Crinkles, the chocolate variety, are a favorite of my daughters. Whenever family members visit, we often request this as a “pasalubong” from home. When we were in Manila, we made sure to stock up on them from Purple Oven, which is located near Union Church of Manila – our family’s home church.
Last Christmas, I decided to put a festive spin on the crinkles and make them Ube-flavored. For me, Ube is a flavor that’s synonymous with the holiday season.
To make these Ube crinkles, you’ll need Ube halaya (jam). However, I wouldn’t recommend using the bottled kind you find at Asian stores since it doesn’t really have the authentic Ube flavor. Most of them are just made with artificial flavorings and sugar. Thankfully, I was able to find real Ube at our local H-Mart and made the halaya just in time for Christmas.
Begin by whisking together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Next, cream together 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg.
Add 1/2 cup of Ube Halaya and 1 tsp of Ube flavoring (I used the butterfly brand), and stir the mixture until it is well blended.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients, and then cover the bowl with cling wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, but it’s best to leave it overnight, as I did.
Using a 1 1/2 tsp ice cream scoop, form the cookie dough into balls. Lightly roll the dough in granulated sugar, and then coat it thickly in powdered sugar. Rolling the dough in granulated sugar will prevent the powdered sugar from melting, which ensures that you get nice white cracks on top.
Bake the cookies at 350F for 18-20 minutes.
This recipe was a hit at my daughter’s graduate school Christmas party and also made for great Christmas gifts for our friends.
