Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Chocolate crinkles

The other day, I received a request to "imitate" what is touted to be the best chocolate crinkles in Metro Manila.  Oddly enough, this crinkle can be found, not in a bakeshop, but in a bank cafeteria! It apparently has received a cult following but the only way to get them is through someone who actually works in the bank.  Not knowing what made this particular cookie extra special, I did a google search.

Image credit: from top left going clockwise - My Dessert Diet, Desperate Measures,
Lakas ng Trip Travel Blog via FlickrInteraksyon

Funny isn't it, how somehow there is a perception that I can make up something by just looking at photos over the internet? :) I am flattered that people see me as that, but unfortunately, things do not happen magically like that for me. I had no hesitation, however, about experimenting because my family loves chocolate crinkles and would welcome them anytime, anyday.

What do I consider the perfect chocolate crinkle?  In terms of appearance, a perfect chocolate crinkle should have the cracked top.  Some crinkles look as if they have just been coated in powdered sugar, with little or no cracks at all.  Another thing is that it should not be flat like a normal cookie but should have a slight rounded top.  Lastly, it should be a deep, dark brown colour.  The colour does give one a sense of how chocolately something is.  A light brown crinkle, to me, isn't as enticing to eat.

In terms of taste and texture, on the other hand, a perfect chocolate crinkle should have a slight crunch on the outside but have a soft, moist, fudgy texture on the inside.  And of course, it should be as chocolatey as it looks!

Having said all of the above, I set my sights on making the perfect chocolate crinkle. As always, I didn't just want to find a recipe on the internet then copy it onto here.  I looked at several recipes, took different elements from them, combined what I thought would work and experimented.  Bingo!  I seriously believe I hit the jackpot on the first try...It must be magic after all!



I was so happy with my success, I wanted to share the recipe with all of you right away. But before I move on to that, here are just a few tips to ensure your success as well:

1.  Use a good-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder.  Natural cocoa such as the popular Hershey's brand (although having a deeper chocolate flavour) is lighter in colour.  Just for comparison, have a look at the photo below.


I have two kinds of Dutch-processed cocoa powder on hand - Van Houten (made in Belgium) and Droste (made in the Netherlands).  Notice the different shades.  I used the darkest one (Droste) for my crinkles.

2.  The size of eggs you use will have an effect on how firm or how soft your cookie dough will be.  Use eggs that weigh around 60g (in the shell), give or take 2-3 grams.  Normally, eggs of this size would be labelled as LARGE but that varies from country to country.

3.  If you absolutely cannot find chocolate extract, just omit it and use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in total instead.  But if you know where to buy it, I suggest you get one!  It will make a difference.

4.  As soon as you have rolled the dough and coated them in icing sugar, bake them immediately.  The colder and firmer the dough is as it goes into the oven, the less it will spread and the more defined the cracks will be.  Also, if you let the dough sit out for long, the icing sugar will begin to absorb into it and you don't really want that.

Are you excited now?  Let's bake the perfect chocolate crinkles, shall we?

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES (makes about 36 cookies)

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil
4 large eggs (~60g @)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chocolate extract
Around 1 cup sifted icing sugar (confectioner's/powdered sugar)

Procedure:

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk to combine thoroughly.

In another bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, coffee, sugars, and vegetable oil.

Beat in the eggs one at a time. (I just used a wooden spoon for this.  No need for a mixer.)


Stir in the extracts.

Mix in the flour mixture just until well incorporated.

Cover the bowl, and chill for 30-45 minutes in the freezer or until firm enough to handle easily.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.

Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. (I used my cookie dough scoop to measure out my dough but you can just use a spoon and you can also form smaller or bigger balls, it's up to you.)

Coat each ball in icing sugar then place onto prepared baking tray.

Return covered bowl of dough to the freezer.


Bake IMMEDIATELY in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes. (For 1" balls, bake for about 10-12 minutes.  For a 2" ball, bake for about 14-15 minutes.)  Do not overbake the cookies.  Once the bottom edges start to firm up even if the tops still look underdone, take them out of the oven.  If you overbake them, they will become crunchy and dry instead of chewy and moist.

Let stand on the baking tray for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Repeat process of rolling dough for the next batch only when the first batch is done baking.  This is important as I have already explained earlier why it is better to bake the cookies while the dough is cold and firm.

Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container or better yet, pack them in individual cello bags so you can control yourself from eating too much!


As always, your feedback is very valuable to me.  Please try the recipe then let me know if you agree with me (or don't) that these are the best chocolate crinkles ever!



PS. I read that the bank crinkle was bigger than usual (like palm size) so I also tried making one large cookie.



Yum, yum, yum! One piece is definitely enough for this big size.


68 comments:

  1. Can u hack mango bravo pleasee i been searching for the recipe ikaw lang ang makatulong sa akin

    ReplyDelete
  2. i want to try this soon, but i think i'll get a spring-loaded ice cream scoop first.
    anyhoo, corinne, do you think this recipe can be tweaked to make red velvet crinkles? if yes, how? see, my sister came home one day with a tub of red velvet crinkles. it was pure chocolate-y, salty and sour heaven. the crinkles were folded over themselves with a dollop of cream cheese filling inside. ooh-lala. i'm drooling now just thinking about it. haha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Maybe you can simply lessen the cocoa powder then replace the same amount you removed with flour? Then add a little red gel paste.

      But really, with cream cheese filling? That must be a really rich cookie sandwich!

      I'll give it a shot sometime.

      Delete
    2. Also, omit the chocolate extract and just use 2 tsps vanilla extract.

      Delete
    3. yep! it went with cream cheese filling. the crinkle was folded in half (not to the point it was broken--just enough so that it could cradle a bit of filling) and in the middle went the barely-sweetened filling. i didn't notice how rich it was, but it was a bit smaller than the usual size. perhaps if they had made it any bigger it would have been a tad bit too rich. i didn't care, however. i think i stuffed eight pieces in my mouth in less than three minutes. lol. it was so cream-cheesy and chocolatey. aaaah!
      my mom, who calls any combination of sweet and salty "kulangot", even liked it!

      Delete
  3. btw, what would the result be if natural cocoa powder is used in your recipe?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you use natural cocoa powder, the cookies will definitely be lighter in colour. You may need to replace some of the baking powder with baking soda, maybe use 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

      In terms of taste, i'm sure it will be just as delicious, granting a good quality cocoa powder is used.

      Delete
  4. The best Chocolate Crinkles I've ever seen and I'm sure it tastes awesome. Thanks for experimenting and providing us with a great recipe. ~Mela~

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Corinne,

    Thanks for sharing your chocolate crinkles recipe. It worked wonderfully and tasted excellent.

    Just as an aside, Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder can also be used. It's a blend of natural and Dutch-processed cocoa powders and also gives finished chocolate baked goods that rich black color. It's more readily available and is less expensive than Droste. Here in the U.S., I can find it in my local supermarket for about $3 a container versus Droste, which I have to go to a specialty grocer and pay $8 box. I made two batches of crinkles and used the Hershey's Special Dark in one instead of Droste, and it worked great without having to tweak leavening. I will say, though, the Droste gives a finer flavor, less harsh. Both turned out equally delicious.

    Execution wise, if you're going to use cookie sheets with a dark colored surface like did, I found it better to chill the cookie sheets in the fridge for 5 minutes prior to laying the raw cookie batter on them. The dark surface absorbs more heat in the oven and allows for faster cooking, which is why I think my first batch of cookies spread out too much. I tried baking for less time, but the cookies seemed far too raw. Chilling the cookie sheets and baking it the prescribed time made for perfect crinkles.

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your feedback and suggestions! Just to make clear though, I wasn't recommending the use of Droste. It was what I had in my pantry, that is why I chose to use it. Any Dutch-processed cocoa would do.

      Delete
    2. hi, why is my mixture spread into flat once put into the oven? i followed all the steps but still it went flat :(

      Delete
    3. Did you use the right size of eggs? Was your dough firm and cold going into the oven?

      Delete
  6. Hi Ms. Corrine,

    Thank you very much for sharing this recipe =)
    anywasy i got a little bit problem with my crinkles. it turn out dry and i dont know if i over cooked it . probably yes. ., ,, but my oven is in right temperature and when i check it after 12 mins .. the bottom of the crinkles is not yet cook so ive waited for another couple of mins until the bottom is just firm .. but after taking out and cooling the crinkles and tasting it. its a bit dry .. i dont know what i did something wrong .. i hope you could help me.. =) thank you corrine

    Thanks again .
    Godbless

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When you say "dry", do you mean the crinkle is crunchy (like a regular cookie) not soft and chewy? If that's the case then it's overcooked. Sometimes all it takes is getting to know your oven - next time, try taking the crinkles out earlier to see if you get better results.

