Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies - RecipeMagik (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my crinkle cookies crack? ›

Why didn't my chocolate crinkle cookies crack? The most common reason for cookies that don't crack is either that the oven was not hot enough or the baking powder was expired.

For this to happen, you need to dry the surface of the cookie by coating them in sugar, use sufficient leavening for the cookie to rise, and bake in a hot oven. Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough.

Most cookies are soft and flexible, so the dough evenly expands as the cookies bake. In crinkle cookies, however, the powdered sugar dries out in the oven, creating a hard outer shell that is not flexible.

Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set) Using a single-acting baking powder (double acting gives extra rise when it gets heated) Not creaming the fat long enough (creaming cuts little air pockets into the fat, which means the leavening has to do less work)

The experts at King Arthur Baking also advise not using very much additional flour for rolling, as this can dry out the dough and lead to cracking.

The part that makes this a 'crinkle' cookie is the generous coating of powdered sugar that the cookie dough ball gets before going into the oven. As it bakes and spreads on the baking sheet, cracks develop and are exposed, giving the perfect crackle cookie.

The most likely reason that the cookies are not moist is that they've been overbaked. With cookies, overbaking by only a few minutes can be the difference between a perfect cookie and a dry, crumbly one. Another reason could be that they haven't been stored in an airtight container.

Q: Why are my cookies not crisp enough? They are underbaked. Lower your oven temperature and bake longer but at a lower temperature. Using too much flour or the wrong kind of flour.

Why is my crinkle cookie dough dry? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.

Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.” Cookbook author and ”Great American Baking Show” winner Vallery Lomas likes a gingerbread cookie that's packed with flavor. “I want to taste a lot of the spices ― especially ginger,” she said.

Coating the cookies with either type of sugar draws out moisture from their surface, promoting cracks by drying out their tops before the interiors set. But granulated sugar does so more efficiently because of its coarse, crystalline structure. As the crystals absorb moisture, some—but not all—dissolve into a syrup.

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.