← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 225 g dark chocolate (50–70% cocoa), chopped
• 115 g unsalted butter
• 135 g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
• 200 g plain flour
• ½ tsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 50 g granulated sugar, for rolling
• 80 g icing (powdered) sugar

Method

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (or in short bursts in the microwave), stirring until smooth. Leave to cool for 5 min.
2. Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time, the vanilla and the espresso powder if using, until glossy.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover and chill for 2 hours, until firm enough to roll.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F) and line two baking trays. Put the granulated sugar and icing sugar in two separate shallow bowls.
5. Roll the dough into 3 cm balls. Roll each one first in the granulated sugar, then thickly in the icing sugar, and set them 5 cm apart on the trays.
6. Bake one tray at a time for 10–12 min, until puffed and cracked but still soft in the very centre. Cool on the tray for 5 min, then move to a rack; they firm up as they cool.

Tips

• The quick roll in granulated sugar first stops the icing sugar melting into the dough, so the crinkles stay bright white.
• Keep unbaked dough balls in the fridge between batches.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking Once Upon a Chef Joy of Baking