We are nearly there, the most joyful day of the year is upon us! Since coming back from New Zealand, I’ve been in full-on Christmas mode, decorating our home, buying gifts and baking treats for my family!
Last year my husband and I spent Christmas alone in our new London home. We were doing renovations, so we didn’t bother making the Christmas tree and had our Christmas lunch sitting on a blanket on the floor. I was happy, but I missed my family.
This year we are going to be in the beautiful city of Trieste to celebrate Christmas with them! My husband hasn’t been in Italy since our wedding in Rome and has not seen my relatives in more than a year. Him being there with me is going to make this Christmas extra special!
Merry Christmas to all of you, I wish you a great holiday with the people you love the most!
I made these Chocolate Crackle Cookies for my family. I am going to wrap them in clear plastic bags and put them under the Christmas tree. It makes me happy to gift something I have made myself!
If you are looking for an easy recipe to prepare Christmas treats, I recommend this Martha Stewart recipe (I found it thanks to Vaniglia Cooking blog).
Ingredients
Makes two dozens
- 120g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
- 90g plain flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 60g unsalted butter, softened
- 140g light-brown sugar
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 40ml milk
- 100g caster sugar
- 50g icing sugar
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Melt the chocolate over medium heat in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain marie). Set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, beat the butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add the melted chocolate.
Using a mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough in two, wrap with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
On a clean counter top, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 2.5cm in diameter (using icing sugar to prevent sticking). Wrap the two logs in cling film and leave them in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Prepare one bowl with caster sugar and one with icing sugar. Take the logs out of the fridge and cut rounds of dough, 1cm thick. Toss them in caster sugar, then coat the cookies completely in icing sugar.
Place the cookies 5cm apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake until the cookies have flattened and the sugar has split, about 14-15 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
