Crafty Christmas – Treat Containers from Formula Cans

I like to give away baking at Christmas. It’s an affordable way to spread some cheer to neighbours and friends who you wouldn’t normally buy presents for. But it can be tricky determining what to put my homemade sweets in for gifting as pretty containers end up being more expensive than the baking but a Ziploc bag really won’t do.  Yesterday, Chris needed cookies for a charity bake sale at his office. I knew the chances were high that if I sent them in one of my containers I’d never see it again so I had to come up with something quickly that still looked cute. Enter the formula can!

I’ve been saving them since Nathan started on formula 3 months ago so I have a LOT of them – he goes through about a can a week! I just knew they’d come in handy some day. I took a clean, empty formula can, measured a piece of glittery Christmas scrapbook paper to fit and then wrapped it around the can and hot glued it on. Done! Isn’t it pretty? The lid is plain so I don’t think anyone would even know it was a formula can (unless they have a baby of their own at home!). This was a 900g container and it fit two dozen Hot Chocolate Cookies perfectly – great for Christmas gifting! And since the tin is air tight it’ll keep the cookies fresh too :)

If you wanted to get even more creative you could add extra embellishments like ribbon or stickers but I think I like how pretty and simple this one is. I'll definitely be making more of these before December 25th!

By the Batch – Cookies & Cream Cookies

Well we’re a week into November and I find myself at a bit of a loss. Halloween is over and it’s really too early to pull out Christmas decorations. Americans are gearing up for Thanksgiving but that’s long over here in Canada. So with no holidays to decorate or prepare for, what’s a girl to do? Bake! And that’s just what I’ve been doing. I’ve actually started selling my cookies locally and am really pleased at the response I’ve received so far. For more information visit my Facebook page. In the meantime, here’s my take on a crazy good recipe for Cookies & Cream Cookies I found on Cookies & Cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cookies & cream chocolate (I bought mine in large pieces at the Bulk Barn)

Directions

Preheat to 350. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low, slowly beat in cocoa powder until well incorporated. On low, mix in your remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Fold in both kinds of chocolate until evenly incorporated. Drop by large tablespoonful on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approx 12 minutes or until edges are set. When done baking let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

According to Sarah

Seriously so good! The cookies & cream chocolate doesn’t come cheap so these are definitely not a cookie I’d have in the house all the time but for a special treat or for the holidays these are sure to please!

By the Batch – Chocolate Spritz Cookies

For Mother’s Day this year I received a cookie press as part of my gift. For those who don’t know, a cookie press is made up of a cylinder with a plunger on one end that you use to push dough through one of many interchangeable plates on the other end. The shape of the holes in each plate creates a unique shape of cookie. Cookie presses are super easy to use and give you cookies in different shapes without the hassle of rolling out dough and using cookie cutters. I used my brand new cookie press to make Chocolate Spritz Cookies.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups butter

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 2/3 cup cocoa

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture gradually and beat well. Shape dough into small log and place in cookie press. Press cookie onto cool ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool.

According to Sarah

These cookies were fun and easy to make with one caveat – the recipe yielded SO MUCH dough that it took me nearly two hours to make these cookies from start to finish. Most cookies presses don’t hold a ton of dough so you’ll need to refill multiple times. The good news is that the cookies don’t really spread or expand much so you can put them pretty close together on the cookie sheets. As for taste, these are a basic spritz cookie with just a hint of chocolate taste and a great crunch. I would definitely make them again and I can’t wait for the holidays so I can use my pumpkin and Christmas tree plates!

 

By the Batch – Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think when it comes to baking that often the simplest recipes are the most delicious. I love a recipe that calls for only ingredients that are already in my cupboards and that yields something wonderful.  That is definitely the case with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies from chef Michael Smith. We love Michael Smith around here. His show, Chef at Home, and his cookbooks are full of recipes that inspire even the most amateur of cooks and I knew his cookie recipe wouldn’t disappoint!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. If you don’t have a stand mixer, beat vigorously by hand in a large mixing bowl. Add the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a spoon, scoop out a ball of the dough, roll it for a moment in your hands and then drop it onto a lightly greased cookie tray. Slightly flatten the balls but leave lots of room in between to allow the cookies room to expand.

