go in (especially if you kitchen is cool (or too hot!) but once you add the melted chocolate the cookie dough will become smooth and glossy (image 8).

Step 3—Mix the cookie dough well after incorporating the melted chocolate to ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed (image 8). Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl too! Then alternate adding the dry ingredients (image 9) and the milk (image 10), beginning and ending with dry ingredients, then add the chopped walnuts (image 11).

Step 4—Mix the dough until evenly mixed but it will be quite soft and sticky (image 12). Transfer the chocolate cookie dough to a bowl or container to chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight) (image 13).

Step 5—Scoop all the chilled cookie dough using a ¾ ounce disher (image 14). Roll the scoops between the palms of your hand until smooth (image 15) Then coat each scoop in granulated sugar (image 16) before coating with a thick layer of icing sugar (image 17).

Step 6— Place approximately 8 sugar-coated chocolate crinkle cookies on a half-sheet pan, spacing them out (image 18) and bake until cracked and set on the outside (image 19).

Tips for Perfect Crinkle Cookies

To achieve the perfect crackle finish where the icing sugar is cracked, you need to make sure to really coat the scoops of cookie dough thickly with powdered sugar. But even then, the icing sugar coating gets absorbed on the surface of the cookie, leading to an uneven and not very attractive looking effect.

If you find your powdery white finish on the outside isn't looking great, next time, you can roll the balls of cookie dough in granulated sugar first before coating them in icing sugar (powdered sugar). The granulated sugar will help absorb the moisture on the surface of the cookies, drying them out and helping the cookies crack in the oven when they are baked.

Make sure to coat the cookies generously in a lot of powdered sugar so that they are well covered in a thick layer of icing sugar.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie FAQs

Other Crinkle Cookie Recipes

If you like crinkle cookies, be sure to check out these lemon ricotta cookies and these chewy molasses cookies (not technically a crinkle cookie but they crack perfectly as they cool). These chocolate sugar cookies also have a lovely cracked finish to them and don't involve the thick powdered sugar coating.

If you tried this recipe for the best chocolate crinkle cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Chocolate crackle cookies, also called crinkle cookies, are very easy to make. They have a rich chocolate flavour, a soft and chewy brownie-like texture, and a powdered sugar exterior that cracks in the oven.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Chill time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 31 minutes minutes

Servings 60

Calories 77kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer
• ¾ oz scoop
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 220 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) roughly chopped
• 160 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
• 10 mL baking powder
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 115 grams unsalted butter room temperature
• 200 grams light brown sugar
• 2 large egg(s) room temperature
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 80 mL whole milk (3.25 % fat) room temperature
• 80 grams chopped walnuts
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 125 grams icing sugar you might need more depending on how thick you coat the cookies before baking

Metric - US

Instructions

• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a double-boiler. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside for later.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the brown sugar until the mixture has lightened slightly.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla, and beat the mixture again. Now add the melted chocolate, mixing well.
• With the mixer on low, add the flour, alternating with the milk. When all the ingredients are well blended, add the walnuts.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for a couple of hours, if not overnight.
• Form the dough into 1 inch balls, and refrigerate the dough again so that it is nice and firm.
• When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll the balls of cookie dough in granulated sugar, then complely coat in powdered sugar. Press the scoops in the icing sugar to generously coat them. Place them on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart (8 cookies per half sheet pan).
• Bake the cookies for 11–13 minutes, or until the cookies have crackled on top (and not just on the sides).
• Let cool a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to a rack.

Notes

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Dark chocolate—I used Cacao Barry Ocoa 70 % dark chocolate. Please use a chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa that is not too sweet
• Nuts—I love to add walnuts to brownies and so these crinkle cookies are made with chopped toasted walnuts. You can replace them with chopped almonds or pistachios. Note that if you want to omit the nuts, the cookies may spread more.
• Cocoa powder—please use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a higher pH than "natural" cocoa. If you use natural cocoa powder, this will affect the leavening, causing the baking powder to react prematurely, which may affect the spread and rise of the cookies when they bake.
• Make sure to roll the balls of cookie dough in granulated sugar first before coating them in icing sugar (powdered sugar). The granulated sugar will help absorb the moisture on the surface of the cookies, drying them out and helping the cookies crack in the oven when they are baked.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal

The post Chocolate Crackle Cookies appeared first on The Bake School.

There are two types of sugar cookies that you can make: the drop kind (dough scooped into balls and rolled in sugar before baking) and the cutout kind (dough rolled out into a sheet and cut out with cookie cutters), like these easy cutout sugar cookies.

