Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

When it comes to cookies, there are generally two classes: crispy and chewy.

But... BUT... these chocolate crinkle cookies are in a class of their own. And even though I am usually 100% "Team Chewy," I have fallen head over heels for these babies.

I'm not exactly cheating on my chewy cookies, though. You see, these are actually a wonderful hybrid between the two classes of cookies. If crispy and chewy were to get together, these cookies would be their love child.

Or something like that.

The outside of these cookies is perfectly crispy. When you first sink your teeth into one of them, you don't immediately know what you're in for once you reach the middle. Because the middle? It's surprisingly chewy, fudgey, and cookie-doughy. The contrast is quite enjoyable. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Not only are these chocolate crinkles unique in texture, but they also taste delicious. The melted chocolate added into the batter gives these a brownie-like flavor.

Perfect for Christmas, perfect for New Years. Perfect for a birthday party in March. Perfect for a Tuesday in June.

Catch my drift?

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
(Source: BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking by Shirley Corriher; as seen on www.npr.org)

By rolling the dough balls in plain sugar first, the confections' sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better. Corn syrup in the dough helps prevent crystallization to produce the soft chocolate center. Oil greases flour proteins to produce a tender to the point of gooey chocolate center.

Makes 3 to 5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8.2 oz/232 g) spooned and leveled bleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 8 ounces (227 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 3/4 cups (19.3 oz/547 g) sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup (79 ml) canola oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) light corn syrup
- 2 large eggs (3.5 oz/99 g)
- 1 large egg yolk (0.65 oz/18 g)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (4 oz/120 g) confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, beat together well the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir.

3. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together 2 1/2 cups (17.5 oz/496 g) of the sugar, the oil, and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (I refrigerated mine and when I took it out the next day and tried to work with the dough, it was hard as a rock. If you do refrigerate it, make sure to take it out a good 1/2 hour to 1 hour before you actually need to do anything with it.)

5. Arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/163 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with Release foil (nonstick side up). (I used parchment paper.)

6. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch (3.8 to 5 cm) balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup (1.8 oz/51 g) granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in confectioners' sugar. (By rolling in plain sugar first, the confectioners' sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better.)

7. Arrange cookies 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the foil. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes. You can have several sheets of foil covered with cookies ready.

8. When one sheet is done, you can pull off the foil and move cookies to a cooling rack. Rinse the baking sheet with cold water to cool and then slip the sheet under another sheet of foil with cookies on it and get it right back into the oven. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.