One of the best parts about Christmas is that we can go Christmas tree hunting. It is a tradition for my husband's side of the family. Usually in early December, the whole family including lots of Uncles, Aunts, and cousins will go to a tree farm far outside town to look for a perfect pine tree for the merry season.
According to the tradition, we need to have our picks disapproved by the others a few times before deciding on our final tree. Sometimes it is funny to see them find a tree they really like but they "need to" give up and move on. Of course, we always go back to cut the tree we like at the end.
Ethan always remembers to bring his toy tool set to "help" everyone cut down the trees and "fix" the tree stumps.
Then the staff in the tree farm will put the tree in a machine to shake out most of the pine cones and dead needles, and then wrap the tree in a net for people to bring home.
My husband and I didn't get a real pine tree. We have a beautiful artificial one we can use every year. But we do enjoy joining the family to look for theirs. My in-laws love spruce pine and they always like to get one that has more space among the branches to fit all their ornaments.
After tying up their tree to the car, we will sit around the wood fire, sharing hot cocoa and some cookies. This year, I brought these chocolate crinkle cookies there and everyone loved them. Instead of using butter, I used coconut oil in this recipe. Not because I suddenly became health conscious, it's just because I have lot of it in my cupboard and I need to clear some out. However, coconut oil does make the cookies taste more soft and delicate and emphasizes the cocoa flavour.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ｜巧克力裂紋曲奇
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
4 Eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Confectioners' Sugar (for dusting)
材料：
2 杯 多用途麵粉
1 杯 巧克力粉，無糖
2 杯 糖
1/2 杯 椰油
4 隻 雞蛋
1 湯匙 雲呢拿香油
2 茶匙 泡打粉
1/2 茶匙 鹽
1/2 糖粉 （裝飾用）
DIRECTION:
1. Whisk the eggs and melted coconut oil together.
1. 攪打蛋至打勻；拌入椰油。
2. Add vanilla; mix well.
2. 下雲呢拿油；拌勻。
3. Add sugar and salt. Mix until it is totally incorporated.
3. 下糖和鹽；拌勻至無顆粒。
4. Add flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Gently mix everything together until the mixture becomes similar to mashed potato.
4. 下麵粉、巧克力粉和泡打粉。拌勻至其接近薯蓉的質地。
You can refrigerate the batter for later use or work on it immediately.
You may see there are some white dots in the photo here. That is from the coconut oil.
如選擇稍後才焗曲奇，可把麵糰包好放入雪櫃。
5. Scoop equal portions on the parchment paper, and gently press down each portion with a spoon.
6. Bake them in the pre-heated oven at 360 F for 10 minutes. Remove them out of the oven and allow them to cool completely before moving them.
5. 用大匙把麵糰分成小份；放到舖上焗紙的焗盤上。用匙輕壓平麵糰。
6. 放入預熱焗爐。以 360F 焗若10分鐘。將其放涼。
7. Dust them with icing sugar as desired.
Keep them in an air-tight container and enjoy them within three days.
7. 灑上糖粉。
把曲奇存放在密封器皿內並在三日內食用。
