Millionaire Bars

It was a fun, happy week end with my annual Christmas cookie exchange party this week end.  I will have a post later this week about it.  It’s hard to believe that Christmas Eve is a week away!

Are you looking for a treat that will get devoured fast?  Try these millionaire’s shortbread!

These are called millionaire’s shortbread because they are rich - literally.  This is a cookie made of shortbread with a filling of homemade caramel and topped with chocolate.  It’s like a gourmet Twix bar!

Millionaire's Shortbread 
Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, melted

For the filling:
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter1/2 tsp. salt 

For the topping:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (6 ounces chopped fine, 2 ounces finely grated)Salt, for sprinkling 

Directions:
For the crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. 

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened. Crumble dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Using fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness. Using fork, pierce dough at 1-inch intervals. 

Bake until light golden brown and firm to touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack. Using a metal spatula, press on entire surface of warm crust to compress. Let crust cool until it is just warm, at least 20 minutes.

For the filling: Mix all ingredients together in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture registers between 236 and 240°F, around 16 to 20 minutes. Pour over crust and spread to even thickness (mixture will be very hot). Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. 

For the chocolate: Microwave chopped chocolate in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add grated chocolate and stir until smooth, returning to microwave for no more than 5 seconds at a time to finish melting if necessary. Spread chocolate evenly over surface of filling.  Sprinkle with salt, if desired.  Refrigerate shortbread until chocolate is just set, about 10-15 minutes.

Using foil overhang, lift shortbread out of pan and transfer to cutting board; you can discard foil. Cut shortbread into pieces.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated 

Aunt Colleen’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Aunt Colleen makes these incredible chocolate chip cookies.  They are everything a chocolate chip cookie recipe should be: big, chewy and crispy, slightly doughy yet fully baked, and buttery and sweet.  Any time that my family would visit in Chicago, Aunt Colleen would have the entire counter full of insanely delicious homemade pastries and sweets.  My first pick was, and still remains, always the chocolate chip cookie that she makes. These are like a shortbread cookie, and they just melt in your mouth.  It’s impossible not to feel love and happiness when eating these cookies! (Make sure to try Aunt Colleen’s toffee bars.)

Years ago, Aunt Colleen wrote out her recipe for my mom.  It seems only fitting that my mom taped it the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook. There is something special about a handwritten recipe.  It makes you feel like the person is with you.  During Christmas, I always look forward to making passed down recipes because traditions are what makes everything so merry and happy!  I am grateful that I have so many great cooks in my family to learn from.

My dear friend Katherine came over this evening, and we baked these cookies while drinking bubbles in Waterford Crystal champagne flutes with the Hallmark Christmas station on.  We used Christmas M&M’s to make them festive! We had so much fun baking together.

Celebrate life with all the sweetness and special people around you!

Aunt Colleen’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 3 dozen

Ingredients:
2 cups or 140 grams all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup or 2 sticks butter
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined on low speed.  Then, add the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Mix until combined.  Then, add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly dispersed.

Roll cookies into balls the size of golf balls, and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Source: Aunt Colleen

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms are a Christmas cookie platter classic!  Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations, and I always enjoyed making these growing up.  (I feel these are a childhood baking staple for many people!) They don’t require much in terms of decoration, but they turn out looking great—and most importantly, they taste divine.

The Hershey kiss on top of the peanut butter cookie reminds me of a Christmas tree.  I roll the peanut butter cookie dough in sugar before baking because it gives an extra shimmer to the cookie.

I’ve tinkered around with a peanut butter blossom recipe for the last few years. I found that some recipes had too much flour, and others didn’t have enough peanut butter flavor for me.  In this version, I reduced the flour and added in some almond flour.  I find that using almond flour helps lighten pastry texture.  The almond flour helped boost the nut flavor, too.  The dark brown sugar adds a little more molasses taste, which goes well win the peanut butter.  This cookie had that nostalgic peanut butter cookie flavor that I was looking for.

I froze the Hershey Kisses before sticking them on the cookies.  After I removed the cookies from the oven, I placed them back into the oven for about a minute or two. By sticking the cookies briefly back into the oven after placing the Hershey Kiss on the cookies, the Hershey Kiss gets cemented onto the cookie.  You don’t need the Hershey Kisses falling off the cookies!

Do not use natural peanut butters for these cookies.  It has too much oil and will make the dough too runny.  I like Jif for baking cookies.

This dough also makes a ton of cookies, making it a perfect choice for a cookie exchange.

Peanut Butter Blossoms 
Yields 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups or 300 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup or 120 grams almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 bags Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling the dough

Directions:
In a large bowl, add both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, vanilla, and both sugars (2 cups total).  With the paddle attachment, mix until combined and creamy for about five minutes.  Next, add the peanut butter.  Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.

Add half of the flour mixture, and mix until incorporated. Then, add the remaining half of  flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liner. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll the dough all in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the outsides are set and the edges begin to crack. Remove from oven. Working quickly, press one Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Return to oven and bake for another 2 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough and Hershey Kisses.