      Delete
  7. Hi! for fan forced ovens is it still 180C?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi! Where can I buy the Droste cocoa powder & the chocolate extract? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I buy my chocolate extract online from premiumgourmentfood.com.au.

      As for the Droste cocoa powder, I only buy it when ALDI has it. You can find it online as well (in Dutch shops) but it is rather expensive. You don't really have to use this brand. Any dutch processed cocoa would do.

      Delete
  9. hi corinne pano yung chocolate extract

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nabibili yun tulad rin ng vanilla at iba pang flavours.

      Delete
  10. Hi... Thanks for the recipe however mine is sitting 3 hours in the fridge and it's still soft.. The dough didn't get hard at all to form into a ball.. Im just wondering should the flour and cocoa powder need to be sifted before the measurement of after? Note that your recipe says sifted flour and cocoa powder.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I do sift before measuring.

      Are you sure you used the correct quantities of ingredients? What size of eggs did you use? If your mixture isn't firming up, then I'm guessing it was too liquidy to start with.

      Delete
  11. Hmmm... Maybe the eggs I used were heavier than 60g... I just tried to add more flour just to save the recipe. I will leave it in the chiller overnight. Lets see how it goes tomorrow.

    Appreciate the response, Corinne! Btw, I love your caramel cake recipe. :) I tried it last week with the buttercream frosting and it was so good!

    ReplyDelete
  12. hi corinne,

    will omitting the coffee make much difference in the taste of the cookies? thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coffee helps bring out more of the chocolate flavour. You will not taste it at all. Omitting it is fine.

      Delete
  13. Hi. Would it make a difference if i use butter instead of veg oil? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would. Butter is about 80% milk fat and 20% water while oil is pure fat. If you substitute, your crinkles will not be as moist.

      Delete
  14. hi miss corine! i would just like to ask if humidity has something to do with absorption of powdered sugar into the dough? and as you notice in the phil. it is hard to find large eggs, if i will be using regular sized eggs in the phil. how many would it take to replace the large eggs? thank you so much


    ReplyDelete
  15. hi miss corine!!!thank you for sharing all your recipes, by the way i would like to ask how many eggs will i use if i will be using just regular size eggs in the phil. ? because i cannot find large eggs here. also are you using liquid measuring cup for the oil? thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know what "regular-sized eggs" mean. Approximately how heavy are they each?

      If your batter is too wet or soft, it will absorb the powdered sugar quickly. That is why it is important to use the right size of eggs and to chill the batter.

      Any standard measuring cup will do.

      Delete
  16. Hi Corrine, I'm new to baking, and this is the first recipe I tried and it turned out super yummy. I'm just having a hard time attaining the white confectioners sugars consistency as the rolled crinkles tend to get moist and when I put it in the oven then put it out when done; some have beautiful cracks while others tend to go dark as if no powdered sugar was placed around. Hope you can help. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was your dough quite wet even after it was chilled? I am guessing it was because this is the only reason I can see as to why it is absorbing the powdered sugar.

      As I have said in my previous comment above, the size (and weight) of the eggs you use is critical to the success of this recipe. If you use eggs that are larger than recommended, your batter will be very wet and will not firm up even when chilled.

      Delete
  17. Hi ms Corinne! Ive tried making crinkles several times and I havent achieved those cracks yet. What went wrong? Ive chilled the dough several hours before I bake them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If your crinkles don't have the cracks, then it means it absorbed the powdered sugar on top. You said you chilled the dough for several hours before baking, but was it very firm? If it wasn't then your cookie batter was probably too wet to start with.

      Did you use the recommended size/weight of eggs? Everyone who seems to have a problem with the batter being too soft have used heavier eggs than what the recipe calls for.

      Delete
  18. Hi!how many minutes should I bake a palm sized crinkle? And how big should the dough ball be for me to be able to achieve a palm sized one? How many tablespoons perhaps? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  19. A 2" ball of dough should make a palm sized crinkle. As stated in the recipe, bake for about 14-15 minutes. Take note that ovens behave differently so it may take shorter or longer in your oven.

