I’ve needed a heavy dose of chocolate from my kitchen the past few days. No negotiations.
There are all sorts of ways to get chocolate into my system, the most recent being this mushroom hot chocolate I’ve enjoyed every night for a week. We drink mushroom now. Did you know? I think it’s been all the rage for awhile but, well… I’m tardy but I’m here for it.
Of course one of the finest homemade chocolate iterations is that magical space between a brownie and a cookie. Fudgy and chewy, crispy around the edges and crusted across the top. This version is pleasingly chewy (even a few days after baking!) and covered in lightly crunchy chocolate jimmies. Nothing wrong here. Just bringing us what we need.
This recipe is a sweet treat from our girl Jessica Merchant‘s new book Pretty Dish. It’s out tomorrow and aside from these chewy chocolate cookies she has a recipe for Fried Margharita Pizzas which (if you’re asking me) sounds very much like pizza doughnuts soooooo I’ll be making those very soon.
All of this to say, Jessica’s book is lovely and is filled with both sweet and savory treats that will very quickly become part of my kitchen repertoire. It’s a thumbs up!
For these brownie-like cookies we’re keeping it simple:
• cocoa powder (I used this Belgian cocoa powder that was a gift from my other friend Jessica.) (Sidenote: exquisite + foreign cocoa powder is a divine gift to give a baker.)
• 2 large eggs
• vegetable oil is our fat here. I find that oil actually works better in these cookies than butter – keeping the cookies chewy with a pure fat. Butter has both water and milk solids as part of its makeup and will make for a more crisp cookie which is just not what we want going on here.
• vanilla extract, likely story…. except I’m out of vanilla extract and I’ve found that Kahlua makes an incredible substitute, especially in the company of chocolate.
• flour, baking powder, and salt.
• a generous supply of sprinkles. Specifically the ‘jimmies’ variety of sprinkle as they’re easy on the teeth and don’t bleed their color during baking. I used chocolate but you could easily use rainbow.
No mixer required for these cookies – just a bowl, whisk and spoon.
Into the bowl with the exquisite cocoa powder.
We’ll add the granulated sugar to the cocoa + the oil.
Might feel weird to stir these three things together but don’t worry, this is how it goes. Sometimes life feels weird.
The mixture will be grainy. I mean… how could it not be?
It’ll come together. This is my promise to you.
Two eggs, whisked into the mixture one at a time will smooth the chocolate and sugar mixture to glossy.
And we’ll whisk in our Kahlua / vanilla.
This is a mixture of flour, baking powder, and salt.
The cookie dough will thicken significantly with the addition of the flour. Think of this as a thick brownie batter. That’s the vibe.
Chocolate chips because little melty pockets are sublime, no question.
Like most cookie doughs, this dough needs to settle in the refrigerator and chill before baking.
I found that two hours was a good amount of time to chill the dough and allow the flour to absorb some of the moisture.
When it comes to cookie portioning (and it always comes down to cookie portioning) please please have a cookie scoop. If you’re around this blog enough, you’ll use it.
Cookies are portioned by the generous tablespoonful and fully coated in sprinkles. This is no time to be shy.
Chocolate need – satiated. Get in this with me! And Happy Monday – we’ve got this.
PrintChocolate Sprinkle Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 140
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used Kahlua in the absence of extract)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate jimmies
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, and vegetable oil. The mixture will be grainy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract (or Kahlua).
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips and use a spatula to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are incorporated and no hidden pockets of flour remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Just before baking, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Scoop the cookie dough using a #40 orchid colored handle cookie scoop. It creates 1 1/2 tablespoonful cookie balls. Coat the dough balls entirely in chocolate sprinkles. Place on the cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Very lightly flatten the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until the cookies spread and look set. They’ll be soft when they come out of the oven. Allow to rest on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue until all of the cookies are baked.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Alene
Have you tried it with gluten free flour? Has anyone? Tonight is the first candle for Chanukah, and I always bake for it. I can use blue sprinkles! Lol.