Source: Adapted from Land of Lakes, Betty Crocker, and Hershey’s

Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge

Fudge is a Christmas season must!  If you are not a baker, give fudge making a try. It is easy and always a hit.  You could make up a variety of different fudges and put together tins for gift giving.  Check out my recipes for Grammy’s Christmas Fudge (my favorite) and peanut butter fudge.

This creamy fudge only has 7 ingredients, which are likely in your pantry.  The addition of cinnamon gives a nice spicy contrast to the richness of the chocolate. Eating cinnamon is supposed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and dark chocolate had anti-oxidants, so this is basically health food.

Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge
Yields about 40 pieces (depending on size)

Ingredients:
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Line a 8 x 8” baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium glass bowl or stainless steel bowl, add all ingredients.  Place the bowl over a pot of simmering hot water.  Mix until the ingredients all melt.

Pour the melted mixture into the lined pan and refrigerate overnight. Cut into pieces the next day.

Source: Giada Di Laurentiis

French Chocolate Chip Cookies

Le Pantruche is a darling bistro in Paris, complete with the chalkboard menus, copper footrests, and  domed lamps with some Art Deco. One of the chefs has a French twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. They are petite and oh so good!

Can one ever have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes?  The answer is “NO!”

These chocolate chip cookies are made with almond flour, so they have an added nutty flavor.  The almond flour also makes the cookies a little chewier but they have a sandier texture that reminded me a little of shortbread.  They end up very consistent in shape since they get flattened halfway through the baking process.

If you can wait, make the cookie dough a day ahead, and then bake the following day or second day. As crazy as it sounds, I swear the flavors marinate more in the fridge and result in an even yummier cookie.

By the way, you could substitute the chocolate for chocolate chips or M&M’s. For a Christmas cookie, you could even throw in the red and green M&M’s.  I sprinkled some fleur de sel on prior to baking because the salt just brings out the flavor even more!

French Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 5 dozen 

Ingredients:
3 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
1 ¹⁄₄ tsp. fine sea salt
³⁄₄ tsp. baking soda
¹⁄₂ tsp. baking powder
2 sticks/16 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ cups almond flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine both flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.  Mix butter, both sugars, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on   medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Next, add dry ingredients; beat on low speed until just combined. 

Add chocolate and mix until combined.  Roll dough into 1 ¹⁄₂tbsp. sized balls and place on baking sheet about 2” apart.  Bake for 8 minutes. Using a metal spatula, gently press cookie down slightly. 

Bake 7 minutes more and cool slightly before serving.

Source: Chef Edouard Bobin and Dorie Greenspan 

Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Looking for a twist on shortbread?  Today, I bring you chocolate cherry shortbread.  I'm always partial to a cookie involving chocolate!

These addictive shortbread cookies are studded with chewy bits of dried cherries.  These chocolatey and buttery cookies have another secret ingredient: crushed pink peppercorns!  The pink peppercorns have a spicy floral note which goes well with the tartness of the cherries and sweetness of the chocolate.

Pink peppercorns are part of the cashew family, but they are called peppercorns since they have a peppery taste.  They're actually dried berries from the Peruvian pepper tree.

This is an easy batter to make, and it tastes better if you refrigerate it overnight (the flavors marinate and ripen).  You could also freeze it and have it on hand for any occasion that comes up!

Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. crushed pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp.) butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling


Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, pepper corns, and salt, and set aside.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment), add the butter and granulated sugar and cream until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Then, add the egg yolks and mix until combined.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.  Finally, add the chopped cherries and chocolate chips, and stir until evenly dispersed.

Place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on a clean counter.  Transfer the cookie dough to the wrap and form it into a 2-inch-wide log and wrap tightly.  Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight (preferably).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF.  Place silpat or parchment paper onto a king sheet.  Remove dough from fridge, and using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/3-inch-thick rounds.  Set the cookies onto the baking sheet, spaced an inch apart, and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake until set, for about 25 minutes.  Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

Ina Garten's Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake

Today, I have a simple make-ahead dessert to share, and it will be a huge hit at any summer party!

I love hosting dinner parties at my house, but I especially love having pizza parties (and my annual Christmas cookie party!).  At pizza parties, it's always hard to come up with a good dessert that is indulgent but not super heavy.   I remember watching an Ina Garten clip where she talked about making this cake and serving it as "thin wedges."  I'm not sure why I thought that "thin wedges" of a chocolate chip cookie layered creation would be a "lighter" dessert, but I decided to give it a go and made for a summer pizza party.  

For this cake, you whip up mascarpone cream, heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and some kahlua.  Then, in a springform pan, you layer thin chocolate chip cookies and top them with the whipped cream.  Refrigerate overnight, and voila, the cookies soften, and you have a chocolatey goodness dessert.  The chocolate Kahlua whipped cream adds a regal flair.  Though I'm not a coffee or Kahlua fan, this did not seem too heavy on the coffee flavor to me.  I think substituting Bailey's would also be good, though you could certainly leave out the liqueur.

