Triple Chocolate Crackle Cookies

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Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!  

Some days (most days for me) you just need a good chocolate fix.  Today was 'one' of those days!  This morning the girls and I got our aprons on and got to baking.  Of course the girls were my spoon lickers, and the cookies were very enthusiastically taste tested and approved!

My mother-in-law makes the most fantastic crackle cookies every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Moist, chewy and crunchy. The perfect combination for a cookie.  I've yet to nab the famous recipe from her, instead I created my own!  

My cookies were not quite as crunchy as the family crackles but were deliciously chocolaty and moist!  

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we did...

 and don't forget to serve them out-of-the-oven warm!

Triple Chocolate Crackle Cookies 
Recipe created from Epicurean Mom
Yields 24 cookies


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 eggs
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces chocolate chips
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, for dipping

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a double boiler or in a heat-resistant bowl over boiling water, warm chopped chocolate until completely melted.  Take off heat and let cool.

Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the sugar and butter together until well blended and creamy.  Turn the speed to low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Remove bowl from standing mixer, add milk, melted chocolate and vanilla.  Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, add the chocolate chips and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.  Once chilled, using your hands, roll dough into squat 1.5-inch balls.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Pour confectioners' sugar on a large plate, gently roll cookie balls into sugar.  Make sure no dark spots peek through sugar.  Roll them a second time in sugar and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Space balls 2-inch apart and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out slightly dirty (be sure not too overcook.  They will become too dry.)  Serve them warm and with milk, of course!

Nutella Baklava

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We are huge Nutella eaters in this house!  The girls think it's 'chocolate', and it's my excuse to indulge in a slightly sinful snack.  Be it slathered on toast in the morning or as a sweet snack in the afternoon, I adore the creamy hazelnut spread!  

Since I've been on quite the tea kick lately, and trying to phase out coffee *GASPS*  I wanted a sweet tea-time snack.  Baklava is that perfect airy dessert, sweetly scented with honey.  Hubby usually comes home with a box filled with homemade baklava during the holidays.  I must admit, I look forward to those nutty bars!  Alas, the holidays are over and I have a hankering for baklava.

Trying to fulfill my baklava cravings, I came across the most amazing recipe that included Nutella!  Brilliant!  I, of course, made them the very next day.  

Enjoy! 

Nutella Baklava 

Yields 24 squares

Recipe adapted by My Recipes 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup Nutella spread

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:

Combine honey, water and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until honey dissolves.  Increase heat to medium and cook (without stirring) for 7-10 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 230 degrees.  Take off heat, and cover to keep warm.  Discard cinnamon stick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place Nutella in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave for 45 seconds to melt.  Combine all nuts, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.  Toss to coat.  

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.  1 phyllo sheet at a time, place lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan allowing ends to extend over the edge slightly; brush evenly with butter.  Repeat with 5 phyllo sheets and butter.  Spread 1/3 of nutella over the last phyllo sheet, in an even layer.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of nut mixture.  Repeat process twice ending with 6 phyllo sheets on top of the last layer of nuts.  Gently press into pan.

Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions, using a sharp knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until phyllo dough is golden brown.  Remove from oven and drizzle with honey.  Cool; store at room temperature in an airtight container.