This drop chocolate sugar cookie recipe makes perfect sugar cookies that are so delicious! If you like the texture and look of these chocolate sugar cookies, you should definitely check out these chocolate snickerdoodle cookies, maple sugar cookies and molasses cookies, which all have a similar texture and appearance.  These are quite different than these chocolate crackle cookies, which are more of a brownie cookie and coated in powdered sugar.

Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookie Ingredients

If you want to make chocolate sugar cookies that are soft and chewy, you will need the following ingredients:

• butter, preferably unsalted butter because you will add salt to the dough, but if you have salted, it will work. Just adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly, otherwise your cookies may be too salty
• granulated sugar is needed to coat the scoops of cookie dough to give these cookies a cracked surface and also in the cookie dough
• dark brown sugar adds flavour but also helps make these cookies soft
• large eggs—don't use smaller eggs because your cookie dough may be too dry and your cookies won't spread enough, but don't use extra large eggs because they could cause the cookie dough to puff too much as it bakes, leading to a more cakey cookie
• all-purpose flour is needed to bind all the ingredients together and give the cookies structure, contributing to the chewiness of the cookies as well. If you don't use enough flour, your cookies may spread too much as they bake
• cocoa powder—this recipe was tested specifically with Dutch-processed cocoa powder, contributing the dark chocolate flavour that you need to balance out the sweet flavour of sugar cookies. I like to use Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa powder, which is a dark cocoa powder with a rich flavour.
• baking soda is a base (alkaline) and contributes to that signature cracked finish that we expect of the best chocolate sugar cookies. You need baking soda for the cookies to spread properly and to crack. Do not use baking powder. Read up on baking soda vs baking powder if you are unsure
• salt is really important to balance out the sweet molasses flavour. Don't skip it. I like to use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt, but table salt will work, though the cookies will be saltier and you may want to halve the salt in that case.

Please refer to the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Cocoa powder: You should use dark cocoa powder, like Cacao Barry Extra Brute for this recipe. The cocoa powder should be Dutch-processed, meaning it was treated with a base to raise the pH of the cocoa, leading to a darker colour and a richer flavour.
• Do not use "natural" cocoa powder for this recipe. The pH of natural cocoa powder is lower and this may affect the texture and how the cookies spread in the oven. You may have to do a few tests to see if it works in this recipe.
• Sugar coating—try rolling these in cinnamon sugar to create cinnamon chocolate sugar cookies.

How to Make Drop Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These chocolate sugar cookies are scooped like typical drop cookies. The dough requires little to no chilling (30 minutes or less depending on if your dough is too soft to scoop and roll). You can make the dough and bake it right away! Please note that this is not a chocolate sugar cookie that is rolled out before cutting with cookie cutters.

Here's how to make these:

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars in a mixer bowl using the paddle attachment (image 1) or using an electric hand mixer until fluffy (image 2) before adding in the egg (image 3).

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, leavening agents and salt) (image 4), then add it to the mixer bowl with the creamed ingredients (image 5). Stir it in to make a thick chocolate sugar cookie dough (image 6).

Step 3: To make perfect sugar cookies with an even size, I highly recommend using a 22 mL (¾ ounce) cookie scoop (also referred to as a disher) to portion out the cookies (image 7). Each scoop of dough should weigh roughly 30 grams. Roll the scoops in a shallow dish of sugar to coat them.

Step 4: Place the coated chocolate sugar cookies on a sheet pan. I can fit eight cookies on one half-sheet pan (image 8). Then, bake them until the surface has cracked and the cookies have spread out nicely (image 9).

Pro Tip

Bake your cookies on light-coloured aluminum pans to help the cookies spread out just enough before the edges set and crack. If you use sheet pans with a darker finish, you may have to drop the oven temperature by 25 ºF so that the cookies bake properly without setting too quickly.

Baking FAQs

Make Ahead Cookie Tips

If you are wondering if you can make this cookie dough a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight to bake the next day. You can! Portion out the dough into scoops and refrigerate them on a parchment-lined sheet pan covered in plastic wrap overnight. While the oven is preheating, take the scoops of dough out of the fridge and roll them in granulated sugar. You may need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time if the scoops of cookie dough are still very cold when they go into the oven.

If you'd like to freeze the chocolate sugar cookie dough, portion it out into balls, then freeze them in a single layer before storing them in a freezer bag. When you want to bake them, I like to defrost the scoops overnight in the refrigerator (or in a pinch, do so at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while the oven preheats), then roll them in sugar before baking.

