I’ve been eating cookies lately like it’s my JOB. I don’t know what happened, but as soon as this period of self-isolation began, a switch inside my head got flipped, and I went into I-must-eat-ALL-OF-THE-COOKIES mode. I’ve always loved cookies, but since the quarantine began, cookies have shifted from being something that I occasionally enjoyed to being my love language. I believe that I could now write an essay comparing and contrasting the Publix brand Thin Mint-ish cookies with that of Walmart. This past Sunday, I baked chocolate chip cookies and ate them for lunch. I didn’t eat them with lunch, I ate them FOR lunch. Cookies equal comfort in my noggin these days, I guess.
Let’s close our eyes (well, keep them open right now, and then close them) and remember back to the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. You may remember that the Holiday Cookie Stroll returned bigger and better for the 2019 festival. I had the pleasure of completing the Cookie Stroll on my own, and then had the fun of traipsing around Epcot with my niece and nephew as they completed the Cookie Stroll during their visit.
I was very clear in my review of the Holiday Cookie Stroll about my great love for the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie. Found at the Feast of the Three Kings booth, this cookie was rich, chewy, fudgy perfection. PERFECTION. I took many pictures of said cookie. And I may or may not have made another visit to Epcot just to have another crinkle cookie before the end of the festival. Ahem…
So imagine my great joy as I rediscovered this week that the recipe for the Holiday Cookie Stroll’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookie was released by Disney back in December. Hallelujah! My favorite Walt Disney World cookie + my current love for ALL THE COOKIES = this weekend’s Saturday Snacks article. It’s a match made in heaven.
Let’s get started. Thankfully, the ingredients called for in the recipe are ones that you might already have in your pantry and kitchen.
The recipe calls for combining dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a bowl and hand mixer will definitely meet the need.
One thing to note: after you combine the dry and wet ingredients, the dough needs at least three hours (or overnight) to chill in the refrigerator. I went with the overnight method.
I’m usually not this patient with cookie dough, but, in this case, letting the dough chill overnight worked best for me timing-wise.
Also note that, as the recipe says, the dough will be more like the consistency of brownie batter than cookie dough. That is 100% true, and, after it firms up in the fridge, it can be really sticky when you’re trying to roll the dough into balls and coat them in the powdered sugar.
Also, and I know that the recipe says not to over bake them, but let me stress: do NOT over bake them.
If you do, they’ll get cake-like, and somewhat disappointing. And yes, it happened to me. When it says to bake them between 8 and 10 minutes, stick closer to 8. And press the dough down slightly before baking. It helps.
When I stuck closer to 8 minutes, the cookies were slightly more fudgy, which was a good thing. They were good, but, unfortunately, the cookies paled in comparison to what they were in the park. Maybe I’ll try again and do a little research as I want to get them to turn out just a bit closer to the crunchy outside, chewy inside perfection that they were in the park.
Have you tried a Disney recipe lately that you’d recommend? Please share in the comments section below.
Want to try your hand at the crinkle cookies? The recipe is below:
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
*Makes 12 -14 Cookies
These rich, fudgy chocolate cookies are coated with confectioners’ sugar that cracks — or crinkles — when they bake, giving them a snow-capped, wintry look. Note that the dough needs to refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to 24 hours) prior to baking.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (for coating the cookies)
Directions: Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside. Add granulated sugar and oil in bowl of stand mixer. Beat on medium-low until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating on medium-high until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until combined. (Note: The consistency will be similar to a brownie batter but will firm up with chilling.) Tightly seal bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or up to 24 hours) until dough is completely chilled through and able to be rolled into balls. After dough is completely chilled and ready to be baked, preheat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Fill small bowl with confectioners’ sugar; set aside. Remove and unwrap dough. Using medium cookie scoop to measure out dough, roll into round balls. Roll dough ball in confectioners’ sugar until completely covered on all sides. Place cookie balls at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes – do not over bake. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack, and let them cool until they reach room temperature. Store in sealed container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe source: Disney Parks Blog