You can use homemade or store-bought cookies here.  Ina suggests Tate's Bake Shop cookies, which are thin, crispy chocolate chip cookies.  You can find them at Whole Foods and sometimes even at Costco.  I read that Trader Joe's has a version of thin crispy chocolate cookies and that they are made by Tate's Bake Shop.  I'm not sure if that is true, but the packaging design did look a little similar.  Any chocolate chip cookies will do! :)

So, I may not have exactly served this in the thin wedges described by Ina Garten, but thick or thin, a wedge of this cake will do you and your friends well.

Ina Garten's Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake
Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
12 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 8-ounce packages of crisp chocolate chip cookies (such as Trader Joe's crisp cookies or Tate's Bake Shop)
Shaved chocolate, for garnish

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, Kahlua, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla.  Mix on low speed to combine, and then increase the speed until firm peaks are formed.

To make the cake, arrange a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan, and then arrange the chocolate chip cookies flat on the pan, covering the bottom as much as possible.  Then, spread about one-fifth of the whipped cream evenly over the cookies.  Place another layer of cookies on top, and then add more cream.  Continue layering cookies and the cream until there are about 5 layers of each, and make sure to end with a layer of cream.  Use a spatula to smooth the top, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate, cut, and serve cold.

Source: Ina Garten

Dense Chocolate Cake

Happy Friday!  To kick off the week end, I'm sharing Joel Robuchon's dense chocolate cake with you today.  After all, the week end deserves a decadent start.  This cake is a flawless blend of chocolate and almond flour, and what a treat it is!

Now, normally, I think frosting is the most important part of a cake.  In fact, a cake without frosting really isn't worth it to me.  However, this cake is a different story.  This cake does not need frosting.  It is so rich that it stands perfectly well by itself.  In fact, I think frosting would actually take away from the flavor.

Whenever chocolate is the star ingredient of a recipe, I always make sure to use a higher quality chocolate.  For this cake, I splurged with good chocolate from Valrhona. Valrhona is a top notch fancy French chocolate made near Lyon.  This chocolate used to be harder to find, but now Trader Joe's has it.

When baking, I've noticed a big difference when I use European butters.  European butters have a higher fat content and less water than American butters.  Lower moisture equals flakier pastries.  Here, to keep the French ingredient theme going, I used the Brittany, France butter from Trader Joe's.  It is cultured butter, so it has a creamier and more distinct flavor.

If you can resist, this cake tastes better the next day.  The chocolate flavor becomes more pronounced over night.

A little sliver of this will take care of any chocolate craving.  Have a great week end!

Dense Chocolate Cake
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:
65 grams (4 tbsp.) butter
100 grams (3 oz.) dark chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs, separated
60 grams (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
60 grams (3/4 cup) almond flour
1 tbsp. flour, plus extra for flouring the cake pan
Dash of granulated sugar

Directions:
Dice the chilled butter and leave it out to soften. While the butter softens, boil a kettle of water.  In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate and 2 tbsp. of water (not boiling - you can just do tap water) into the bowl.  Place the bowl inside a saucepan.  Once the kettle boils, pour the water into the saucepan so that it reaches halfway up the outside of the bowl of chocolate.  Turn the heat to low and stir the chocolate to melt.  When the chocolate is almost completely melted, stir in quickly all of the butter except 1 tablespoon.  Then, stir in the 3 egg yolks, followed by the confectioners' sugar.  Add the almond flour and flour and stir until everything is incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan and allow it to cool.

While the chocolate mixture cools, preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl and add a dash of granulated sugar.  Begin to whisk the whites slowly with a hand mixer and then increase the speed.  The whites are ready once the whites no longer stick to the sides of the bowl and form light peaks.

Quickly whisk the one-fourth of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture. Once incorporated, gently fold in the rest of the whites.  Continue slowly until all traces of white have disappeared.

Grease a 8" or 9" cake pan with the remaining butter and sprinkle with flour.  Shake the flour all around the pan to coat evenly and tap out any excess.  Fill the pan with the batter, and bake for about 20 minutes in the lower part of the oven.

Check to see whether the cake has finished cooking by slipping in the blade of a knife.  It should emerge from the edges dry, but from the center of the cake, it will carry out some of the hot batter.  When the cake is done, untold it onto a large plate, and then place it onto a cooling rack.

Source: The Complete Robuchon

Grammy's Christmas Fudge

It wouldn't be Christmas without my Grammy's fudge!  This fudge is a classic one from my childhood and always makes an appearance around Christmas time.  For as long as I can remember, it's always been one of my favorite things that Grammy makes.  I am so happy to share this with all of you today!

This fudge is everything that a good fudge should be: chocolatey, decadent, and thick.  It's just lovely. :)

A few years ago, I made a cookbook of family recipes, and it's always fun to go through it during the Christmas season.  My family has some good cooks and bakers!  There are so many different ways to make fudge, many of which often call for a candy thermometer.  This recipe pretty much involves melting lots of simple things together.

