These Black Forest Crinkle Cookies are a soft, rich delicious chocolate cookie loaded with chocolate chips and tart dried cherries. It’s rolled in powdered sugar so there is a beautiful contrast between the crackled white outside and dark chocolatey inside.
My family is crazy about cherries and chocolate, and they’re crazy about this chocolate cookie loaded with cherries and chocolate. I originally shared this recipe about 6 years ago, but when I made them to take to a family Christmas party, I decided it was time to update the photos and share them again.
Santa’s Milk Drive
What goes better with cookies than milk? Here’s a chance to make a difference in your local community. Contribute to Santa’s Milk Drive by donating a gallon of milk (the most under donated store-bought item across the nation). After entering their zip code, that gallon of milk will be delivered to their own local food bank, keeping the charity where it’s needed most: in your own communities.
AND if your local, you can visit Smiths’ Marketplace, at 3215 Valley Street (3300 South off Wasatch BLVD and I-215 by REI), Salt Lake City, Saturday 12/10/2016 from 12 pm to 4 pm to donate in person, get samples or be accosted by 7th graders in moo shirts.
Now back to the cookies!
I saw this recipe on Sweet Peas Kitchen and thought it sounded amazing. Christina found the original recipe in Taste of Home Fall Baking 2010. Black Forest is such a great name for a cookie. The name immediately conjures up memories of rich, delicious chocolate cake filled with cherries. And this cookie definitely lives up to it’s delicious name.
The original recipe calls for espresso powder, but I don’t like coffee. I don’t drink it and I don’t like coffee flavored candy or baked goods. I’ve tried using espresso powder in the past (it’s used to accentuate the chocolate flavor) but I didn’t like it because all I could smell when it was baking was the coffee. Nielsen-Massey sent me a selection of their extracts, including their high quality chocolate extract, so I decided to use the chocolate extract to boost the chocolate flavor instead of espresso powder.
I made the recipe twice because the first time my cookies came out too flat. The second time I left out the hot water and the consistency was better. I doubled the recipe because the original recipe made so few cookies it seemed more like half a batch of cookies.
The second time around I used a tip Martha Stewart uses in her chocolate crinkle cookies. She rolls them first in granulated sugar and then rolls them in powdered sugar so that they come out very white. I also added more cherries and chocolate chips. My adapted recipe is below.
Black Forest Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder not Dutch process
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried tart cherries 1.5 ounces
- ½ granulated sugar
- ½ to 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- Melt butter in a second small bowl in a microwave or a small saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa to melted butter, whisking until smooth. Stir in the eggs, chocolate and vanilla extracts, fully blending in each one before adding the next.
- Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold chocolate chips and cherries into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Shape into generous 2 inch balls using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon measure. Roll balls in granulated sugar, then roll balls in powdered sugar (use lots of powdered sugar).
- Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until cookies are cracked, yet still soft, do not overbake. (The look a bit uncooked even when they're done.) Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Here are my 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies all boxed up and ready to give away.
Thanks for baking/following along with me. I wish I could send one of these boxes out to all of my amazing readers. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Sharron Clemons
You have one amazingly good looking box of cookies there. I think the recipient’s will be more than pleased with all those beautiful cookies. I can see how these black forest crinkles would be favorites. I myself love the chocolate and cherry combination. I hope you and your family have wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!
Chris
That box of cookies is on its way to Atlanta, right? Black Forest Cookies…brilliant, my lady! Brilliant. 🙂
Barbara
Chris if I had one left I’d put your name on it and send it to Atlanta!
Jenna
What a beautiful gift box! I’m sure everyone who receives your assortment of cookies will be forever in your debt. =)
Jamie
I wish I was on your cookie giveaway list, they look fabulous! And with the addition of tart dried cherries, these cookies really don’t need espresso – as much as I do love coffee and chocolate, I wouldn’t want that extra flavor to get in the way of the cherry flavor. Perfect cookies, Barbara!
Hope you are getting through the holidays well, honey, and I am thinking of you! *hugs*
Kim
You have one amazingly good looking box of cookies there. I think the recipient’s will be more than pleased with all those beautiful cookies.
I can see how these black forest crinkles would be favorites. I myself love the chocolate and cherry combination.
I hope you and your family have wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!
Rose
Oh Barbara, these are sooo good !
I cant believe 12 weeks have gone by either!!
And all these delicious cookies u have baked along!!
Oh soo good!!!
Pretty cookies for the holidays!!!
Happy holidays!!
Carol
That is one beautiful cookie Barbara and your cookie box is GORGEOUS! What a wonderful gift that will be.
These Black Forest Cookies may sneak onto the cookie tray I bring to my daughter’s house on Christmas-she loves Black Forest Cake so I know she’ll love these.
Merry Christmas to you and your family-and thank you for sharing all your over the top recipes…….I’ll be making your Snickerdoodle Bread for friends tomorrow.
Carol
Barbara
Thanks! I hope your friends love the snickerdoodle bread!
Martha (MM)
These sound awesome! I make some that look similar but sure don’t sound nearly as wonderful. Yum!!
Anna Johnston
Black Forest Crinkles = fantastic 🙂
FOODESSA
Last year was my very first time baking these treats. It was love at first bite.
Adding some dried cherries could be a different twist I can offer at the sweet table this year. Thanks for sharing your discovery Barbara ;o)
Happy Holidays going forward and flavourful wishes,
Claudia
P.S. I gave Mommy an extra hug dedicated to you and your Mom 😉
Paula
These are really so pretty!
Faith
The black forest crinkles sound fantastic, Barbara! And what a lovely box of cookies. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas too!
tasteofbeirut
These cookies would definitely get my vote: I am a chocoholic and I love these, especially with the added cherries.
Mags
Love these cookies Barbara!
And as always, I’m so impressed with your Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies. What lovely presentation in the box and a welcome gift in any home.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
love,
Mags
Nutmeg Nanny
These look delicious! I love the idea of adding dried cherries. Plus I’m crazy jealous that Nielsen-Massey sent you all those extracts….they are my favorite!
Joy
Yum. I love black forest but I would never think of making it into a cookie.
Sue
I like the tips, especially to roll them in white sugar before the powdered sugar. It is a nice contrast. It’s a good idea to use the chocolate extract too. I think I actually have some on hand:) MERRY CHRISTMAS, Barbara.
Cakelaw
These are gorgeous, and chocolate and cherry is a winning flavour combination.
teresa
mmmmm, these sound so wonderful, and your cookies box is lovely, those are some lucky recipients!
Beth
I love crinkle cookies, but I’ve never made them with cherries. That sounds excellent! Can’t wait to try your variation.