Chocolate Fudge Crackle Cookies

This Chocolate Fudge Crackle Cookie recipe is my all time favourite recipe to use during my Christmas baking. It's the cookie that gets even more raves than the Peanut Brittle Cookies! These are just so good! They are also good for freezing if you don't eat them right away (which is very hard to do, trust me).

This too, comes from 'The Love of Baking' recipe book from www.robinhood.ca. Lets get to it!

Prep Time: 15 mins + refrigeration I Bake Time: 13 mins per sheet I Makes: 48 crackles

¼         cup (50 mL) Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening

1          cup (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼         cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

2          eggs

²/₃        cup (150 mL) Eagle Brand Regular or Low Fat Sweetened Condensed Milk

1          tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

1 ½      cups (375 mL) Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour

½         tsp (2 mL) baking powder

¼         tsp (1 mL) salt

1 ½      cups (375 mL) Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips

¾         cup (174 mL) icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325^oF (160 ^oC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a glass bowl in microwave, melt shortening and semi-sweet chocolate chips on Medium (50%). Add in sugar and then eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Mix in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Add next four ingredients; mix well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours up to 8 hours.

4. Sift icing sugar in a shallow bowl. Between palms of hands, roll pieces of chilled dough to form 1 ¼" (3 cm) balls. Drop balls in icing sugar and toss lightly until well coated. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten very slightly. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining icing sugar, spacing about 1 ½" (4 cm) apart.

5. Bake each sheet in preheated oven for 11 - 13 minutes or until just beginning to feel firm when pressed in centre. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer crackles to wire racks to cool completely.

I really hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do here. Let me know how you like them!

Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Brittle Cookies

This is one of the recipes I used when I did my holiday baking and I have used this particular recipe since I started doing holiday baking with my sister years ago. It always gets rave reviews. The recipe itself comes from a small recipe book called 'The Love of Baking' from www.robinhood.ca. Actually, most of my holiday baking recipes come from this book. I can't recall exactly where I picked up the book from, but I'm sure you can find this recipe and more on their website. But let's get things started.

Prep Time: 10 mins I Bake Time: 12 minutes per sheet I Makes: 44 Cookies 

½       cup (125 mL) Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening

½       cup (125 mL) light brown sugar, packed

¼       cup (50 mL) granulated suger

1        tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract

1        egg

1 ¼    cup (300 mL) Robin Hood All Purpose Flour

½       tsp ( 2mL) each; baking soda and salt

1        pkg (300 g) Chipits REESE Peanut Butter Chips, divided

1        cup (125 mL) Chipits SKOR Toffee Bits

¾       cup (175 mL) unsalted peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF (180^oC). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat shortening with sugars and vanilla until creamy. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking soda and salt, mixing until incorporated. Stir in 1 cup (250 mL) peanut butter chips, all toffee bits and all peanuts.

3. Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons (15 mL) onto prepared baking sheets, about 2" apart.

4. Bake each sheet in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes or until deep golden brown and just set. Cool on sheet for 3 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Melt remaining peanut butter chips in microwave on High for about 45 seconds. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

These really are delicious, however, I do not drizzle the remaining peanut butter chips on the cookies as I skip this step. I just don't think it's necessary because the cookies are already so good without it, not to mention that it was very messy the first time I did it.

These cookies also freeze really well so you can bake early and freeze until you really need them. Just remember to label that freezer bag.

Happy baking!