First, you'll bring sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a boil.  By bringing it to a boil, this ensures that the sugar melts, and this will help you get that nice shiny sheen for the fudge.  Then, after the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter reach a boil, you'll then add the remaining ingredients one by one.  There are a few different types of chocolate to use here.  I used a bag of Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips, a large Lindt bar, and then some Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate.  You'll also add some marshmallows along with vanilla extract.  Chocolate and nuts go well together, and if possible, toasting the nuts before adding them to the fudge mixture will help bring out their flavor more.  I used a combination of pecans, walnuts, and almonds.   If you don't like nuts, just omit them.

After the fudge finished cooking, you'll need to pour it into a large sheet pan.  I sprinkled some fleur de sel over the fudge, just because. ;)  Make sure to either butter the pan or line it with parchment paper to allow easy removal of the fudge.  The fudge will need a few hours to cool and harden at room temperature.  You could speed it up by sticking the cookie sheet in the refrigerator.  After the fudge cools, slice away.  I find that using a metal bench scraper makes cutting the fudge easy.  If fudge starts sticking to the bench scraper or your knife, I would suggest dipping it in hot water, wiping it with a dish towel, and then slicing it again.

This makes a lot of fudge - 5 pounds of it!  Fudge freezes very well, so you can keep some of the leftover fudge for you, too.

Make up a batch of this, add it to some cute Christmas tins or candy boxes, and spread the sweetness this season!

Grammy's Christmas Fudge
Yields 5 lbs. of fudge

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
13 oz. chocolate bar of your choice
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. small marshmallows
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups nuts, chopped (optional but recommended)

Directions:
Line a large sheet pan (at least a 3/4 sheet pan) with parchment paper and set aside.

In at least a 5 quart pot, cook the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.  Boil covered for 5 minutes.  Then, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, beating each well into the mixture.  After all ingredients have been added, remove from heat, and spread into the cookie sheet.

Source: Grammy :)

Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Can you ever really have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes?

The answer to that question is, "No."  (Obviously.) :)

Cookies with some form (or forms) of chocolate are my favorite kind of cookie, so I'm always game to try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.  After all, one can argue that chocolate is from the cocoa bean, which is a vegetable; so, I'm really just trying to share another way to enjoy vegetables with my fellow readers.  Ha!

When Deb of Smitten Kitchen posted these salted chocolate chunk cookies and described them as "unseemly-sized puddles of melted chocolate," I was immediately sold on them.  I like a chocolate chip cookie that has no shortage of chocolate.  This cookie delivers on the chocolate front with big chunks of chocolate that are truly held in place by the dough.  (As a funny side note, when I was re-reading this post before publishing, I realized I forget to add the flour measurements - without that, this would be a buttery chocolate puddle!)

I'm not sure what else to really say about these cookies - unseemly-sized puddles of melted chocolate seems to sum it up.  If you live near a Trader Joe's (or an Aldi's), I would echo Deb's recommendation of using one of their huge chocolate bricks to make these cookies.   It's good quality chocolate, and I used both semi and bittersweet chocolate in these cookies.

In closing, remember to save planet Earth,  as it is the only planet with chocolate!


Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Yields 18 cookies

Ingredients:
8 tbsp. butter (1 stick), at room temperature
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. turbinado sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lbs. semi or bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 3/4 cup flour (7.75 oz. or 220 grams)
Sea salt flakes, to finish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with silicon liners or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.  Then, add the egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  Add in the salt and baking soda, followed by the flour on low speed until combined.  Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop the cookies into 1 1/2 tbsp. molds, and sprinkle each with a few flakes of sea salt.  Bake for about 10 to 14 minutes, until golden on the outside but still soft and gooey.  Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for about ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

It's Christmas week--the busiest baking week of the year!  What's baking and cooking this week in your kitchen?

Today's recipe is Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes.  These are really classic cupcakes dressed up by adding crushed candy canes. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is always a crowd pleaser around Christmas.  I think Williams-Sonoma's peppermint bark may have had something to do with that. ;)  

Recently, my friend Eddie was on the hunt for some chocolate peppermint cupcakes for a co-worker's birthday.  He tried a few places around town but had no luck and asked me if I could help him make the cupcakes.  Yes, please!  :)  

We had a lot of fun making these.  Eddie was ready to grab the hammer to crush the candy canes, but I enlisted one of my favorite kitchen toys (the food processor) for that task.  You could also substitute peppermint bark for the candy canes, too.

These cupcakes have a brownie base, and the brownie cupcakes were very fudgy.  We probably could have baked them a few minutes more (which I have factored into the directions).  Besides adding peppermint flavor, the candy canes also added a small crunch to the texture of the brownies.  The peppermint flavor wasn't too overpowering--it was just right.  

For the frosting, we made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting.  Since peppermint bark has chocolate on the bottom and white chocolate on top, a white chocolate frosting seemed to go perfectly!  I also think that the white chocolate cream cheese frosting balanced off the intense chocolate flavor of the brownies.  After frosting the cupcakes, we sprinkled extra crushed candy canes on top.  

The cupcakes were a hit, and don't they look cute in their little cupcake village?

I still have a few more Christmas recipes to share with you this week, along with a recap of my annual Christmas cookie exchange.  Merry Christmas Week! 

