Looped Jumbles

Jumbles are one of America’s oldest cookie styles, dating back to colonial kitchens. These looped versions take a simple butter-and-cinnamon dough, roll it into thin ropes, and loop the ends over each other before baking. The result is a pretzel-like shape that catches pools of chocolate glaze in every curve.

The dough is mixed by hand after the creaming stage. This keeps it tender and prevents the gluten development that would make the ropes springy and hard to shape. After a two-hour chill, the dough firms up enough to roll into 6-inch ropes without sticking or crumbling.

The chocolate glaze is poured over the cookies while they sit on a wire rack, so the excess drips through and you get a smooth, even coating. Melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and just enough boiling water to make it flow. It sets into a thin, shiny shell.

Chef Tips

• Stir the flour in by hand, not with the mixer. Overmixing makes the dough tough and the ropes crack when you try to shape them.
• Roll the ropes on a lightly floured surface. Too much flour and they won’t stick together at the overlap. Too little and they stick to the counter.
• The glaze needs to be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat. Add boiling water a teaspoon at a time until it flows off a spoon in a smooth ribbon.
• Place a sheet of wax paper under the wire rack to catch drips and make cleanup easier.

Variations

• Skip the chocolate glaze and dust with powdered sugar for a simpler finish.
• Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough for a citrus-cinnamon combination.
• Use a vanilla or maple glaze instead of chocolate for a lighter look.