Looking for a twist to the traditional chocolate crinkle cookies? Let me share my personal favorite, a recipe for chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies. Great for the snowy holidays, these chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies have a soft and chewy brownie textured center, with a crunch of cookie on the outside.
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a staple for the holidays. Want to hear their origin story? Apparently, Betty Crocker begged for the recipe from one Mrs. Helen Fredell who hailed from St. Paul, Minessota. She subsequently published the recipe in a pamphlet entitled “Betty Crocker’s Cooky Carnival,” which was published in 1957. Back then, it was called Molasses Crinkles. Just like the molasses crinkles’ recipe has been tweaked to become what we now know as the typical crinkle, we’ll also be adding our own twist to it.
This recipe for chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies will need time to chill, which you can do overnight. Barring the chilling time, baking the actual cookies will take you less than an hour. For this recipe, you’ll end up with 24 servings. If you want to share with friends or family, it’s easy to double them. Without further ado, why don’t we jump into the recipe?
Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes + chilling the dough
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24
Ingredients
1.5 oz. hazelnuts, finely chopped
3 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
1. Firstly, get a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate until smooth. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add 1 egg and melted chocolate. Beat until well combined. Add milk and vanilla, beat until incorporate.
4. Add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in chopped nuts.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge minimum 3 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Roll the dough into balls and then coat generously with powdered sugar. Place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ta-daaah! Chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies you can be proud of. They’re rich and fudgy without being too sweet. The finely chopped hazelnuts give it that additional crunch, so you never really feel like you’ve eaten too much sweets. The quick prep time and enticing result should make you want to try making it!
Tips for making Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies
If you know how to make crinkle cookies, you’ll probably have no problems baking these chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies. That being said, although they’re pretty easy to make, I’ll still give you a few tips to make sure you get crinkles that are fudgy on the outside and crispy on the outside.
Firstly, on melting the chocolate.
Make sure to melt your chocolate in bursts, so it does not burn. The way I do it, I place it inside the microwave for 15-30 seconds, depending on if the microwave is on high. Afterwards, I stir it a bit. If there still bits of unmelted chocolate, pop it back into microwave for another 15-30 seconds.
Secondly, maintain their chewyness.
Once you’re done baking your crinkles, make sure you store them properly in an airtight container. Going a step further, include one small slice of bread. Your crinkles will absorb moisture from the bread. Why bread? Since bread has no flavor, your crinkles will not acquire any other flavor while in storage.
Thirdly, don’t skip chilling the dough!
Chilling the dough is one step you do not want to skip, unless you want flat crinkles. That being said, make sure you don’t bake frozen dough. They should be close to room temperature. Not too runny, but not to think either. This will ensure your crinkle cookies expand and you get those cracks on top.
FAQs on making Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies
Why are my chocolate hazelnut crinkle cookies flat?
This brings us back to my third tip. Make sure you give your dough time to chill! At least 30 minutes should be okay. Another reason your crinkle cookies could turn out flat is if you didn’t measure out the flour properly. Too little flour can cause this.
What makes a cookie crinkle?
There is a science to getting perfectly crinkled cookies. I’ll try to explain as simply as I can. Basically, while baking your crinkles, they will expand and rise inside your oven. However, the top layer of your crinkles dries out before this process finishes. The top part hardens and then it’s pulled apart and cracks as the crinkle continues to rise and spread. This is why you need to make sure your dough is close to or at room temperature when you start baking them, so they can spread properly.
Should crinkles be refrigerated?
Before baking? Yes. Chill your dough. After baking? Also a yes if you aren’t eating them right away. Typically, crinkles can last for up to five days in room temperature. Just store them in an airtight container, which brings us to the last FAQ.
How do you preserve crinkles?
If you cook a big batch and want to extend the shelf life of your crinkles, you may do so by storing it inside an airtight container and then placing it inside your refrigerator. This will extend its life by a few days. If you store them n your freezer, they can possibly last for months.
