Cocoa Crackles

Another recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookies.

My husband swears these are the cookies of his childhood.

We are required to make them at Christmastime - often they

appear wrapped in a tin under the tree

as a special gift for Dad.

 

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ¼ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

⅓ cup whole milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300°. 
2. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring.  Set aside, and let cool. 
3. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Set aside.
4. Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then melted chocolate.
5. Mix in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with milk.
6. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.  Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
7. Divide each piece into 32 ( ½ inch) balls.  Roll in granulate sugar to coat, then in powdered sugar to coat.  Space 1+ inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.
8. Bake until surfaces crack, about 10-13 minutes.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
9. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.  Can be frozen.