If you notice your cookies aren't spreading enough, it's likely the dough is too cold and combined with the hot oven, the edges set before they have a chance to spread. To fix this, try dropping the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) when baking cookie dough from frozen, and add a few more minutes to the bake time to promote a little more spreading.

Other Crinkle Cookie Recipes

Crinkle and crackle cookies are completely irresistible! Here's a rundown of other cookie recipes that crack when they bake!

If you tried this recipe for chocolate sugar cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Chocolate Sugar Cookies

This easy recipe makes the best chocolate sugar cookies with a soft and chewy texture and a cracked surface. These are very popular at Christmas time on Christmas cookie platters and dessert buffets. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 132kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer
• OXO balloon whisk
• ¾ oz scoop
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 218 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 47 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
• 7.5 mL baking soda
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 173 grams unsalted butter room temperature
• 150 grams dark brown sugar
• 100 grams granulated sugar plus 50 grams (¼ cup) more for rolling
• 1 large egg(s) room temperature
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line large baking sheets with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the remaining butter the brown sugar, and the 100 grams (½ cup) of granulated sugar until it is light and fluffy (takes at least 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Add the egg and vanilla, and beat them in until the mixture is smooth and light.
• Add the flour mixture slowly, on low speed and mix until the dough is combined.
• Put the remaining 50 grams of sugar in a shallow bowl.
• Roll scoops of cookie dough into balls and then coat them in sugar. Place each sugar-coated scoop of dough on a cookie sheet, spacing them out every 1.5 inches. You should be able to fit 8 per sheet pan.
• Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or so, until they have puffed and cracked and are just beginning to set in the middle. Let cool for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a darker colour and richer flavour. Natural cocoa powder is more acidic and may affect the texture and appearance of these cookies.
• If your chocolate cookie dough is too soft, you may chill it briefly for about 30 minutes. I have never needed to, but you may have to especially if your kitchen is warm.
• Use a ¾ ounce scoop to evenly portion out perfect scoops of dough. You can smooth them out by rolling them briefly between your palms.
• Do not overbake these cookies because they will dry out.
• These cookies are best eaten within 2–3 days because they may dry out and become more crispy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chocolate Sugar Cookies appeared first on The Bake School.

Who doesn't love crackle cookies? Typically, we see chocolate crackle cookies (or maybe you call them chocolate crinkle cookies) and molasses crinkle cookies, but I was intrigued by this lemon crackle cookie recipe version, made with ricotta in the cookie dough.

Ingredients

• butter—use unsalted butter. If you prefer to bake with salted butter, make sure to add less salt or omit the salt.
• sugar—you will need both granulated and icing sugar (also called powdered sugar). I don't recommend brown sugar because the molasses flavour may interfere with the delicate lemon flavour.
• eggs—bake with large eggs (they weigh 56 grams with the shell on) to ensure the dough and cookies have the right texture.
• ricotta cheese—I used full-fat traditional ricotta cheese.
• lemons—you will need at least 2 lemons to get enough zest and juice. Do not use bottled lemon juice because the flavour isn't as bright or fresh and the cookies will be bland.
• vanilla—I always bake with pure vanilla extract
• flour—this recipe was tested with bleached all-purpose flour. Unbleached flour will likely work too.
• salt—I bake with Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If you are using table salt, add half the amount.
• leavening—you will need baking soda and baking powder so that the cookies spread out, rise up, and crack on the surface.

Please refer to the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Note about baking with ricotta cheese: If you notice the ricotta has a lot of water pooling in the container, consider straining some of it off to avoid adding too much liquid to the cookie dough.

Substitutions and Variations

• Yellow-coloured cookies: some people will add yellow food colouring (a few dabs of yellow gel or a few drops of yellow liquid food colour, for example) to create a more yellow cookie dough and enhance the contrast between the yellow cookie and the white cracked sugar crust. I didn't do that so my cookies are paler.
• Bolder flavour: make these cookies with fresh lemon juice, not bottled. If you'd like to enhance the lemon flavour, consider adding lemon extract, lemon oil or lemon emulsion to the dough. A little goes a long way with these so use them sparingly!
• Orange: if you'd like orange crinkle cookies, replace the lemon zest with orange zest and the lemon juice with orange juice. Use orange juice from concentrate from the grocery store because the flavour is bolder and more potent and will yield more flavour when mixed into a cookie dough.
• Ricotta: I've tested making these cookies with traditional and low-fat ricotta. Both worked well so feel free to use either! Just make sure to invest in a good quality ricotta that you like eating so that these cookies taste as good as they look!

