Looking for an exceptional chocolate cookie? Your search may be over. These Ultra-Dark Chocolate Crackle Cookies have a brownie-like interior dotted with pieces of melted dark-chocolate morsels. In contrast, the exterior maintains that cookie crunch that we all love.
The addition of orange zest is the real surprise here. Although the amount is minimal, the flavor punch is pretty amazing. I love it when someone takes a bite and says, “Wow! These are really good! Do I detect a hint of orange?” That’s when you know you’ve added just the right amount.
Here’s what you’ll need…
- Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. I always use flour that is organic, non-GMO and free of glyphosate. My personal favorite is from a domestic company, Sunrise Flour Mill, located in Minnesota. If desired, gluten-free flour can be used as an alternative. The final texture may be a bit more crumbly but still delicious.
- Baking Soda – Contributes to a slightly tangy flavor as well as creating a chewier texture. Baking soda also helps baked goods to brown.
- Salt – Finely ground table salt is fine.
- Unsalted butter – At room temperature. It’s important to use unsalted butter so that the natural butter flavor shines through without the influence of added salt.
- Light brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content.
- Unsweetened cocoa – You can use either natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize its acidity, resulting in a darker color and milder, less bitter flavor.
- Orange zest – The finer the better. I use my microplane grater for the best results.
- Pure vanilla extract – Best to use pure vanilla extract. Made from only natural vanilla beans, water and alcohol, pure vanilla extract provides a richer, deeper flavor profile with additional aromatic notes that the artificial version lacks.
- Eggs – Large eggs (chilled or at room temperature) are used in this recipe.
- Bittersweet chocolate – Some will be melted then cooled to barely lukewarm. The rest is roughly chopped and added to the cookie dough as a final step. Try to choose a brand that is non-GMO that would not contain bio-engineered ingredients. I typically use Ghirardelli’s baking bars, which are readily available in most markets. When a recipe calls for chocolate to be melted, avoid using chips since they contain stabilizing ingredients that can alter the desired consistency.
- Granulated sugar – When possible, I prefer to use organic granulated sugar. It’s less processed than conventional refined sugar, retaining some of the molasses, which contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, organic sugar is produced without synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
Let’s get started on your Ultra-Dark Chocolate Crackle Cookies…
- Position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line three large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
If you haven’t done so already, this is a good time to melt your 8-ounces of bittersweet chocolate so that it can cool down a bit before adding it to the batter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda & salt.
- Set that aside.
- And you really can use gluten-free flour here – the outcome will be great.
- If not yet done, get that orange zest ready and also set that aside.
The orange zest really does make such a difference in the flavor of these cookies. I like to use a naval orange since the peel is usually substantial. And after collecting the zest, the orange sections make for a great snack to munch on while I’m baking. I’m all about multi-tasking.
This comes together so quickly. You don’t need a stand mixer …a hand held mixer will do the trick very nicely.
I even made this cookie dough once mixing it by hand with a large wooden spoon. We were away from home staying in a short term apartment rental. There was no mixer of any type, so I went for it. The cookies turned out great!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment…
- Or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer…
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, cocoa, orange zest & vanilla on medium speed until well combined, for about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly between additions.
- Add the cooled chocolate and mix until blended, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture.
- Mix on low speed until almost completely blended, about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped chocolate and mix by hand until well incorporated.
Let’s talk chopped chocolate.
The original version of this recipe calls for the chopped chocolate of your choice. You can use white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet or bittersweet. Since my family loves really dark chocolate, bittersweet is always my choice.
And it is fine to use chocolate chips instead of chopping from a block for this final addition. It won’t make a huge difference in the outcome. And you would save some time.
Grab your cookie scoop…
- Shape the dough into 1-1/4-inch balls with a small ice-cream scoop or two tablespoons.
- A 1.5-tablespoon capacity cookie scoop works well here.
This dough tends to be quite sticky, but it’s easy to handle when you use a cookie scoop to form each cookie. My 1.5 tablespoon capacity scoop works well to create perfectly round balls of dough. For smaller cookies, switch to a one-tablespoon scoop.
- Pour the granulated sugar into a shallow dish.
- Dip the top of each ball in the sugar.
- Set the balls sugar side up about 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are puffed and cracked on top, 11 to 12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Give your Ultra-Dark Chocolate Crackle Cookies a full five minutes of rest on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. They are very fragile when still hot and they need a few minutes to fully set before handling them.
Pour a cold glass of milk and enjoy Ultra-Dark Chocolate Crackle Cookies!
One other thing …these guys are sooooo good with vanilla ice cream. You can even break up one or two of them and top off an ice cream cone with the crumbles. My grandkids go crazy over their “cookie crumble ice cream cones.”
Helpful Hints..
- For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. According to the folks at King Arthur Flour, 1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 120 grams. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.
- The balls of dough may be frozen for up to one month before baking. Spread the formed dough balls in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer. When frozen, transfer them to an airtight plastic bag. Thaw them overnight on trays in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.
- You may prefer a more striking contrast on the surface of your finished cookies. After forming, roll the balls of dough first in granulated sugar, then in confectioners’ sugar. The first layer ensures that the second one retains its snowy white appearance. Your cookies will then have a more dramatic look, similar to these beauties.
ultra-dark chocolate crackle cookies
Adapted from from Fine Cooking
Not too sweet, with a brownie-like center and a crispy exterior.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free ap flour (300 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (8 ounces)
- 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (56 grams / 2 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted then cooled to barely warm
- 3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (4 oounces)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more if needed
Instructions
-
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line three large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, cocoa, orange zest, and vanilla on medium speed until well combined, for about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly between additions. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until almost completely blended, about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate and mix by hand until well incorporated.
-
Shape the dough into 1-1/4-inch balls with a small ice-cream scoop or two tablespoons. A 1.5-tablespoon capacity cookie scoop works well here.
-
Pour the granulated sugar into a shallow dish. Dip the top of each ball in the sugar and set the balls sugar side up about 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are puffed and cracked on top, 11 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
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