Chocolate Frangelico Crinkle Cookies

Look, it's another chocolate/hazelnut creation! I knew that in making boozy cookies this month, I was sure that I wanted to find a recipe using hazelnut liqueur: Frangelico. I came across this recipe which combined lots of chocolate and a good dose of Frangelico, and I knew it would be a winner.

This is an unusual dough, with very little sugar. Melted chocolate is the main component and before you chill it, you may have your doubts that it will come together as a cookie. It chilled up just fine and the cookies were easily formed, so I was worried for no good reason. I made the recipe as specified, with just one change: I used chopped hazelnuts instead of walnuts. I just couldn't figure out what on earth you'd add walnuts to a hazelnut cookie!

These cookies look a lot like other chocolate snowballs that you may be familiar with, but trust me, they stand alone. They are super chocolaty and not very sweet. I usually think that they powdered sugar that you roll the cookies in is just decorative, but in this case, that sugar adds a lot of the sweetness so don't skimp on the powdered sugar. These look about the same coming out of the oven as they do when they go in, so it's a bit hard to tell when they are done. I opted for cookies on the side of gooey and that was the right choice. If you're looking for a chocolate fix, these are the cookies for you.

Chocolate Frangelico Crinkle Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Frangelico liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a double boiler, melt the chocolates with the butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, hazelnuts, Frangelico, and sugar. Stir in the flour mixture and chocolate mixture, dough will be loose. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into small balls and roll in the powdered sugar, coating generously. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are puffed and cracked but centers are still a bit soft. Transfer to racks and cool completely.

Recipe from Daydreamer Desserts