Category Archives: cookies

Double Chocolate Cookie

Posted on February 9, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

This Double Chocolate Cookie is perfect for meeting the desire for chocolate and is also one of our new favorite Christmas cookies.

The recipe is from Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan. My copy of this book is well stained and the binding is completely split with use. It’s a compilation of recipes from the experts who baked with Julia Child during her PBS cooking series. It is a classic reference book for bakers of all aptitudes. Rick Katz contributed this recipe.

I prefer small 1-2 bite cookies. The original recipe makes 2 dozen large cookies. I changed this to 4 dozen small cookies. I also use the microwave for melting the chocolate instead of a double boiler.

This is unlike most cookie doughs. The batter is a liquid and needs to be chilled before spooning onto baking sheets.

The batter consists of a pound of chocolate, mostly melted, except for some coarse chunks stirred in and only 1/2 cup flour. It’s almost gluten free!!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 oz bittersweet chocolate cut in pieces larger than chocolate chips (my choice is 3 of the 4 oz Ghirardelli bittersweet baking bars) Divide this mixture in half

4 oz unsweetened Ghirardelli chocolate cut in same size pieces

1 stick unsalted butter

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons espresso powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl

2. Prepare chocolate: Chop 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate into pieces larger than chip size chunks and divide in half. The first half will be melted, so only needs to be cut or chopped into small squares. The 2nd half needs to be in chunks larger than chips. These will eventually be folded into the batter.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cut Into Pieces Larger Than Chocolate Chips

3. In a large microwave proof bowl combine and heat the following slowly on the “melt” cycle or heat over simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring occasionally just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat or microwave.

1/2 of the chopped bittersweet chocolate

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter

Half the Bittersweet and All the Unsweetened Chocolate and Butter, Beginning to Melt

4. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine and beat the following on high for 10 minutes. The mixture will get very thick and form a slowly dissolving ribbon when the whisk is lifted and the mixture drizzles back in the bowl.

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

A Ribbon of Beaten Eggs, Sugar, and Flavorings

5. With the mixture on low speed, gradually add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Use your rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Mix until just combined.

6. Fold in the flour mixture and remaining bittersweet chocolate chunks.

7. Cover the bowl with plastic and chill in the frig several hours, overnight or up to 4 days.

Cookie Batter with Egg, Chocolate and Flour Mixtures Blended

8. Baking:

Position the racks of the oven to divide the oven into thirds. Preheat to 350 degrees F.
Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Mine pans are 13 x 17 1/2 inches.
To make the smaller cookies use a slightly heaping teaspoon and for large cookies use a heaping tablespoon.
Drop the dough onto the lined sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each mound. These are spreaders.
Bake small cookies 7-9 minutes and large cookies 10-12 minutes.
Rotate the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking.
Watch the cookies closely. They will puff, then sink and crinkle and wrinkle around the edges.
Remove them from the oven too early rather than too late!
They should not appear dry and they won’t be crisp.
After cooling on the baking sheets 5 minutes, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to cooling racks.

Voila!

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Posted in cookies and tagged almost gluten free, Double Chocolate Cookies, Julia Child, Rick Katz. Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Walnut Clusters with Flaked Sea Salt

Posted on February 15, 2012 by nina in the kitchen

Thank you Basha Pyzik for this famously popular recipe!

Dark chocolate with at least 60% cacao is best. I prefer 70-86%. You can use the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips to eliminate chopping and measuring. Though breaking up the chocolate bars with your fingers is easy. Chopped coconut may be used in place of the sea salt, but I prefer the flaked sea salt. It’s expensive, so I sprinkle it on carefully. The bright white of the flaked sea salt looks dramatic next to the dark chocolate. It adds a crunchy mineral taste to the clusters. You need less than a teaspoon for these 50-60 clusters.

Toast the walnuts in a hot oven and then cool thoroughly!

Break the chocolate in pieces before melting in the microwave.

Toasted walnuts, melted chocolate and flaked sea salt are ready to go.

Pour the chocolate over the walnuts in a larger bowl

Mix well with a rubber spatula to completely coat the walnuts. Mix several times through the cluster making process.

Set aside a small container of flaked sea salt

Carefully spoon about 2 walnut halves or so with a teaspoon onto a pan lined with wax or parchment paper.

