Chocolate Midnight Crackles
Ingredients:
10 tablespoons butter, cut into 10 pieces
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
Directions:
Put the butter, sugar and chocolate in that order into a 2 quart
saucepan. Put the pan over low heat and warm the ingredients, stirring
occasionally, until they are melted and smooth. Scrape everything into the bowl
of a mixer or into a large bowl.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and
cloves.
Working with a mixer with a paddle attachment, if you have one,
or with a hand mixer in a large bowl on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time,
beating until the eggs are well blended into the chocolate. With the mixer
still on low, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dough is smooth
and shiny; it will clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball. Turn the dough
out onto a work surface, divide it in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and
chill for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 days. (If the dough is solid, leave it
on the counter for 30 minutes before proceeding.).
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat
the oven to 350°F Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.
Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough
between your palms to form firm, shiny balls. (If the dough breaks as you work,
squeeze and knead it a bit, then reroll it between your palms.) Place the balls
about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets and lightly press each one down a bit
with your fingertips.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking
sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies
should be delicately firm and crackled across the top. (It’s better to under-
than over bake.) Remove the sheets from the oven, let the cookies rest on the
sheets for 2 minutes, then, using a wide metal spatula, gently transfer the
cookies to a rack; cool to room temperature.
Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking
sheets between batches.
