Chocolate-Butterscotch Crackle Cookies

I made some delicious chocolate crackle cookies with my kids a while back before Christmas and decided today I would post the recipe for them. They are super delicious and fairly easy to make. FYI I didn't have any vanilla bean at the time so I just added a few extra drops of pure vanilla extract. I also didn't have unsweetened chocolate so I substituted with Hershey Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder and vegetable oil. You could also use butter, margarine, coconut oil, etc. I added the measurements to the recipe below.

The recipe is from page 83 of  The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunki. The recipe is called Chocolate-Butterscotch Crackles.

The pictures are of my cookies. The recipe is below.

Mix the Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder and vegetable oil

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder 

Mix the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs/then add the chocolate mixture 

Then add the dry ingredient mixture

 After refrigerating at least 1 hour

Roll into balls and dip in confectioners sugar before baking

Chocolate-Butterscotch Crackle Cookies

recipe from: page 83 of  The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunki titled Chocolate-Butterscotch Crackles
Recipe adapted and blogged by: Julie Hodges

makes about 45 cookies
preheat oven to 350 degrees just before baking

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder + 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or  melted butter (4 oz unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped could also be used)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (unmelted)
• 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise and scrapped or just a few extra drops of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar (for dipping and rolling)

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the dark chocolate cocoa powder and oil together (if not using the unsweetened chocolate.) If using unsweetened chocolate, chop coarsely and melt with the 1/2 cup of butter in a double broiler or microwave tempering the chocolate.

3. Mix together the brown sugar, vanilla, the inside of the vanilla bean if desired or a few extra drops of vanilla extract, unmelted butter if using cocoa powder, and eggs. Mix until blended and stir in the chocolate mixture.

4. Then add the dry ingredient mixture. Stir until it has formed into dough.

5. Wrap the dough in a log shape in parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour up to overnight.

6. After the dough has been refrigerated at least one hour, roll into balls and dip and roll into a bowl of confectioners sugar and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper at least 2 inches apart.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes possibly up to 15 minutes depending on size. Bake until the cookies have puffed up and cracked open. Allow to cool and dip and roll a second time into confectioners sugar if desired.


recipe from: page 83 of  The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunki
Pictures taken by:Julie Hodges
Recipe adapted and blogged by: Julie Hodges