Measure equal parts dark chocolate pieces and walnuts. I use a 12 oz bag of walnuts and 3 – 4 oz bars of chocolate.
Toast walnuts in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until aromatic. COOL thoroughly!
Slowly melt chocolate in the microwave until just till barely melted. The chocolate should be thick. If it is thin, let it sit at room temp or cool in the frig until it’s thick. You’ll end up with pools of chocolate beneath the clusters if the chocolate is too thin. Add a little vanilla if you want.
Place the toasted walnuts in a larger bowl and pour the chocolate over them. Mix with a rubber spatula to completely coat all the little crevices of the walnuts.
Using a teaspoon place about 2 walnut halves in a cluster onto a tray lined with wax or parchment paper.
Depending on the size clusters you will make about 50-60 clusters.
If you have chocolate left over, add more walnuts to make extra clusters.
Carefully place a few pieces of flaked sea salt onto each cluster.
Chill in the refrigerator until hardened, about an hour. Other nuts may be used and you may also add dried cherries to the mix.
Voila!

Nutrition Notes: Research indicates that the flavanol antioxidants (mostly epicatechin, catechin & procyanidins) increase vascular dilation and improve blood flow, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The flavanols in chocolate work by increasing the levels and action of nitric oxide, a naturally occurring compound in the body that acts as a vasodilator, increases insulin sensitivity and slows down the artherosclerotic process. The darker the chocolate, the more the flavanols. Cocoa powder contains the most. 60% is good, but 70% dark chocolate is better. Yes! White chocolate contains no flavanol.

Walnuts are rich in mono and poly unsaturated fats and are a whole plant food fat. They have not been processed as olive oils and other nut oils, so are not stripped of their natural fiber, vitamins, minerals & phytochemicals. They are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which we do not eat enough

Hungarian Shortbread

Posted on February 1, 2011 by nina in the kitchen

Everyone always loves this cookie! It is a recipe adapted from Baking With Julia by Gale Gand.

Ingredients

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 egg yolks

13 Oz jar Bonne Maman raspberry or strawberry preserves. No other store brands are good. Home made is best

1 cup confectionery sugar, about

Directions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together:

4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

2. In a stand mixer bowl beat:

1 lb. unsalted butter

3. Add and beat until fluffy:

2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks

4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and blend until just combined. Do not over beat.

5. Spread out 2 large pieces of plastic wrap on the counter.

6. Divide the dough in half and place a half on each piece of plastic.

7. Form into a roundish size and wrap each piece.

8. Freeze until solid…………several hours or overnight

9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using a dark baking pan try 325 degrees so it doesn’t brown too fast

10. Using the grating attachment of a Kitchen Aid Mixer or the large holes of a box grater, grate 1 piece of dough into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Lightly pat the dough evenly and gently, but don’t press down too firmly. A simple aluminum pan is my favorite

Grating Half the Dough into the Baking Pan

11. Spread 13 oz. or so of homemade or Bonne Maman Strawberry or Raspberry Preserves on top of the grated dough.

12. Grate the other piece of dough evenly over the jam and pat gently and evenly.

Grating the Dough Over the Strawberry Preserves

13. Bake 40-60 minutes or until just turning a light golden color. Better to under-bake than over bake! The dark colored baking pans bake more quickly

14. As soon as it is removed from the oven, sift the top of the shortbread generously with confectioner’s sugar. Cool 10 minutes and cut into squares with a sharp paring knife

Hungarian Shortbread, Un-cut and Cut

This is my family’s all time favorite cookie!!

Voila!

Toffee Squares

Posted on January 29, 2011 by nina in the kitchen

This family recipe is from Marianne Hornbeck and is one of our absolute favorites! You can choose your own type of chocolate to spread on the cookie crust. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate is the original, though I’ve moved on to Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a mixer beat until fluffy

1 cup softened butter

Add and beat until fluffy

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add and mix just until combined

2 cups flour

The batter will be thick. Spoon it evenly in clumps over the half sheet baking pan, 12 x 17 inch size. I love the Gordon Food Service half sheet baking pans. I use them as cookie sheets, baking pans, roasting pans……

Press the dough with your fingers evenly in the pan. Dip your fingers in flour to prevent them from sticking to the dough.

Bake for 20 minutes

Immediately after baking while the pan is yet in the oven, sprinkle a 10 oz package of chocolate chips or break up the pieces of 8-10 Hershey bars and spread with a dinner knife as the chocolate melts

When the chocolate is melted and smooth over the entire surface place on a firm service to cut into squares immediately! The cookie crust crisps up quickly so don’t wait!

With a sharp paring knife or a bread knife, cut into squares.

You may now sprinkle with chopped walnuts which is the original recipe. I prefer to sprinkle with flaked sea salt

1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts, optional

1/2 – 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt, optional

Cool completely before serving

Thank you to dear Marianne Hornbeck for everyones favorite cookie. Marianne was a family friend who loved to cook, work hard and talk! She was nonstop energy. Her mother had a bakery in Vienna and now her grand daughter Laura is becoming a famous pastry chef in Seattle!

3 Comments

Posted in cookies and tagged barcookies, cookies, gfs, ghiradellichocolate, gordonfoodservicebakingsheet, hersheyschocolate. Bookmark the permalink.