It’s Christmas cookie time! Every year I make at least one type of Christmas cookie. It’s a fun tradition and they make an easy, super inexpensive gift (who doesn’t like cookies?!). This year I made these awesome Chocolate Cayenne Crinkles that have all the spicy cocoa flavor of my favorite Aztec Cocoa in a light, chewy cookie.
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I saw these Flourless Chocolate Cookies on Cooking Classy and immediately wanted to make them. There are only a few simple ingredients and they looked a lot like the delicate and delicious shell of a macaron. I love how the exterior of a macaron is shiny and thin, but the inside is kind of dense and chewy. That’s exactly how this entire cookie is. YUM!
I wanted to put my own spin on the Flourless Chocolate Cookie, so I decided to add some cayenne pepper. Cayenne and cocoa is an age old duo and one that I can’t get enough of. You can leave the cayenne out and do a plain chocolate cookie, if you desire, or try replacing some of the vanilla extract with peppermint extract for a sort of mint hot cocoa effect. Cinnamon could also work (a chocolatey alternative to snickerdoodles, maybe?) You could even top them with crushed candy canes. Fun, right?
YAY, Christmas cookies!
Chocolate Cayenne Crinkles
Servings 20 cookiesIngredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar ($0.54)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.48)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 2 large egg whites ($0.42)
- 1 large whole egg ($0.21)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.28)
- 1 cup chocolate chips ($0.91)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper until evenly combined.
- Add the egg whites, whole egg, and vanilla extract to the powdered sugar mixture. Carefully stir the mixture until all of the powdered sugar has dissolved into the eggs and a very thick batter forms. It may seem like there is not enough moisture to stir in all the powdered sugar, but keep stirring and it will eventually melt in. The mixture will be very thick and stiff, so use a strong spoon. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the batter, one heaping tablespoon at a time, onto the baking sheets. Be sure to leave a couple inches between each cookie because they will spread. (I suggest ten cookies per sheet.)
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 14 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and cracked over the surface. Allow the cookies to cool before removing from the parchment.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Chocolate Cayenne Crinkles – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a LARGE bowl, combine 3 cups powdered sugar, 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. If you’re scared of the spiciness, start with 1/4 tsp cayenne. Make sure the dry ingredients are very well mixed. Hint: use a bowl with steep sides, or you’ll get powdered sugar everywhere.
Add two large egg whites, one whole egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Begin to carefully stir these into the powdered sugar mixture. You can use a whisk at first, but it will soon get too thick and you’ll need to switch to a spoon.
As you stir the eggs and vanilla into the powdered sugar it will seem like there’s not enough moisture to make it work (I went back and checked the recipe THREE times to make sure…), but just keep stirring and eventually all of the powdered sugar will melt into it. The batter becomes very thick and stiff.
Stir in one cup of chocolate chips. I happened to have some leftover mini-chocolate chips, so I used those.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the batter onto the sheets in heaping tablespoons, about ten per sheet. Leave a couple of inches between each cookie for them to spread while baking.
Bake one sheet at a time for 14 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up and cracked along the top (they deflate upon cooling). Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the parchment.
Enjoy the warm chocolatey goodness and the sassy kick of cayenne!
I got this recipe in my inbox this morning and these cookies looked so delicious that I KNEW that I had to make them! I was nervous about adding the cayenne, but it provided the perfect amount of spice without overpowering the other flavors at all. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and also lightly dusted the cookies with powdered sugar before putting them into the oven – they turned out amazing! Thanks for a great recipe!
hi! I’m making these right now,but where do the chocolate chips come into play?
Sorry, I just updated the recipe card to include that! After you stir the eggs and vanilla into the powdered sugar mixture, you then stir in the chocolate chips (you can see it in the step by step photos). My mistake! :P
Man, those look goooood! I have coworkers that don’t like spice. Can you actually taste any kick from the cayenne pepper?
