Easy to make chocolate crackle cookies, sweet and chewy and with lots of chocolate, these are some of our family’s favorite Christmas cookies.

CHOCOLATE CRACKLES

These chocolate crackle cookies or chocolate crinkles are pretty addictive. Not only the baked cookies, but the unbaked dough as well… I really had to force myself to stop nibbling that dough while I was forming the cookies…

So cookies again, Christmas is just around the corner.

This is a repost from December 2014. In the meantime, I’ve baked these chocolate crackle cookies at least a dozen times. The recipe has changed slightly (improved) over the years.

Now the crackles hold their shape better, are even chewier and that chocolate “inner life” even more satisfying.

Chocolate crinkles or chocolate crackle cookies seem to be very popular all around the world. I used to think that they were typical German cookies or Plätzchen, but I have learnt differently. But there’s no wonder that they are so popular, they are incredibly delicious and easy to make.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES

Chocolate:

• Use good quality chocolate to make the crackle cookies. As always with baked goods containing lots of chocolate, they can only be as good as the chocolate is. Use chocolate brands you really enjoy eating and not cheap baking chocolate.
• Use a box grater (the larger holes) to grate the chocolate, if you use chocolate chips the chocolate pieces will be too large.
• You can use a food processor to chop the chocolate, just make sure that the chocolate is not processed into powder, it should be finely chopped, not powdered.

Dough:

• For best results, always use a kitchen scale, cup measuring is very inaccurate.
• After grating or processing the chocolate, mix all the ingredients together.
• Form a dough disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate.
• Chill the dough long enough, at least 3 hours, ideally longer/overnight.
• That is necessary because the dough is very sticky, you will not be able to form the cookies properly if the dough is too soft.
• The good news: although the dough is rather sticky, the cookies will not spread much, they will remain nice and round.
• While the first batch of cookies is baking keep the remaining dough refrigerated, this way it will not become soft and sticky again.

Baking:

• Make sure the oven is preheated before you start baking.
• Bake the chocolate cookies between 13-15 minutes, depending on how large they are, but not longer.
• They will still be soft when you take them out of the oven, but they will harden as they cool.
• Leave on the baking tray for 5 minutes, transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

HOW TO KEEP THE CRACKLE COOKIES?

• The chocolate crackle cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature.
• You can keep them for about 2 weeks (if you manage).
• The chocolate crackle cookies can be frozen. Once completely cooled, place them in freezer bags and freeze. They will keep for at least 2 months.

MORE COOKIES?

Thumbprint Cookies – another sort of cookies that is super popular around the world, these are some of the cookies that I bake every year.

Vanillekipferl – famous Austrian cookies, tender vanilla crescents that will melt in your mouth.

Snickerdoodles Recipe without Cream of Tartar – soft, pillowy snickerdoodles.

German Hazelnut Macaroons – again a cookie recipe I bake every year, these cookies are chewy and have a very nutty flavor.

Hagrid’s Rock Cakes – and if you are a Harry Potter fan, you could try a much better version of Hagrid’s rock cakes.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Yield: 55

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy to make chocolate crackle cookies, sweet and chewy and with lots of chocolate, these are some of our family's favorite Christmas cookies.

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Ingredients

• 100 g/ 3.5 oz milk chocolate
• 100 g/ 3.5 oz dark chocolate
• 3 eggs (medium Germany, large US)
• 200 g/ 7 oz/ 1 cup icing sugar
• 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 2 cups ground almonds
• 180 g/ 6.3 oz/ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons water
• about 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ 1 cup icing sugar for rolling the cookies

Instructions

1. Grate the chocolate on a box grater on the side with the largest shredding holes. If using a food processor, chop the chocolate finely but don't let it turn into powder.
2. Mix the grated chocolate, eggs, icing sugar, ground almonds, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon and water together. The dough will be rather sticky. Form a dough disc, wrap it in cling film. Place the dough in the fridge until firm, at least two hours or longer, preferably overnight.
3. Preheat the oven: 150 degrees Celsius/ 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 or 3 baking trays with parchment paper.
4. Place the remaining icing sugar in a small bowl. Form balls about the size of a walnut and roll the balls in icing sugar. Place them on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes. Keep the dough you are not using refrigerated, so that it remains firm. Once it is too warm, it will become stickier again.
5. Shortly before the first batch of cookies is baked, form the second batch of cookies and place the balls on another prepared baking sheet. Leave the cookies cool down on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack.
6. When completely cooled, place them in an airtight container.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 55 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 84 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 11mg Sodium: 29mg Carbohydrates: 11g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.