I live in Southern California, which means the only snow I get every winter comes in the form of cookies. Crinkle cookies, to be specific, their exterior covered in a white blanket of confectioners' sugar, with a cracked surface that resembles tree roots picking through the snow-covered ground.
But like the first snowstorm of the season, the perfect crinkle can be elusive. So I called the King Arthur Test Kitchen's two resident experts, Molly Marzalek-Kelly and David Turner (DT), for advice. They are the masterminds behind ours Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Cream Cheese-Stuffed Red Velvet CookiesAnd Lemon Crinkle CookiesAll of which would be perfect on your holiday cookie plate alongside other favorites, like classics Chocolate Crinkle Cookies And the gorgeous Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies.
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova
“Crinkle cookie development is a challenge,” says Dt. “The main issue is that they don't always crinkle.” To help you get the crinkliest crinkle cookies this season, here are Molly and DT's dos and don'ts.
Note: Follow the recipe as written!
Molly and DT both agree: Make sure to follow the recipe exactly, ideally using a Balance To ensure accuracy. “It was written with your success in mind,” says Dt. “If there's a step that's out of the ordinary, we promise it's not. Trust us you should do it anyway.”
Beyond just recipe steps, this includes guidance like ingredient temperature. “If the recipe calls for Softened butter Or Room-temperature eggsThat's what you should use,” DT advises.
Note: Chill your dough long enough
“With crinkle cookies, there's almost always a chill step built into the recipe,” Molly says. “People want to rush things, so they often skip it or cut it short. But chilling is important!” By allowing your dough to chill properly, it solidifies to the right consistency and makes scooping and shaping much easier. Which leads to the next Advice…
An Mientka
Don't: Add too much flour
“Because crinkles rest, the dough often looks quite loose when it's first mixed,” says Molly. “Bakers sometimes panic and add more flour when mixing the dough, which makes the cookies too cakey.” Even if your crinkle cookie dough looks more like dough when you initially mix it, don't worry—and resist the urge to add more flour. Once it chills, the dough will firm up.
NOTE: Check your leaveners
The cookies get their characteristic crinkle by puffing dramatically in the oven. But if the leaveners you use are old and expired, they may not fully bubble while baking, thus reducing – or eliminating – any crinkling. If you are unsure about the quality of your baking soda or baking powder, You can test them for freshness Before baking.
Note: Dust your dough with sugar
Crinkle cookies are coated with sugar for two reasons. The first is obvious: it gives a striking appearance. What about the second? “The reason a cookie crinkles is because the outside dries and sets before the inside fully cooks, which causes the exterior to crack,” explains Dt. “This brings in the sugar from the outside. It's not only visual: it also dries out the outside of the cookie.” Make sure to use enough sugar to support this. As Molly advises: “Fully coat your cookie and don't knock off the sugar!”
An Mientka
Note: Use an oven thermometer
As mentioned above, the timing of a crinkle cookie's bake is key: you want to set the outside while the inside is still underbaked. That mean oven temperature is critical, so we recommend an oven thermometer to ensure you're baking at the correct temperature.
Don't: Overbake them
“Overbaked crinkle cookies will be cakey and dry out,” says Molly. Look for the cookies to be cracked all over and dry around the edges; The tops will still be shiny and moist but should not stick to your fingers if touched lightly.
You are ready to climb! Try Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Cream Cheese Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies And Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies.
cover photo (Chocolate Crinkle Cookies) by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.