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

8 regular sized candy canes, crushed 

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 bag (11 oz.) white chocolate chips

6 regular sized candy canes, crushed finely

Directions:

For the brownies:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  

Heat the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally until melted.  After melted, remove from heat, add sugar, and whisk until smooth using an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla, and beat for about a minute longer.  Gradually add the flour, beating until combined, and then add the crushed candy canes.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling about two-thirds full.  Bake, rotating halfway through, for about 20 minutes.  Transfer pan to wire rack and allow to cool completely before removing cupcakes and frosting.

For the frosting:

Place the white chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally until melted.  After melted, remove from heat, set aside, and allow to cool for 15 minutes or until bowl no longer feels warm to the touch.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a medium bowl using an electric mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until combined and creamy.  Add the vanilla extract, salt, and confectioner's sugar, and beat until creamy.  Gradually add in the cooled white chocolate.  Beat until combined and smooth.  Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle crushed candy canes over the frosted cupcakes.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, Frosting was a Simply Sweet Justice Original

Oreo Truffles

It's been a few years since I made Oreo truffles for Christmas.  Last time I made them, people raved about them:

"These are the best truffles...did you use Godiva chocolate?"  

"How long did these take to make?  It must have taken you hours to master this chocolate flavor!"  

"The truffles taste like something from a fancy chocolatier!"

"These were probably so tough to make, which is good, because if they were easy, I'd be making and eating them all time."

Au contraire.

These are made with Oreos (or your favorite brand of sandwich cookie), cream cheese, and a bag of chocolate chips.  These three ingredients will bring you to holiday truffle bliss.

If you haven't tried or made these before, give it a try!  These truffles are simple to make.  I empty all of the cookies into the food processor, and the food processor does all the work and crushes them.  After the cookies are crushed, I add in a block of cream cheese and pulse until combined and smooth. I line a baking pan with wax paper, and then I use a melon baller (see, it has more uses than just scooping melon!) to make the truffle balls.  After that, I freeze the cookie balls for a few hours.  Freezing the cookie balls makes it much easier to dip them in melted chocolate.  Once the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate, I freeze them again so that the chocolate will set faster.

There are so many different flavors of Oreos/sandwich cookies these days, so you can have even more different flavors of truffles.  Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe cookies work wonderfully for making peppermint bark truffles, just sayin'.

When you need a crowd pleaser, make these, but be warned that there will not be any leftovers.

Oreo Truffles
Yields about 30 truffles

Ingredients:
16 oz. package of Oreo or other sandwich cookies
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. chocolate chips (usually this amounts to one bag)

Directions:
Line a large baking pan with wax paper and set aside.  Empty cookies into food processor and crush until fine.  Add cream cheese and process until smooth.   Roll cookie mixture into 1" balls and place on the wax paper lined baking pan.  (A melon baller may help.)  Freeze or refrigerate for a few hours.    After the cookie malls are firm, melt the chocolate and dip the balls into chocolate, returning them onto the wax paper.  Freeze or refrigerate until firm.  Enjoy!

Source: The Oreo Elf

Toffee Bars

Rudy and Holly, my goldens!

The holiday baking season is here!  I volunteer for Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue here in Denver.  Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue rescues, fosters, rehabilitates, and adopts these  dogs out to permanent homes.  The rescue has an incredible network of vets who help take such great care of our goldens.  When the rescue needed volunteers to bake holiday treats for vets, I was happy to help since the vets do so much for the rescue--and because it is a reason to bake. :)

During the holiday season, I love baking cookies and treats that bring back memories.  In my family, holiday sweets are a family tradition!  A few years ago, I put together a cookbook with some of my family's favorite recipes, and it had been too long since I flipped through it.  When I opened the cookbook to my Aunt Colleen's toffee bar recipe, I smiled and knew I had to make those toffee bars.

Whenever I visited my uncle and aunt's house in Chicago, my aunt had these massive platters full of coffee cake, cookies, chocolate rice crispy treats, and toffee bars.  Oh, and then there was usually a small plate with some sugar-free low carb dessert for my low-carb obsessed uncle, also known as Uncle Atkins or Uncle Splenda.  Everyone would always break off half of the toffee bar--only intending to eat that half--but then inevitably return for the other half of the toffee bar.  

These toffee bars combine buttery brown sugar shortbread and a layer of chocolate.   It is simple to make these toffee bars.  Hey, no rolling pin, frosting, or sprinkles are needed. ;)  You may already have all the ingredients in your pantry, which makes this such a good recipe to keep on hand.  Holiday baking does not have to be complicated, so give this a try.  Happy Baking!

Toffee Bars
Yields about 20 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups light brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 lb. butter, softened
4 cups flour
12 oz.  chocolate chips (your choice - semi-sweet, milk, etc.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.  In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix brown sugar and butter until creamy.  Then, add egg yolks and vanilla.  Gradually add the flour until the ingredients are combined.  Spread on an ungreased jelly roll pan (about 11x16").  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and turn the oven off.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the bar base and place it back into the oven for 5 minutes.  After removing from the oven, spread the melted chocolate chips across the bars.  Allow to cool before cutting.

