Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Mmm I'm excited to be blogging about these cookies today.  I had forgotten how much I loved them, until I re-baked them last weekend and ate a few of them along the way! 

 

 

Do you remember last year, when our church youth group ran the first Fun(d) Fair in order to raise FUNDS while having FUN for World Vision!?  Check out all the games and exciting things we did, and what I baked for the bake sale in 2013 here.

 

This year, we wanted even more baked goods to sell, as they were a big hit last year and we ran out before the event was over.  So, with everyone baking the Friday before the event, I had to get my thinking cap on as well.  I wanted something small, and easy to buy one or two of, but also needing a recipe that made a LOT of whatever the bake was.

 

I couldn't think for a while what to make... I considered a rectangular cake cut into small squares, but I didn't want it to dry out.  I didn't have time to make all the components of the Cherry Bakewell traybake that I also love so much.  And I've made SO many cupcakes recently I didn't want to go down that path either.

 

Then I remembered these cookies I made from the Taste of Home 'Best Loved Cookies and Candy' 2010 magazine!  I made them for my piano students in 2010, in a Christmas treat bag full of various cookies and candy, and they were definitely my favourite out of the lot.
 





 

A deliciously soft and chewy inside, with a crinkle top, slightly crusty outside layer with a full on chocolate flavour.  Perfect with a glass of cold milk!

 

 

Ingredients (to make 3 1/2 dozen cookies):

 

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup icing sugar

 

Method:

 

1.  In a microwave, melt 1 cup cholate chips.  Stir until smooth, and set aside.

 

2.  In a small bowl, beat the butter and sugar until crumble - about 2 minutes.

 

3.  Add the egg whites and vanilla, and beat well.

 

4.  Stir in the melted chocolate.

 

5.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and gradually add to the butter mixture, alternately with water.

 

6.  Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. 

 

7.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until easy to handle.

 

8.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

 

9.  Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in icing sugar.

 

10.  Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray

 

11.  Bake for 10-12 minutes in pre-heated oven.

 

12.  Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, and then move to the cooling rack to cool completely. 

 

And then, all that is left to do is enjoy these delicious cookies!... And if, like me, you're donating them to a good cause - try not to eat too many of them first!!

 

 

And in good news, despite the weather (the afternoon of the Fun(d) Fair was miserable and wet!) we still managed to raise $898, and then, along with some generous donations the next morning we actually BEAT our 2013 amount, raising over $1200 for World Vision :-D

Fun(d) Fair SUCCESS!

What an amazing day!

We have just returned home, exhausted but super happy as the Fun(d) Fair we organised with our church youth group is over... and was a huge success!!!

I for SURE have caught the sun, that is - I am pink and freckly (not tanned!).  Weather-wise, we had the best day of the year in Toronto so far, with beautiful hot sun and around 19°!  Pretty amazing... and lucky, because we did not want umbrellas and rain for our outdoor planned event.

So for our Fun(d) Fair we had a yard sale, bake sale, games, cotton candy and face painting!  It was all SO fun and everybody worked so hard and also so well together!  Yey!

The yard sale had an incredible amount of donations from church members, youth group families and members of the public who wanted to donate a few boxes!  We rented a super cute cotton candy machine, and also had our talented arty youth group members doing the face painting, and tattoos for the kids.  We had a LOT of fun with a few different games; pick a stick, water balloon toss and guess how many jellybeans in a jar!  For our bake sale, we just asked if anyone who felt like baking for us could bring along things to sell... we had some beautifully packaged butter tarts, biscotti and cookies, and also some of the traditional Estonian 'saiad', amazing almond pastries and then of course cupcakes and other fun baking :-)  Late last night I baked some mini cupcakes and did various colourful toppings and decorations.

The best part was how well it all went!  We had such a great day... This was the first year we had tried this event and worked hard (really hard!) to make sure all of the details worked and that everything was organised... and it was a success! Phew!  We had a lot of fun, altogether, in the sunshine - joining not only our church community but also the local neighbourhood - we had a few kids who just could NOT stop playing the games - they had a lot of fun!

And the best part... it was all for charity!  For the last few years, around this time of year FOJ (our youth group) had done the 30-hour famine in aid of World Vision.  Challenging and also fun, being together fasting and learning about the charity and why we were doing it... but this year we wanted a change.  And we went big!  But for sure we'll be doing it again next year :-)

We are so proud to have raised $1200.50... And this was just the first year.  Hopefully we will get even more visitors next year, more yard sale donations, more baking and even more fun!!

Here are a few pictures of the event... Let me know if you want any more info on the games and how we put it all together.  I will write more about it soon, but for now - it is time for dinner and then rest!  A crazy crazy April is done! Now to enjoy the start of this sunny weather R

The night before, planning and sorting!

Water balloons ready to go...
There were many many many that popped before we got a bucket full!

Pick-a-stick game all stuck in the sand :-)

The morning of!  Yard Sale being set up and all laid out.

Posters and banners on display...

A couple of "former" youth group members helping us out!

Tall people and banners!

YUM!  Bake sale goodies making their way outside.

The shopping begins... 

Fire Escape doing double duty, clothes rail for a day!

Well this water balloon toss didn't win the hamper or
Toronto Maple Leafs mini stick set, that's for sure!

SO CUTE!  I love the cotton candy machine we rented :-D

And a few of the cakes I made for the Bake Sale...

Pre-Baking the night before...

Mini vanilla cupcakes later to be topped with water icing and sprinkles

Baking done... colourful and cheerful :-)

Cherries... Chocolate sprinkles and blue black and white for the Estonian flag!!

My favourites, little sprinkles...big sprinkles!!