For a soft, chewy cookie, bake for exactly 12 minutes. For a cookie with a bit of crispy crunch, bake for exactly 15 minutes.

Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove and cool further.

According to Sarah

As I mentioned above, these cookies are wonderful! Since I had them on hand I added an extra half cup of dark chocolate chips and a quarter cup of toffee pieces to inject some additional flavours. I wanted my cookies chewy so I took them out at 12 minutes as instructed. They didn’t look finished to me but I’m glad I followed the directions because, once they cooled, the consistency was perfect. These cookies turned out so good that we ate the entire first batch in a matter of days and I had to make a second one to get us through the rest of the week! Simple, quick to bake and really yummy – these cookies are now a family favourite.

 

By the Batch – Cream Cheese Filled Snicker Doodles

I love Pinterest. I had a 8oz of cream cheese sitting in my fridge, nearing its expiration date and no idea what to make with it. A quick Pinterest search for “cream cheese” and I had tons of recipe ideas to choose from. While it was hard to pick just one I decided to go with these Cream Cheese Filled Snicker Doodles from Cookies & Cups.  I was not disappointed!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup room temp butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Filling
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. I used my hand mixer for this. Cover the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined. On low speed mix in your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set dough to the side.

In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, set that aside as well. Remove the cream cheese mixture from the refrigerator. For each cookie you will need 2 flattened balls of dough, 1 Tbsp each. (The flattened disk will be approx 2″ in diameter). Place 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of one of the flattened dough disks. Then place the other flattened dough on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together to seal. Carefully form into a ball and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a plate as you finish making each and refrigerate. Before baking the cookies they should chill for 15 minutes.

When the dough is chilled bake on a parchment lined baking sheet 2″ apart for 8 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

According to Sarah:

I’ll admit that I was impatient (as was baby Nathan) so I didn’t do all the chilling that this recipe required. My cream cheese mixture only sat for about 15 minutes in the fridge and the completed cookies didn’t chill at all. I don’t think my cookies were any worse for it so if you’re in a hurry then go ahead and skip those steps. My only complaint about this recipe is that I ended up with a lot of cream cheese mixture left over, even though I measured a tsp for each cookie as directed. Now I need to come up with something delicious to make with the excess. So maybe that isn’t a complaint after all ;)

By the Batch – Cookies & Cream Bark

Well I am now 38 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy and life has become a bit uncomfortable! Carrying this baby around has officially worn me out so I’ve been looking for activities and recipes that are quick to complete and don’t require a lot of standing. This Cookies & Cream Bark totally fits the bill and is amazingly yummy!

It’s so easy to make this stuff you can hardly call it a recipe. Simply take 10 ounces of white chocolate, chop it up and melt it using a double boiler (or a bowl over a pot with some water simmering in it like I use). Once it’s completely melted and smooth remove it from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. While you’re waiting, chop up 15 Oreo cookies. Once the chocolate has had a chance to cool stir the cookie pieces in and then spread the whole mixture on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. You can spread it as thick or thin as you like, just remember it’s harder to break apart if you make it too thick. Pop the whole thing in the fridge until it hardens (about 15 minutes) and then break it up into pieces and enjoy!

Some of the recipes I read said to crumble more cookies or nuts over the top to disguise the grey colour created by the crumbs in the chocolate but, since this batch was just for us at home, I didn’t bother. And I don’t think it looks unappetizing at all!

By the Batch - Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes the simplest recipes can be the most delicious. I think that's definitely the case with these Martha Stewart Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. 

According to Sarah:

These cookies could not be simpler to make and the ingredients are probably ones you already have on hand. I followed the recipe exactly and yielded about 3 dozen cookies that are still soft and chewy a week later. Pair these cookies with a cold glass of milk and you've got a winning pair. I'll be honest and tell you I don't know how we manage to have any left after a week ;)

By the Batch - Cheesecake Cookie Dough Bars

Normally around the holidays I bust my butt in the kitchen making all sorts of cookies to give to family, friends and colleagues. This Christmas, being pregnant and always tired, I decided to forgo the tradition. Instead I didn't bake anything until my week of holidays during which I baked only recipes that sounded good to me! And that's how I ended up with these amazing Cheesecake Cookie Dough Bars.

