These Chocolate-Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are the perfect cookie to leave out for Santa this Christmas. These highly addictive cookies get their festive crinkle from balsamic vinegar… and are even gluten free!
Servings: 15-20 cookies
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup icing sugar, plus an extra 1/2 cup for rolling the cookies
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler, stirring gently until fully melted. You can also melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
Add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture increases in volume and becomes a pale yellow colour, approximately 3 minutes. The eggs and sugar should be thick and form a ribbon. Slowly add in the melted chocolate, peppermint extract and balsamic vinegar and mix to combine.
Sift the cocoa powder, icing sugar, cornstarch and salt into the chocolate mixture. Use the electric mixer to combine all the ingredients. Once combined, the dough will transform from a soft, pliable dough to one that is more firm (this is the cornstarch working!).
This very firm structure comes from cornstarch!
Place the remaining 1/2 cup of icing sugar into a small bowl. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the batter and roll it in between your hands (like you are making meatballs) until it is round. Place the ball into the icing sugar and roll it around to coat it fully.
Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking tray about 5 centimeters apart (they grow quite a bit!). Right before baking, gently press down each cookie using the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. When the cookies are done, they will be very soft, so let them cool for 10 minutes to firm up. If, after 10 minutes, the cookies are still not firm (i.e. they fall apart when you pick them up), place them back in the oven with the heat off and leave the oven door open a crack. Let the cookies cool completely in the oven.
Once cooled, serve with a nice big glass of milk or with some tea and enjoy!