Yes, definitely! They’re spicy. You can do a slightly spicy version with 1/4 tsp of cayenne instead of 1/2 tsp, or just leave it out and do a plain chocolate crinkle.
I made these this afternoon and they taste delicious but came out really flat, any suggestions?
Hmmm. Was your batter really thick and stiff after mixing?
Mine are in the oven now but my batter was runny and not thick…. Hmm. Just pulled them out and they got Hubby’s approval!
It was thick and stiff in the bowl but started to spread as soon as I put the batter on the cookie tray. They didn’t puff up very much in the oven either, just a whole lotta spreading.
I’m in the UK so sometimes ingredients are a bit different and cause problems when trying to translate recipes to British equivalents, but I followed the directions exactly and none of these particular ingredients vary that much over here so I’m stumped!
That is strange! My batter stayed in little ragged balls after I scooped them onto the baking sheet. It sounds like there might have been more moisture in your batter. It’s a mystery!
I had the same problem! I’m over in Australia so I was wondering if maybe the powdered sugar (icing sugar) or cocoa powder wasn’t the same as what you’ve got in the states? Still tasted good, but it’s definitely not one that I can share with neighbours & coworkers.
Ooh these look goood! I’m out of cayenne; wonder if chili powder or Sriracha would work instead?
Chili powder is often a mild mix of spices, so that won’t work quite the same. Sriracha has other flavors, like garlic and vinegar, so I’m not sure how that would work in there, either.
I ended up using half chili powder and half cinnamon instead of the cayenne pepper. They came out a little flat and a little too big (next time i’ll make them smaller), and they needed a little longer in the oven to get as crunchy as i like them, but taste GREAT! Thanks for the recipe!
Just made these and the only change I made was I used dark chocolate cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips, and they turned out AMAZING!!!
Do these freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing them. :(
Oh man! I didn’t look at the pics and missed adding the chips. They’re in the oven now. Only time will tell. Darn.
I use arrowroot in place of cornstarch in baked goods.
Oh no! I didn’t realize I forgot that step in the recipe card. Adding now. Thanks for letting me know!
Could you do these without cornstarch? Or could you suggest a replacement? My husband is allergy to corn but I’d love to make these for him.
Is there potato starch available in your location? Where I live it’s much more common than corn starch, and I think it would work as a replacement – starch is statch, after all.
I’m not quite sure what would happen without the cornstarch. A few people have posted some alternatives, though. :)
Saw your comment when commentstalking for informational purposes, and thought I’d chime in. Tapioca, arrowroot, or the aforementioned potato starch are all options, at least in most baking; I haven’t tried this recipe yet myself. Potato starch should be substituted in an equal amount to cornstarch, but tapioca and arrowroot sometimes needs twice as much than if you used cornstarch (so up to 2 tablespoons in this recipe).
That was the useful part of my reply. The rest is simply interesting information, but not exactly helpful for immediate results:
The starch is pretty important, since it helps give structure to the molecular network holding the cookies together, but the egg white also serves in helping hold the cookies together. Beating the egg whites separately before combining with the rest of the ingredients could help the whites take on more of the role of holding things together, but that would also change the consistency of the cookie and possibly ruin it. Definitely a bit of an advanced parameter to experiment with, there, but it’s still a possibility.
Please add to directions when to add the chips. I see it in the photos
I’m sorry I missed that! I’ve fixed it now. :)
I think my husband will really like these. I might skip the cayenne and instead use his habanero-infused salt in place of the regular salt.
I’m looking forward to making these cookies.
Do want.
Any reason they can’t be frozen? They look delicious and, as you said, a perfect and inexpensive gift.
I’m not sure how merengue type cookies freeze.
do you know of any paleo substitutions to powdered sugar?
Hmm, nope. Powdered sugar is pretty unique.
Pretty sure Ogg and Grunta weren’t eating chocolate cookies, with or without powdered sugar…