I used a recipe found on Brandy's Baking. While the recipe does have a lot of ingredients and steps it was surprisingly easy to do. I'll apologize now for the lack of pictures in this post - I got into the baking zone and forgot to take any until the bars were completely done - oops!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack.

While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In another large bowl cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. 

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.

And that's it - you're left with extremely delicious bars that are dangerous to have around the house! I've pinned this recipe and will definitely be returning to it again - maybe next time I'll actually share some ;)

By the Batch - Hot Chocolate Cookies

This coming weekend my husband and I are competing in a cook-off competition. It's Christmas themed and we have to make an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. The trick is that it all has to be done outdoors on a Traeger wood pellet grill! If you're a regular reader you'll have guessed that appetizer and entrée have fallen to Chris to prepare while the dessert is my time to shine. I decided pretty quickly that I wanted to make cookies since that's my Christmas tradition and I thought these Hot Chocolate Cookies were just right for the holidays. Last weekend I made up a test batch to see how the recipe would work on the grill and I was so pleased with the results!

Ingredients:
1 cup Salted Butter, softened
1 cup White Sugar
⅔ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
3-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
4 packages (1 Oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Chocolate Mix
1 teaspoon Salt
1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Each White, Milk, And Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, making sure all is incorporated.  Fold in chips. Chill the dough for an hour or so.  
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spoon dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.   Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.


According to Sarah:
These cookies are delicious! You might think 3 cups of chocolate chips is overkill but you would be wrong - yes they are chocolate heavy but they still manage to be not too sweet. To make mine look ever more hot chocolatey I added mini marshmallows a minute or two before the cookies were finished baking. This gives the marshmallows time to puff up a bit but not time to melt.


So what do you think? Do they look award winning?

By the Batch - Triple Chocolate Cookies

Baked goods have been noticeably absent from our house for the last couple of weeks while we've been getting our sweet fix from Halloween candy. But now that all the good stuff is gone and I can barely bring myself to look at another Tootsie Roll, I figured it was time to get back in the kitchen. Yesterday I had a craving for chocolate cookies. A quick search on Pinterest (seriously my new Google when it comes to recipes and craft ideas) turned up these delicious Triple Chocolate Cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softned
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and one egg at a time until well beaten.Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt then mix thoroughly. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and gently stir until evenly mixed.

Drop dough by heaping spoonful on to the baking sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on trays before moving to a rack

According to Sarah:

These cookies definitely satisfied my chocolate craving. They are moist and delicious and super gooey if you eat them straight out of the oven - after letting them cool for a few minutes, of course! I found I had to bake mine for about 12 minutes but since the recipe doesn't specify how many cookies it yields it could be that I made mine bigger. My only tip would be to follow the instruction that says to let them cool on the pan - when first removed from the oven these cookies are really soft and delicate and they'll fall apart if you try to move them too soon. Other than that, this recipe is quick and easy and the results are fantastic!

By the Batch - Coconut Macaroons

This week's cookie, Coconut Macaroons, have been at the top of my husband's wish list ever since I bought Martha Stewart's Cookies. I'd been selfishly putting off making them since I'm not really a coconut fan but decided that a cookie I don't really like is a cookie that I won't eat and a whole whack of fat and calories that I won't ingest!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Dampen hands with cold water. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.

 Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.

According to Sarah Christopher:

These cookies don't look like much but Chris insists that they are delicious. I like that they required hardly anything in the way of ingredients and they came together quickly without having to use a mixer. If you like coconut then this is definitely one to try. Chris has already made me promise to make this recipe again!

By the Batch - Chocolate Thumbprints

It's been quite a few weeks but I finally got reacquainted with my Martha Stewart Cookies book today - got to love not having to go to the office on a Monday! I didn't feel like making a trip to the grocery store so I picked Chocolate Thumbprints because I already had all the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium high.

