...is also the name of a song that I like. (Yes, most music videos tend to be strange and I'm still unsure as to the logic behind their creation. Lead singer Gary Lightbody is blinking like vintage Hugh Grant (or even not-so-very -vintage Hugh Grant, which leads you to wondering why the man seems to have had dust in his eyes for the last twenty or so years) and that moment with the ladybug wigs me out a bit because we've had to remove three ticks from the dog in the last week alone, and if this is a post about chocolate I really should stop writing about ticks.
Sorry.
I meant "kicks."
Really. Bear with me - there's an amazing recipe in this post!
I made these last week for our church's mid-school girls; the week before I promised them that if they wrote out an actual list of uncompromisable traits in a future spouse, I would have something for them and they'd like it a lot.
Naturally, all of the girls forgot.
We found paper. Because these cookies were not going to be ignored.
I'm not a huge cookie baker. If I bake, I tend to bake for company (often cupcakes) or fruit desserts that I rationalize because they have fruit, and therefore have some measure of dietary value. But I was baking for junior high girls, and I'd found this recipe, and it looked sinful and without dietary value *and* using mostly pantry staples.
 |
| Seriously Sinful Fudgy Chocolate Crinkles |
You will need:
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided (I had mini chips and some leftover baking chocolate squares - technically, this is one of those recipes where if you have high-quality chocolate, you should use it, but if you don't, don't let it stop you)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.) Pull the eggs out of the fridge so they can achieve room-temp status.
2.) Preheat oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets (or one big one and one small one, which worked fine for me) with parchment paper.
3.) Melt 1 cup of the chocolate in a glass bowl/measuring cup in the microwave, heating it in 30-60 second bursts and stirring in between until smooth.
4.) Mix the cocoa powder, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl. Give it a stir.
4.) Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar until well incorporated (the original recipe says "until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme." What does that mean?? I didn't know exactly, though having cooked with marshmallow fluff over the weekend I have a better idea, but how exactly do marshmallow cream and marshmallow fluff differ? I do not know. I do know that I hate vague recipe instructions. So beat the stuff until it seems mixed up enough. This recipe seems pretty forgiving).
5.) With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients to the sugary egg whites, followed by the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate. (Note: I used my Kitchenaid whisk attachment for the egg white beating, but found the paddle attachment to be more effective for the rest of the ingredient mixing).
6.) Depending on where you live and the temperature of your home and the position of Mercury, the cookie dough will either be. 1.) stiff or 2.) runny like brownie batter. If it's the latter, just chill the batter in the fridge for 20 or so minutes - it'll firm right up.
7.) Place about 1/2 c. or so powdered sugar into a small bowl. With a tablespoon measure, scoop dough, roll it in your hands, and roll it in the powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet; give them a teeny smoosh onto the sheet, just so they don't roll all over the place when you move the sheet.
8.) Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and crackled and set just enough to not make a mess.
Makes about 18.
What you should know about these cookies -
They are genuinely amazing. Tasting one of these cookies is like falling in love.
That is not even an exaggeration.
These are not munching cookies. These are savoring cookies. They're quite rich (astounding, really, because they're quite low in fat). But like a good husband, one is all you need.
If you make them up, tell me what you think!