Cute Chocolate Buttons
Submitted by kmwirtz
Chocolate button cookies rolled in powdered sugar, then pressed with chocolate nonpareils fresh from the oven. Crackle-topped, bite-sized, fudgy in the middle.
YIELD
60 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
15 minREADY
60 minThese are the bite-sized cousins of chocolate crinkle cookies. The dough chills, gets rolled in a thick blanket of powdered sugar, then bakes into little chocolate domes with that distinctive cracked-snow surface. The trick that makes them “buttons” is the second flourish: chocolate nonpareils pressed into each warm cookie the second they come out of the oven.
Timing the nonpareils matters. Press them in too late and they roll off the cooled cookie surface. Press them in immediately, while the cookie surface is still tacky and just barely set at the edges, and they anchor permanently into a tiny polka-dot crown.
Chilling the dough is the structural work that makes the cookies hold round, domed shape instead of flattening into discs. Skip the 30-minute rest and they spread.
Pro Tips
- Use a small cookie scoop for uniform 1-inch balls, consistent size means consistent bake time
- Roll twice in powdered sugar for the thickest crackle effect
- Pull cookies when edges look set but centers still look slightly soft, they finish on the pan
- Cool sheet between batches, warm pans cause cookies to spread before they can crack properly
- Stored airtight, they keep their soft fudgy centers for four days
Variations
- Add a half teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry mix for deeper chocolate intensity
- Swap nonpareils for rainbow sprinkles for a festive birthday version
- Roll in a mix of powdered sugar and cocoa for darker, more dramatic cookies
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a large bowl or large bowl of an electric mixer, mix butter, sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until blended between additions.
Into a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the batter. Cover; chill dough 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake in 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 mintues, or until edges are set. Remove from oven and immediately press in the nonpareils. Let stand 1 minute, then remove from pan.
Comments