Source: My Aunt Colleen

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse

Salt.

Caramel.

Chocolate.

Mousse.

All of the above are good in my book, and they are even better together combined in this salted caramel chocolate mousse.

This recipe comes from David Lebovitz's newest cookbook, My Paris Kitchen.  David Lebovitz is an American pastry chef living the sweet life in Paris.  He has a great sense of humor, and his blog has great stories to share.  I've always heard rave reviews about his cookbooks, so when his latest Parisian cookbook came out, I knew it was a must-get.  I love that his cookbook combines stories with recipes.  There are a lot of classic French recipes in this cookbook, but there are also many twists on classic and new French inspired recipes, too.

I have shelves and shelves of cookbooks that give me "food for thought" on so many different levels. Cookbooks today are more story-driven with narratives, drawings, and photographs.   Even though many cookbook recipes are online, there is just something about flipping through a cookbook.  Even though I have a cookbook holder with a glass cover, somehow, my cookbook pages still end up splattered in flour or with a little butter crease.  When I flip through my cookbooks on a quiet afternoon and see the stained page, it always takes me back to the happy moment in the kitchen!

For whatever reason, I did this goal on Goodbooks to read 55 books (or was it 50) in the year. Cookbooks totally count, right?

Anyways, onto the recipe that I want to share.  This is some pretty darn good chocolate mousse.  David said that one spoonful will leave you speechless, and he's right on that!

To make this, you first made caramel, which involves melting sugar in a pan.  After you melt the sugar, you add in butter and cream, because that makes everything better.  Then, you will add in some chocolate.  After that, you mix in egg yolks, followed by whipped egg whites.

And, after a sprinkle of sea salt, you have perfect caramel chocolate mousse.

There's really not much more to say.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. salted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 tsp. flaky sea salt

Directions:
In the bottom of a wide saucepan, spread the sugar evenly.  Heat the sugar over medium heat.  When it begins to liquefy, use a spatula to gently drag it towards the center of the pan.  Stir very gently until all of the sugar is melted and begins to caramelize.

When the caramel is a deep amber color and starts to smoke, remove it from the heat and quickly whisk in the butter until it is melted.  Then, whisk in the cream and stir until the little pieces of caramel are completely melted.

One smooth, add the chocolate, and stir gently until it is melted snd smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Once it is cool, whisk in the egg yolks.

In another large bowl, whip the egg whites until they are stiff, forming white peaks.  Gradually fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until no streaks of white remain.  Divide the mousse into serving dishes or a large serving bowl, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Source: David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen

Sacher Torte

Today's post is about a chocolate cake that has caused controversy and legal battles, and it has even been dubbed the most famous chocolate cake of the world.  My version of this cake has been described as "boyfriend replacement material."  People, this is quite a cake.  Meet the Sacher Torte, pronounced "ZA-kur tort."  

In 1832, pastry chef Franz Sacher created the Sacher Torte for Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich of Austria.  The Prince was a foodie and wanted to try a new cake.  The head chef was sick, and the back up chefs were overwhelmed and had no idea what to bake.  Franz Sacher was a 16 year old apprentice, and he created the famous cake with the ingredients that were available in the kitchen.  (Perhaps that it explains why the cake has apricot jam!)  Chef Sacher became famous and successful from this cake and his other recipes, and he opened up many cafes and restaurants.

Franz's son, Eduard Sacher, had perfected his father's recipe for the Sacher Torte while working at the Demel Patisserie.  In 1876, Eduard Sacher opened the Hotel Sacher, and the Sacher Torte was served at the hotel.  Eduard's wife helped turn Hotel Sacher into a fine hotel visited by aristocrats and diplomats.  In the early 1900s, a legal battle ensued between the Hotel Sacher and the Demel Patisserie over the use of the name "The Original Sacher Torte."  After Eduard's widow died and the Hotel Sacher went bankrupt, Eduard Sacher's son (also named Eduard) went back to the Demel Patisserie and gave it the sole distribution right for the Eduard Sacher Torte.

By 1938, the new owners of the Hotel Sacher began selling Sacher Tortes under the trademarked name "The Original Sacher Torte." Hotel Sacher, asserting it had the rights to the name "Original Sacher Torte, sued the Demel Patisserie.   

The Sacher Hotel and the Demel Patisserie spent the next several years embroiled in a lawsuit.  The issues of the case were the rightful use of the Sacher Torte name, whether the cake had a layer of apricot jam in the middle, and whether it was made with butter or margarine.  No joke.  This was a real lawsuit.  Witnesses testified about the dessert's characteristics, such as the layer of jam, the use of margarine and butter, how it was sliced, and the change of the name.  I'm not a litigation attorney, but this would be my kind of case to litigate.  The thought of cross-examining a witness about jam makes me laugh.  I wonder if a jury had to sample cake?  Pastries have rights! ;)

In 1963, Austria's High Court made a ruling.  Hotel Sacher received the rights to the name "The Original Sacher Torte," and the Demel Patisserie receive the rights to decorate its tortes with a seal that reads "Eduard Sacher Torte."  The Demel Patisserie now calls its tortes the "Demel Sachertorte."

