CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND PIE!

Desserts HAVE to be chocolatey for me at Christmas! It’s a requirement. Here are two fabulous chocolate recipes to serve Christmas Day: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Dark Chocolate Cream Pie.

When I saw these from Gaby Dalkin, I HAD to try them, and…they are amazing! They’re so good I had to include them in my blog so they’re saved forever. They’re perfect – gooey inside and nicely crispy on the exterior. Dense dark chocolate with sweet powdered sugar on the outside. They are just so so so good! MERRY CHRISTMAS indeed!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES

(Adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs at room temp
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting

With a mixer, combine the cocoa powder, white sugar and vegetable oil. 

Mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until evenly combined. 

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and incorporate all the ingredients. 

Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out small ball of dough, ~ 1 tbsp of dough per cookie. Roll the dough into balls with lightly oiled hands. Coat each ball in powdered sugar before placing onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

This is the quintessential chocolate pie recipe. It’s made with good quality chocolate, and it has just enough sweetness. Top with some homemade whipped cream and you’ve got an elegant delicious dessert.

DARK CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

(Adapted from Taste of Home)
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups milk
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 TBSP butter
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt.

Stir in milk and chocolate.

Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks. Then, return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
Gently stir in butter and vanilla.

Spoon into pastry shell. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.