How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Step 1: Before making the cookie dough, whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (image 1) and zest and juice the lemons (image 2). Use a microplane to make a fine zest.

Step 2: Cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (image 3). Beat in the egg first (image 4), then the ricotta cheese (image 5), and then the lemon juice and vanilla (image 6).

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients (image 7)and stir them in to form a thick but sticky lemon cookie dough (image 8). Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours to make it easier to handle before scooping it with a 1-⅓ ounce disher, rolling each scoop in granulated sugar and then coating in a thick layer of icing sugar (image 9).

Step 4: Space out sugar-coated lemon ricotta cookie dough scoops on a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan. I put 6 per sheet pan to give them space to expand and allow airflow. Bake them until they have cracked and set (image 11).

Trick for Better Cracked Effect on Crinkle Cookies

These lemon ricotta cookies are coated generously with lots of icing sugar (powdered sugar) before baking to give them a gorgeous crackle finish to them. To improve the crackle finish, roll the cookie dough scoops in granulated sugar first before coating them in powdered sugar. This is a trick that I picked up from America's Test Kitchen, and it definitely works well in this recipe. The granulated sugar:

1. absorbs some of the moisture on the surface of the cookie preventing the powdered sugar from dissolving and disappearing.
2. helps dry out the surface since it absorbs some of the moisture. The dryer surface of the cookie dough is more prone to cracking in the oven.

The combination of granulated sugar and icing sugar on the surface of the cookie means you get a perfect crackle finish on your cookies every time!

Tip: For a more pronounced cracked sugar coating, make sure to create a thick powdered sugar coating or you can even roll the balls of cookie dough twice in icing sugar to ensure a thicker crust that will crack better.

Crinkle Cookie FAQs

Other Crinkle Cookie Recipes

Crinkle cookies are so impressive, and everybody loves to eat them! Here are a few other recipes to try next:

If you tried this recipe for lemon crinkle cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

📖 Recipe

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Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon crinkle cookies are made with ricotta cheese and rolled in granulated and icing sugar to create a crackled finish that everybody loves!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Chill time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 29 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 187kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer
• Microplane zester
• GIR spatula
• 1-⅓oz scoop
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 250 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 1.25 mL baking powder
• 1.25 mL baking soda
• 115 grams unsalted butter room temperature
• 250 grams granulated sugar
• 22.5 mL finely grated lemon zest
• 1 large egg(s)
• 180 mL ricotta cheese
• 60 mL fresh lemon juice
• 2.5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 100 grams granulated sugar for coating
• 63 grams icing sugar for coating

Metric - US

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add this dry mixture to the mixer bowl, and incorporate on low speed to form a soft dough.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until fluffy. Add the egg, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla, one ingredient at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (175 °C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment. Place the icing sugar in a small bowl and the granulated sugar in another small bowl.
• Portion out dough into large scoops using a disher ( about 40–45 grams dough per cookie). Roll each scoop into a ball very quickly (dough is soft and sticky). Drop the ball into the bowl of granulated sugar, then roll it around to coat it completely. Transfer the ball to the bowl of icing sugar and roll it around to coat it. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies about 1 ½ inches apart to allow for spread. Fit about 6 cookies per half-sheet pan.
• Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until cracked and set (about 14–16 minutes per cookie). Let cool on pan 2 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Notes

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Use fresh lemons for the zest and juice to create the brightest lemon flavour.
• You need about 2 lemons to get enough juice and zest for this recipe. Obviously, this depends on the lemons and the seasons. Use a microplane to make finer zest.
• For even more lemon flavour, you may try to use lemon extract, oil, or even lemon emulsion. Remember with these, a little goes a long way!
• I have tested this recipe with full-fat traditional ricotta and low fat. Both work.
• If the ricotta has a lot of water, consider straining some of it off before baking with it.
• The dough is sticky. Make sure to chill it for 2 hours and use a disher to portion out the dough more easily. Once you coat the scoops of cookie dough in granulated sugar, they will be easier to handle.
• For a brighter yellow cookie dough, use yellow food colouring (either a dab of a gel colour or a couple of drops of a liquid food colour).
• Space out the cookies on the half-sheet pans. I bake six cookies at a time to ensure they have enough airflow. 
• Please note that I bake with uncoated aluminum sheet pans that are light in colour. If you are baking this recipe with darker bakeware, you may have to drop the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) to prevent your baked goods from browning too quickly.
•  

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Adapted from Canadian Living.

The post Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Ricotta appeared first on The Bake School.