Naturally, the Original Sacher Torte and the Demel Sachertorte recipes are closely guarded secrets.  From what I've learned about the Original Sacher Torte, the true secret is the special types of chocolate that are used to make this torte.  The chocolates are made in Germany, Austria, and France and are produced exclusively for the torte.  Nowadays, 800 Sacher Tortes are made daily, and during the holidays, sometimes 5,000 Sacher Tortes are made daily and shipped around the world.

The Sacher Torte is two layers of chocolate cake separated by a thin layer of jam on top, and it is coated by a chocolate ganache on the top and sides.  Traditionally, it is served with unsweetened whipped cream since it is more dry.  Now, of course, there are disputes with regards to what type of cake makes a Sacher Torte.  Some feel that a true Sacher Torte should be made with a sponge cake.  There's also a camp that believe it should be a dry meringue.  Others prefer a denser, more moist cake, and I fall into this group.

My spin on the Sacher Torte is rich, velvety, and full of chocolate flavor.  The ganache adds even more fudge to this cake.  Tortes are made mainly from nut flour, which produces a dense texture.   This cake uses mainly almond flour, but there is a small amount of all-purpose flour.  So, it's almost low-carb!  Since this was my own twist on a Sacher Torte, I used my homemade peach jam in lieu of apricot jam.

The torte was simple to make because the food processor does some of the heavy lifting.  You melt butter and chocolate, and while that cools, you beat eggs and sugar in the food processor.  The eggs are then folded into the chocolate, and then almond flour and all-purpose flour are folded in.  The cake bakes for about 20 minutes.  Assembly is a "piece of cake" (ha ha, couldn't resist):  jam goes between the layers, and the cake is frosted with a ganache.   

Give this dessert a try, and you'll understand the fight to eat this magical cake!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Sacher Torte

Yields 1 8-inch (or 9-inch) cake

Ingredients:

230 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chip form (at least 60% cacao)
170 grams salted butter

Pinch of coffee or espresso, optional

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

100 grams almond flour

30 grams all-purpose flour

5 large eggs, at room temperature

8 oz. jam, your choice (I used apricot)
3/4 cup granulated sugar

For the ganache:
170 grams bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, and line them with parchment paper rounds.  In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour and all-purpose flours.  Set aside.

In a large bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter.  Stir until incorporated, and mix in the vanilla and coffee/espresso. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Add the eggs to the food processor, and blend for 3 minutes until the eggs are lighter in color and double in size.  Add the sugar through the top of the food processor and blend until mixed through.  Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate, and gently fold with a whisk.  By using a whisk, the egg whites will not deflate.  Gently fold half of the flour mixture in, and then add the remaining flour.

Pour equally into the two prepared pans.  Bake at 325ºF for 15-25 minutes on the middle rack.  The cake should be firm, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should have moist crumbs.  Allow the cakes to cool completely in pans for 30 minutes.  Run a pairing knife around the sides of the cakes to loosen.  Place one layer of cake onto a cardboard round cut just a little larger than the diameter of the cake.  Spread the jam over one layer of the cake, and gently place the second layer on top.

To make the ganache, in a bowl over a post of simmering water, melt the chocolate and heavy cream.  Once melted and mixed, you can pour the glaze onto the center of the cake.  Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cake, and let it flow down the sides.  Continue to spread along the sides of the cake to coat evenly.

Refrigerate cake, keeping it on the rack, until the glaze is set for at least an hour.  Carefully transfer cake to a large platter and serve.

Source: Adapted from America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated

Black and White Cookies

"Look to the cookie."  Remember that Seinfeld episode where the black and white cookie led to the end of Jerry's vomiting streak?

While this post was started with mention of vomit, I promise these cookies won't make you vomit.  Though, for liability purposes, the lawyer in me thinks I should disclaim any warranty or guarantees associated with the cookies.  

WAIT!

"Look to the cookie."

Okay, I looked to the cookie, and I'm focusing and back.

A black and white cookie is a soft, cake-like cookie which is frosted on one half with white frosting and the other half with chocolate frosting.  It's seen as a New York treat, and they were baked in Utica, New York at Hemstrought's Bakery in the early 20th century.  In Germany, these cookies are usually completely iced with either the plain white or the chocolate frosting, and they are called Amerikaner.

Though Hemstrought's Bakery is now closed, this iconic cookie lives on through many New York bakeries.  Some bakeries have even added twists to this cookie.  Empire Cake in New York offered a red velvet black and white cookie, which happened to be quite good. :)

These cookies are soft and cake light, with a hint of lemon flavor.  You can never go wrong with frosting, and the frosting adds the perfect sweetness.  Most black and white cookies are big, so I made a combination of big and smaller cookies.  The small cookies were about 3 inches in diameter, and the big cookies were about 5 inches.  

