Fair-Trade Chocolate Earthquake Cookies

I made a version of these addictive chocolate cookies in culinary school. Rolling the dough in two kinds of sugar creates a crackled appearance when the cookies spread as they bake. Since chocolate is the main ingredient, they’re an ideal way to showcase an artisanal product like Fair Trade-Certified chocolate.

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen

2 cookies

Fair-Trade Chocolate Earthquake Cookies

The higher the chocolate’s cacao content, the richer these will taste; use at least 70 percent.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
6 ounces Fair Trade-certified dark chocolate, chopped and melted
3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar

Instructions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.

Place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate, coffee and vanilla. Gradually beat in egg and egg white. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Chill dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a small, shallow bowl with granulated sugar; fill a second shallow bowl with powdered sugar. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Rotate cookie sheets; bake 5 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

http://nourishnetwork.com/2010/10/06/fair-trade-chocolate-earthquake-cookies/

Need more Valentine’s Day inspiration? Check out these recipes from our friends at Food Bloggers Los Angeles:

FBLA Chocolate Party 2014 Recipe and Resource Links

Desserts

Chocolate Petit Fours — Christina Conte of Christina’s Cucina
Chocolate Brownie Quick Bread — Dorothy Reinhold of Shockingly Delicious
Mocha Truffle Bars — Valentina of Cooking On The Weekends
Pain au Chocolat and Cro-Nut Hearts — Jude at Two Broads Abroad
Vegan Nutella Fudge — Alanna Waldron of Eat Real Food
Chocolate Red Wine Tart — Nancy Buchanan of A Communal Table
Brownie Buttons — Judy Weintraub of Bumbleberry Breeze
Blood Orange-Champagne Creme Brûlée — also from Valentina of Cooking on the Weekends
Vintage Lemon Pudding Cake — Leslie Macchiarella of Bake This Cake

Savory Dishes

Game Day Chili — Erika Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen
Tamales with Chocolate Mole Sauce — Patricia Rose of Fresh Food in a Flash
Amaretto Sauce/Dressing on Spinach-Berry Salad — Ellen Rosentreter of Within My Means
Deviled Eggs — Patti Londre from Worth the Whisk
Chinese New Year Slaw — Nancy Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose

Champagne/Sparkling Wine Recommendations

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava ($7 “but tastes like $20+”) — Andrew Wilder of Eating Rules
NV Presto Prosecco Brut ($10-$12), a “price performer” — Alison Ashton of Nourish Network
Brut Roederer Estate Mixed Vintage ($20) — Jennifer Daskevich of A Little Gourmet Everyday
Colbert Eco Brut (sugar-free organic sparkling wine; $25) — Caren Magill of The Fit Habit
Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée ($10.99). “When serving mimosas there is no need to buy expensive bubbly, but naturally you don’t want to serve your guests headache-inducing sparkling wines or champagne either. The Brut Cuvée is Barefoot’s most traditional bubbly and tastes of green apple and jasmine with hints of kiwi and peach flavors which bubble up for a crisp finish and, in my opinion, make a delightful Mimosa,” said Priscilla Willis of She’s Cookin’.

Lillian

Why no calorie/nutrition information with every recipe?
http://nourishnetwork.com/members/liahuber/ Lia Huber

Great question, Lillian. I’m glad you asked! I found when I was developing recipes for magazines that, when nutrition info was included, people focused on those numbers more than they did the recipe as a whole–or, more importantly, the meal as a whole. With Nourish Network, I want to SHOW what healthy eating looks like–keeping the focus on food as food, rather than the numbers.

The core of our recipes focuses on healthy fats, an abundance of whole grains and vegetables, healthy proteins and occasional indulgences.
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Caren Magill-Myers

delicious!! Loved them! Gorgeous site btw!
- liahuber
  
  Thanks, Caren! Glad you liked the cookies. Alison’s so good at the sweet stuff.
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valentina

These were so delicious! I love how the “crinkle,” too.
Christina Conte

Not just beautiful, but delicious! Thanks for bringing these, Aison!
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