    ReplyDelete
  20. How bout the temperature of oven when pre heating? Tnx!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It says right there in the recipe - "Preheat oven to 350F (180C)."

      Delete
  21. Hi Ms Corine
    Can i add semi sweetened chocolate chips (melted)?
    Would it make any difference with the taste and moist of the crinkles?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adding another wet ingredient would definitely change the texture of the cookie. You can try. In my opinion though, you don't need to add more chocolate.

      Delete
  22. Hi can i omit the instant coffee? I currently dont have it in the house :(

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi i have an electric oven should i open the up and down heat? Or just the up? And where should i put my tray? In the middle, top, or bottom? Aand do you know where can i find dutch processed cocoa in the philippines? Its hard to find it in groceries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not an oven expert so it's up to you to experiment on how your oven works. Maybe try the bottom heat only and bake in the middle rack.

      I don't live in the Philippines so I have no idea where to get dutch processed cocoa there. But I'm sure you will find it somewhere.

      Delete
    2. I thinks you can buy dutch cocoa powder in the bakers bazar in Pasig Caniogan and Cainta branch, or in Batangas City

      Delete
  24. Hi, would love to see you make Ube Crinkles! Your chocolate crinkles are divine!
    Sheridan

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi, the dough is really sticky, right?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Corinne,
    It is absolutely the the best chocolate crinkles ever!!

    Followed your recipe and made it 3 weeks ago and my hubby and son loooovee it!
    I got carried away though placing icing sugar ,my hubby noted that it made it too sweet and I agree. So on the next batch I made, I just put a bit of icing sugar.

    Now my hubby requested to make another one, and how I can I refuse I love it too.
    I actually on my first try made my dough stayed overnight in the chiller. And I find that it made it more tastier;-)

    Definitely will keep on making these!

    Oh and one more thing , I will surely placed them now individually in small bags, as I it was too tempting the first time I did it I just keep munching on them!;-)

    You're the best!!

    Kareen

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Ms Corinne! Thank you for the recipe. I followed the steps and completed the ingredients. I bought chocolate extract and measure the eggs at the grocery store haha! The crinkles are not so sweet. It's more on chocolatey taste. Wish i could show you the pics of what i've done.. :) I'm just a newbie on baking.. happy new year! :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. I loved this recipe. Thanks so much.. but can u help me why my cookie didn't crack??? Did i missed something in the recipe?? Thanks so much

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it would be impossible for me to tell you what you missed because I didn't actually see how you did it. Was your cookie dough stiff? Did you bake them while cold? Was your oven temperature accurate?

      Delete
  29. Hi Corinne,

    Thanks for a wonderful recipe! Tried this twice already and brought some to a Pinoy kid's birthday party and the guests just swooped on it :) Everyone commented how it tasted just like Red Ribbon back home,if not even better! Thanks for sharing! Cheers !

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ms. Corrine help me nman pano pag napasobra oil n nalgay k at egg sobrang lambot ng dough, o nsobrahan k s paghalo ng wooden spoon s timpla ng crinkles k the same din ingredients ko, deutche cocoa powder gamit k?, thanks for the help, God bless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just start over and follow the recipe precisely and your dough will be the right consistency. In baking, it is not easy to repair a mistake especially when you have already mixed in all the ingredients.

      Delete
  31. Ang ganda s pics ng crinkles prang ang sarap kainin at ibenta, sna mkagawa din k ng perfect n ganyan, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ms. Corinne what is the brand of powdered sugar do used? Is it Peotraco?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We don't have Peotraco in Melbourne. I just use any brand I find in the supermarket here.

      Delete
    2. Pero you are a Filipina you undestand Tagalog, I am glad to talk to you!


      Delete
  33. Hi... i made your crinkles and i like it. Its not too sweet and its moist. May i know how many days will it last in a cookie plastic bag in room temp?thank you much for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would say 2-3 days only as these are soft, moist cookies.

      Delete
  34. Can tablea be used instead of the cocoa powder?

    ReplyDelete
  35. hi, is 180deg Celsius fan forced? what setting would u recommend?

    ReplyDelete
  36. Adb so far has the best crinkles evr! Thats true you can only buy those if you or someone you know works at adb .. where can i buy droste brand

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't really have to use Droste. As long as you use a good quality dutch-processed cocoa powder, your crinkles will taste great. I buy Droste only when it pops up in my local Aldi store.

      Delete