I did a little baking this weekend and these are the result: Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies and Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles. I love the way crinkle cookies look. It’s also easy to tell when they are done because they will start to crack. If you’re looking for the perfect recipe to bring to a cookie exchange, I suggest a crinkle recipe. After rolling the dough in any type of sugar (confectioner’s, granulated, coarse) or sugar mixture (cinnamon-sugar, cocoa powder-sugar, for example), the cookies will look unique and fancy.

Both of these recipes came from the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine. There are over one hundred cookie recipes and you know I began plotting my Christmas cookie list the second I opened it. I am always searching for the perfect ginger-molasses cookie, and I have a weakness for chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee combinations so it’s only natural that these were the first two recipes I tried.

The Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies were a flatter cookie very similar to a traditional gingersnap, minus the addition of coarse sugar, which adds a crunch to the cookie. They look great when stacked, so stacks of them tied with ribbon would make very cute gifts. My favorite of the two were the Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles, which were puffy, brownie-like mounds that had complimenting coffee and cinnamon flavors. They were soft and fudgy.

The great thing about crinkle cookies is that the dough almost always has to be refrigerated before you can roll it and bake it. The cold dough holds it shape better, and makes it easier to roll in sugar, which creates the loveable cracks in these cookies. Usually the chill time is 1-2 hours, and in a time pinch can be done in the freezer. While you may not get immediate cookie gratification because of this, the chill time allows you to make the dough far in advance if needed (typically dough can sit in the refrigerator for about 3 days). Crinkle cookies also freeze extremely well, and for up to 3 months, so you can bake them early and then take them out to thaw for company or when the Christmas cookie plate is empty (often the case in our house).

Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies (Christmas Cookies Magazine from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup full-flavor molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger (if you don’t have this, it’s ok to leave out)
• Coase sugar for rolling

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and allspice. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour and the crystallized ginger.

Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours until the dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place coarse sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls (or use a mini-ice cream scoop to speed up the process) and roll in the coarse sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until the tops are crackled and edges are firm (mine were done at 8 minutes, but we like our cookies on the chewy side). Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Yield: About 42 cookies. To store: layer cookies in an airtight container, cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles (Christmas Cookies Magazine from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds using the paddle attachment. Add brown sugar,  the 2/3 cup cocoa powder, the coffee crystals, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg whites until combined, then add the flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour until the dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls, then roll balls in sugar mixture to coat (reserve any remaining sugar mixture). Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Sprinkle cookies with any remaining sugar mixture.

Yield: About 42 cookies. To store: Layer cookies in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.