Enjoy a taste of New York with these cookies!  Would you eat the chocolate frosting first or the vanilla?  Or, would you go straight in the middle?  :)

Black and White Cookies
Yields 16-24 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1.5%)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, plus 1/2 tsp. for the frosting
1/4 tsp. lemon extract*
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
2.5 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. light corn syrup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk until mixed, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and butter.  Mix until fluffy.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon extracts, and continue to mix until everything is evenly combined and smooth.

Next, add the dry mixture to the wet in batches, mixing well after each addition.  Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Bake until the edges begin to brown and rotate the pans halfway through the baking, with a total bake time of18 to 20 minutes.   Cool completely.

Place the confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl.  Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture.  If you add too much water, just add more confectioners' sugar so that you achieve that spreadable texture.

Place half of the frosting into the top half of a double-boiler or a heat-proof bowl that can fit over a pot. Add the chocolate, and set over simmering water.  Warm the water, and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Turn off the heat, but leave the chocolate frosting over hot water to keep it spreadable.  Add vanilla to the plain frosting and stir.

With a brush, coat half of the top of each cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with the white frosting.  Allow to dry and store in an airtight container.

* I did not have lemon extract, so I substituted lemon zest from half of a lemon.

Note: Because these cookies are more cake like, they will dry out faster, so these are best within a day or so of baking.  Be sure to store them in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from the New York Times and Smitten Kitchen

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Friday!  This week's NYC Friday series brings us to Jacques Torres.  Jacques Torres, also known as "Mr. Chocolate," is a master pastry chef.  He worked with a Michelin chef in Nice, taught in Cannes, and was the Corporate Pastry Chef for the Ritz-Carlton.  In addition to being a James Beard Foundation winner, he was the youngest person ever to win the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), a remarkable achievement.  (Check out the documentary Kings of Pastry for more on the MOF.)  Jacques Torres now runs a chocolate factory, retail shops, and an ice cream shop in New York.

During law school, I learned about his chocolate chip cookies while searching through Google's 9.28 million results for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookie recipe was completely different from anything that I tried, and it received rave reviews from my study group.  When I studied for the bar, my sweet friend in NY sent me study treats from Jacques Torres.  After trying the amazing recipe and chocolates, I knew that visiting Jacques Torres' chocolate shop was a must during my New York visit!  

During my NYC week end, I visited Jacques Torres' chocolate shop in Chelsea Market and in the Upper West Side.  His shop shelves are full of such whimsical creations, along with handmade chocolate bon bons, truffles, and chocolate bars.  As you stroll the shop, you can smell the aroma of the exquisite chocolate.  And, you can even enjoy hot chocolate and a warm cookie as you shop.  It was such a happy place to visit, and I loved seeing all of the creative chocolate creations.  

Now, with a name of "Mr. Chocolate," you expect nothing but a big chocolatey chocolate chip cookie. And, Mr. Chocolate delivers!  Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookie pays wonderful homage to the main ingredient.  I tried one of these cookies and then bought chocolate from the shop so that I could make the cookies at home!

There are a few things that make these cookies epically mouth watering: 

1) Chocolate disks. The cookies use chocolate disks, which are larger than chocolate chips, and this allows for chocolate to permeate every part of the cookies.  These are special cookies, so go all out and use good chocolate here!  

2) Two types of flour. Bread flour and cake flour are used instead of all-purpose flour.  Bread flour has a higher protein level than all-purpose flour.  When flour has more protein, it has more gluten, which results in a stronger rise and a chewier item. Bread flour is used for bread because it creates chewiness, and by using bread flour in cookies, it creates an extra chewy effect.

Cake flour is the opposite.  It is much softer in texture, and it almost feels light and airy.  It is perfect for cakes because it gives that tender crumb. However, cake flour and bread flour balance each other when paired, producing a perfectly chewy cookie with the right amount of crisp.

3) Refrigeration. The dough should be refrigerated for at least 36 hours (up to 72 hours).  Refrigerating dough results in cookies that spread less when baking.  Additionally, cookies stay puffier when the dough has been chilled.  Most importantly, by refrigerating the dough for a few days, the dough becomes sweet and buttery.  

4) Sugar ratio. The cookies have a higher ration of brown sugar to granulated sugar.  Brown sugar absorbs moisture, so the cookies get softer--rather than dry out--as time passes.   

When I made these cookies, people loved the massive amounts of chocolate and thought the salt helped richen the flavor.  This recipe is a keeper!  Enjoy the happiness of a chocolate chip cookie with this recipe.  

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 18 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tbsp. (8.5 oz.) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8.5 oz.) bread flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/14 lb. bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content*

Sea salt

Directions:

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl, and set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.  

Reduce speed to low, and add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined for about 5 to 10 seconds.  Drop the chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking.  

Press plastic wrap against the dough, and refrigerate for at least 36 hours.  The dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, and set aside.

Scoop 6 3.5 oz. mounds of dough (about golf ball size) onto the baking sheet.  Be sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and bake until golden brown yet soft, 18 to 20 minutes.

Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then slip cookies onto another rack to cool more.  Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough in the refrigerator, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Eat warm with a glass of milk! 

*Note: You can use chocolate chips but try to find larger chips (such as Ghiradelli).

Source: Directly adapted from Jacques Torres