The name crinkle cookies is pretty self-explanatory as they have a lovely mottled, crinkled surface. You get this by adding a layer of icing sugar before baking. This causes the top surface of the cookie to dry out before the cookie is finished spreading and rising, it hardens, cracks, and pulls apart, producing a cracked and crinkly exterior. They are a very American-style cookie and are often given as gifts.
I have always liked the chocolate version but more recently came across the lemon variety and they won me over as well. There is a drop of lemon extract added which brings the lemon flavour to the fore quite strongly especially when combined with the zest and juice. The chocolate ones are handy if you want a chocolate hit but don’t have actual chocolate to hand. The recipe uses cocoa powder rather than chocolate and it has a nice soft centre to counteract the crunchy exterior.
You can usually get freeze-dried raspberries in health food shops or specialist baking shops. You could use another freeze-dried berry if you wish. American recipes tend to add red food colouring but personally, I prefer a duller bake without the colouring.
You do not need any fancy equipment to make these — just a scales, bowl, wooden spoon and a baking tray. They are fun to make with younger family members, especially rolling the cookie balls in the icing sugar before baking.
- 60g cocoa powder
- 60mls olive oil
- 190g golden caster sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 180g plain flour
- a generous pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder, sieved
- 60g icing sugar
Mix the cocoa powder with the oil and sugar until combined. Slowly add in the eggs until they too are combined.
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together. Add this to the egg mixture and bring together into a smooth dough. Set it aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.
Tip the icing sugar onto a dinner plate.
Roll the dough into about 24 balls. Roll each ball in the icing sugar and place onto the baking tray with some space between each cookie so that they have room to spread.
Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies will feel a little soft coming out of the oven, but the outside should firm up as they cool, leaving a soft interior. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- 30g freeze-dried raspberries, blended into a rough powder
- 145g sugar
- 125mls light rapeseed oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 165g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder, sieved
- 50g icing sugar
Beat the raspberries, sugar and oil until turning pale. Slowly add in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the raspberry mixture and bring together until a smooth dough is formed. Set it aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat your oven to 10 degrees and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.
Tip the icing sugar onto a dinner plate.
Roll the dough into about 24 balls. Roll each ball in the icing sugar and place onto the baking tray with some space between each cookie so that they have room to spread.
Bake for twelve minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- 115g butter, melted
- 190g sugar
- 1 egg and 1 additional egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tbs lemon juice and 3 tsp of the zest
- 255g plain flour
- ½ tsp bread soda, sieved
Stir the butter and sugar together until combined. Slowly add in the egg and yolk until they too are combined. Add in the lemon extract, juice and zest.
Mix the flour, bread soda and salt together and add these to the lemon mixture. Bring together until a smooth dough is formed. Set it aside in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.
Tip the icing sugar onto a dinner plate.
Roll the dough into about 20 balls. Roll each ball in the icing sugar and place onto the baking tray with some room between each cookie so that they have space to spread out.
Bake for about 12 minutes. The cookies will feel a little soft coming out of the oven, but the outside should firm up as they cool, leaving a soft interior. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
