Baking: Chocolate Whisky Cookies

I like my whisky old and my women young. – Errol Flynn 

Chocolate...and whisky.

Mmmm chocolate. Mmmm whisky. Mmmm chocolate whisky cookies.

Do I need to write any more? Well I will… you know me by now. I’m not a chocolate fanatic “per se,” but when I do get a craving I dive in up to my neck.

My craving runs to deep, dark and – if possible – gooey chocolate. Two of my choco-faves are “lava” cake (which I should post) and pudding cake (the one that makes its own “sauce”). They’re a little different, in case you think they’re the same thing.

For cookies, I want choco-choco-chocolatey. These cookies deliver with a few unusual ingredients. To make these 3x chocolate, I incorporated chocolate companions: coffee and whisky.

Have you ever eaten a really expensive chocolate bar and sipped a small glass of whisky, or bought a whisky-ganache truffle? If you have you’ll know what I mean? They complement and enhance the overall chocolatey-ness.

These cookies do not really spread much at all. If you wish you can thin the batter with 1/2 cup of milk or light cream before shaping the cookies. The milk will help them spread a little if you like a flatter cookie.

I like these because the tops crack like crinkle cookies. This effect is enhanced by the dusting of cocoa/icing sugar.

If you like chocolate, and the occasional tipple, try these. They don’t “reek” of whisky or taste of coffee. The overall effect is a wonderful, rich, chocolatey cookie.

By the way, if you don't like whisky substitute a favourite liqueur (Drambuie, Grand Marnier) or flavoured liquor.

Dust the cookies well with the cocoa/icing sugar to show off the cracked tops.

Chocolate Whisky Cookies

Prep: 20 min  |  Bake: 8-10 min  |  Yield: 40 cookies

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp instant coffee powder

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup whisky

4 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

(optional 1/2 cup milk or light cream)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder mixed with 1/4 cup icing sugar, for dusting

Stir together the sugar, cocoa powder, and butter in a mixing bowl until well incorporated. Beat in the whiskey, then the eggs (one at a time) and then the vanilla. 

If you wish to add the optional milk do it now.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add to the bowl in two additions and beat until evenly combined. The dough will be quite thick.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Adjust the two racks so they are both as close to the centre of the oven as possible.

Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Scoop out the dough using a tablespoon measure. Place 12 “balls” of dough on each sheet, leaving some room between each cookie. The dough does not have to be in a perfect ball at all. The cookies don’t spread a great deal.

Dust the cookies with cocoa powder/icing sugar mixture passed through a sieve.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. 8 minutes gives a moist cookie, 10 minutes a bit drier inside.

The cookies will be cracked on top, but with either cooking time, still delicious.

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