Chocolate Crackle Cookies

This recipe is slightly adapted from the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine that was out a few years ago. It sold out everywhere, so I don't have it, but benefited from this recipe at a cookie exchange. You must try these...seriously.

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup white sugar
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°. Melt chocolate over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. (you can also microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds) Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add the cooled, melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, put each of the four sections into a sandwich sized Ziplock bag, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours. (you can also freeze the dough at this point and make the cookies at a later time)
3. When you're ready to bake, cut open one of the Ziplock bags with scissors and transfer the dough to a cutting board. (yes, it will look like a large pile of poo) With a large kitchen knife, cut the blob of dough into 16 equal pieces. It won't matter that the dough balls are square...they round nicely in the oven.
   
4. Roll each dough piece in white sugar, then in powdered sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
   
5. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I made 8 dozen of these for a cookie exchange this weekend and it worked out great making the dough one day, freezing it flat, then baking the cookies the day-of.