Roll dough by teaspoonfuls into balls, and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into tops of cookies to make indentations. Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Combine chocolate, 4 tablespoons butter, and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

According to Sarah:
These cookies were really easy to make and came together very quickly with few ingredients. The only really time consuming part was rolling all the little balls - the recipe yields over 4 dozen cookies. The one strange part about the recipe is that it calls for sticking your thumb into the cookies after they've been in the oven for ten minutes. Maybe I'm a wuss but I tried it and it hurt! After about half a dozen cookies I switched to making the imprints with a 1/2 teaspoon. But burning my thumb a bit was well worth it since these cookies are really good. They are basically shortbread filled with chocolate and how can you go wrong with that? :)

By The Batch - White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This weekend, after a little hiatus, I went back to my Martha Stewart Cookies book and decided to try White Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

According to Martha:
A glass of milk is the ideal accompaniment to these drop cookies. Besides white chocolate, the cookies are also chockablock with oats, coconut, golden raisins, and walnuts.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups good-quality white chocolate chunks
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

I didn't have access to chocolate chunks so I just used white chocolate chips. I also omitted raisins since I'd have to buy a giant bag and knew they'd probably go to waste.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Gradually stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir in oats, chocolate, coconut, raisins, and walnuts.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake cookies until golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

According to Sarah:
These are a pretty basic drop cookie and very simple to make. Once you've added all the oats and nuts the batter gets incredibly thick so you'll need to mix it by hand instead of using the mixer. The batter was so thick that I broke my cookie scoop! As for taste, I have to admit that I don't really like these cookies all that much. The flavour is pretty bland and the texture is like you're munching on a mouthful of oats. Chris likes them though so maybe they're just not for me. If you're a regular reader you know it pains me to pan something made by Martha but I guess there's a first time for everything. These will not be added to my repertoire.

By the Batch - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

This particular Oatmeal Chocolate Chip recipe is a family favourite that I have blogged about before. We seriously love these cookies around here and I love making them because they're super easy and made with ingredients I pretty much always have on hand.

This time I made them with dark brown sugar instead of the golden kind because that's all we had in the house. It made them darker and sweeter. They didn't spread out like they normally do either but I don't know if that would be the result of the dark sugar or not.

This slight change yielded such a noticeable result that it makes me want to tinker with some of our other favourite recipes to see what I can come up with. In the meantime, you really need to make these cookies!

By the Batch - Easter Treats

This past weekend was my birthday and unfortunately, I was too busy celebrating to find any baking time. Instead I've pulled together some great ideas for homemade Easter treats that I want to try over the next few weeks!

Let's start simple with these super easy Easter Cupcakes from Kraft Canada. Use a cake mix to bake up cupcakes in any flavour then top with icing. Then make them special for Easter by building nests out of Cadbury Flake bars and Mini Eggs. So cute, easy to make and the kids can help.

I absolutely LOVE this idea for Stamped Easter Cookies from Martha Stewart. Again, it's a really simple concept - just stamp the cookie dough with regular rubber stamps before baking. This idea definitely doesn't have to be limited to Easter - you could use different stamps for any occasion!

If you're feeling a bit more ambitious then Glory over at Glorious Treats will walk you through decorating adorable cut out Easter cookies with royal icing.

Lastly, how adorable is this Easter Basket Cake made over at BabyCakes by Rachel? She made the basket with the bottom half of the Wilton giant cupcake pan which I just happened to receive from my husband for my birthday. I will definitely be giving this one a try!

How about you? Do you have any plans for Easter baking or do you have a recipe that you make every year for the occasion?

By the Batch - Chocolate Crackles

While new and different cookies are all well and good, sometimes you just want to sink your teeth into a traditional and typical chocolate cookie. That was the mood we were in this weekend when my husband picked Chocolate Crackles as this week's cookie.

I should note that the version on Martha's website is slightly different from the one in her Cookies book. I made the version from the book.

Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Set aside and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then the melted chocolate.

Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F. Divide each piece into 16 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners' sugar to coat.

Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

According to Sarah:
While these cookies were a bit time consuming what with chopping chocolate and refrigerating dough, I didn't mind a bit because they turned out so delicious. They are like really light and fluffy brownies in the shape of a cookie. Our house smelled amazing and Chris is already putting in requests for a second batch - I will definitely make these again!

I did substitute semisweet chocolate and skim milk because they were what I had on hand but I doubt it made much of a difference. Not one that bothered us anyway :)