Mayre
I love a recipe that doesn’t ‘require” a mixer! These came together so easily. I used 113g of hime hole wheat flour and added 1/3 cup of peanut butter chips because, why not! Scooped with my purples (KAF) and got 20 cookies. Cooking time was closer to 15 minutes.
Huge hit. Thank you for another winner
Jordan
I was really happy with this recipe! Swapped out the granulated sugar for coconut sugar (that’s what I had on hand) and they still turned out great. I will add that mine didn’t spread very much while baking, so I just pressed them down a bit with a spatula.
michelle
holy moly these are so good! the salt! the crunch! the chocolate! give me all the tequila/red wine and all these cookies
David
A very nice recipe. I like chocolate delicacies. I could eat such snacks all the time.
Gayle
Best cookies ever! Made them yesterday and today they are gone after two for breakfast this morning. Love them1
Marie
I am so fond of homemade cookies that I make it often. Your version looks yummy and sounds easy enough to make. I will definitely try it out soon. I just hope the cookies I make taste and look just as good. Also I don’t think I’ll find chocolate jimmies, can I just skip it or is there a substitute that I can use?
Jessica
Made today for a coworker. I can’t wait to bring them in tomorrow. Truth be told I doubled the recipe so that I could keep a few at home. Used a combo of chocolate and white jimmies & the contrast is lovely. Thanks!
Khasiat Bawang Hitam
Wow the cookie looks very good with the chocolate very much, can not wait to try this recipe at home. Thank you for sharing.
Natalie
I’ve never thought that salt is added into the mix, is this the same with many cookie recipes?
I find that is really a nice point to make the flavor balance.
I would like to try this soon xD
Ramona
I will have to make these! Thank you so much for sharing!
Teresa
These look so great. I have Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder and my Williams-Sonoma dutch cocoa powder. Which would be better? Thanks so much!!!
jess
I love a no-butter cookie recipe for all those times you NEED cookies, but did not plan ahead with the butter softening. Also the Kahlua vanilla substitution idea is top-notch! Thanks, gurl!
Anne Noise
Hi, this is going to be pedantic and awful but it’s out of love, and I love you, and I’m making these tonight.
Instructions say “…#40 purple handle cookie scoop. It creates 1 tablespoonful cookie balls.”
#40 is 1.5tbsp and is “orchid.” (Not purple.) Closest to 1tbp is #70, “plum.) (Also not purple, and yet, both purple. Convenient!)
Again, thanks for the amazing looking recipe, and my criticism lies with the genius who set up these measurements. Please someone link me a history of Cookie and Ice Cream Scoop Size Measurements.
joythebaker
Ok thank you! I have this set so (and a few other random scoops including the one pictured) so I was going off of a vague memory of this information: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/cookie-scoop-set-of-3 Thanks for the correction.
Val in NC
Made these today. Didn’t have jimmies, so substituted rolling the dough in coconut instead. Super easy and delicious!
Stephanie
Just made these – thanks for making my Monday, Joy! Super delicious and easy!
Michelle B.
What??? Mushroom coco? I have to try this and these cookies look devine.
Stacy Sprangers
I cannot even begin to describe how much I wish one (or 10) of these cookies was in front of me right now! I’m normally not a sweets eater, but this baby really likes the sweets and candy! Recipe printed and the grocery store list is made! It’s cookie time!
Helen Huber
We bakers like a steady supply of vanilla. And because I no longer live in San Francisco, I can’t just pop into Xanath in Valencia Street and pick up amazing organic vanilla extract, paste and beans, I buy them online through Saffron Imports by the quart. Not that Kahlua doesn’t sound so very fab for these cookies but you should have the vanilla paste for most things. You’re so welcome.
The Novice
Oh my chocolate, these look like the best things ever. Yum!
Rhonda @ Change In Seconds
Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Jessica
thank you so so so much Joy! xoxo
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek
Love these! They look like my perfect chocolate cookie. I’m beyond excited for this book, so thanks for the brief sneak peek. xo
Natalie
These cookies look so good!
Ashlyn @ The Pedantic Foodie
I cannot wait to hold this book in my hands!!
Rena
Wonderful recipe for the chocolate craving you had!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com