Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
These crinkles are easy to make, intense but sweet, and have almond flour for texture. The dough can be kept for three days in the refrigerator before baking. If you like the excellent flavor combination of chocolate and mint, these cookies will blow your recipe file!
Servings 40 cookies
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate melted (see Notes below for how-to)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons crème de menthe mint liqueur or syrup, see Notes below
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup almond meal ground almonds
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
For coating:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Melt 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. See Notes below for how-to.
- Pour 6 tablespoons crème de menthe in a small bowl and add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract. Reserve.
- Stir 1 cup almond meall, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and ¾ teaspoon baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Beat 3 eggs and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is thick, mousse-like, pale, and forms ribbons when the beater is lifted, from 3-5 minutes.
- Mix the peppermint mix into the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Whisk the chocolate into the egg mixture until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture and combine well. The batter will be somewhat runny.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to make truffles, at least 4 hours. I make it a day ahead.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Scoop portions of dough, roll them into balls with your hands and place them on a greased baking sheet. Your hands will get messy. Use a small cookie scoop, so the cookies are the same size. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
- To coat the cookies, place ½ cup sugar in a small bowl and ¾ cup powdered sugar in another bowl.
- Remove cookies from the refrigerator and roll one at a time in the bowl of granulated sugar to lightly coat. Repeat with the remaining cookie balls, coating them heavily with powdered sugar. They must be completely white.
- Place on parchment paper or Silpat-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until they crackle, the top is dry but the center is still slightly soft. Allow them to cool completely on wire racks.
- Store leftovers in tin or cookie jars, being careful how you stack them so you don't lose the powdered sugar coating.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Creme de menthe: there are two types, with and without alcohol. Use mint liqueur also available at liquor stores and some supermarkets. Or creme de menthe syrup without the alcohol content, which makes sweeter cookies but is what you need if kids will be eating them.
Make ahead: the cookie dough is more of a thick batter and needs hours of refrigeration to firm up enough to make truffles. This will take several hours, so I make it the day before or up to three days ahead.
Flavor variation: change the liqueur, and you change the flavor of the cookies. Use rum, orange liqueur, amaretto (almond), Frangelico (hazelnut), or Kahlua (coffee)
Melting chocolate: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch. There are two ways:
Microwave: melt the ingredients on high for 10 seconds, take out and mix well. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful you don't scorch it. That's why it's important to mix it well between each heating.
Stovetop: put the bowl with chocolate and butter over a smaller pan with a few inches of water. Over medium heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.
Microwave: melt the ingredients on high for 10 seconds, take out and mix well. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful you don't scorch it. That's why it's important to mix it well between each heating.
Stovetop: put the bowl with chocolate and butter over a smaller pan with a few inches of water. Over medium heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.
