Chocolate Sambuca Crinkles are always ready for a party

This chocolate cookie is a sophisticated, not-for-the-kids confection, laced with Sambuca, an anise flavored liqueur, and loaded with chopped bits of walnuts.   It has a crunchy sugary outside, and a moist and flavorful inside.  The coating of powdered sugar presents a festive look for the holidays, but these spirited cookies would be perfect for a dinner party dessert any time of year, served with a glass of port wine or a Sauternes.

My mother likes these cookies because they add a note of modern jazz to the classic composition of her holiday cookie assortment.  She found this recipe in a December 1999 Gourmet magazine, and always comes back to it when she has the luxury of time – after her traditional German cookie assortment is complete.

Recipe for Chocolate Sambuca Crinkle Cookies

Recipe is from December 1999 Gourmet magazine
Makes about 2½ dozen cookies
Active time: ½ hour; start to finish: about 3 hours

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
½ stick unsalted butter
2 large eggs
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup Sambuca or other anise-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar

Preparation:

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Melt chocolate with butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Lightly whisk together eggs, walnuts, Sambuca, and granulated sugar in another bowl.  Stir in flour mixture and chocolate (dough will be thin).  Chill, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.

chilled dough being shaped into balls and dipped in confectioners sugar before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift confectioners sugar onto a plate.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll balls in confectioners sugar to generously coat.  Arrange balls 2 inches apart on 2 lightly buttered baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking time, until puffed and cracked but centers are still a bit soft, 10 to 15 minutes total.  Transfer to racks to cool.

Sambuca cookies before baking

cooling and crinkling chocolate cookies, just out of the oven, getting ready for all that jazz -- enjoy!