Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup neutral oil (sunflower, canola, or vegetable)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in vanilla and orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough into 1 tbsp balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar.
- Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 10–12 minutes, until tops are cracked and edges are set.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential, don’t skip this step or the cookies may spread too much and lose their crackled tops...
- For best results, double roll each dough ball: first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar. This helps the crackle stay bold and bright!
- Don’t overbake. The centers should still be soft when they come out of the oven, they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Cookies will stay soft and chewy for several days if stored properly.