Chocolate Cinnamon & Hazelnut Thumbprints

If we're talking about the pairing of chocolate and nuts, it’s no secret that my favorite is the magical gianduia, Italian for the luxurious marriage of chocolate and hazelnuts.  Although I do love all the combinations, there’s something about the unique quality of toasted hazelnuts that pairs particularly beautifully with dark chocolate. 

For me, these Chocolate Cinnamon & Hazelnut Thumbprint cookies are the mother lode of the fabulous wonder of chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and hazelnuts. There is superb deep cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon flavors co-mingling and a wonderful counterpoint of different textures.  There's a decent level of sugar that isn't too sweet or cloying and a dollop of chocolate that adds to the luxury.  The cookies are crispy on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside, a wealth of pleasure.  Perfect for the holidays, although I wouldn’t even consider filing this recipe away once December is in our rear view mirror.  These cookies are meant to be enjoyed throughout the year, whenever you feel like delighting your palate and treating yourself to something pretty sublime.  

My cookies didn’t come out nearly as beautiful as the Epicurious photo because I somehow forgot to roll the cookies in the cinnamon sugar before baking.  But I did try to remedy that just a wee bit by rolling them in the sugar before filling with chocolate to get the right sensation of flavor.  Please do make a point to remember to roll in the sugar because all of the garnishes - the sugar, cinnamon, chocolate and finely chopped hazelnuts - each in their own way contribute magically and significantly to the final product.

If you’re a lover of the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts like me, don’t hesistate to make this cookie.  It’s not difficult and the reward is the stuff of cookie dreams.  By which I mean, heaven.

Here’s to your happy season of baking!

Bench notes:

- Toasting nuts brings out the oil and heightens their flavor. Toast hazelnuts in a 350 degree F oven for about 7 - 8 minutes.  Watch them closely as they will taste bitter if they are left too long.  Remove from the oven and wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and let them steam for about 1 minute.  Rub them in the towel to remove any loose skins (don't worry about the bits of skin still clinging) and let cool.

- Use natural cocoa powder, not dutched.

- 1 tablespoon may seem like a ton of vanilla but it is perfect!

- The original instructions call for mixing in the conventional way: creaming butter and sugar, adding the egg, then the dries.  I decided to mix mine in a food processor, so this is my method:  Place 1/2 cup hazelnuts, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground.  Cut 8 oz cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the bowl.  Process until the butter is well incorporated.  Add the egg and vanilla and process until the mixture forms clumps around the center of the machine and holds together when pinched.

- I use a #40 ice cream scoop to portion the cookie dough.

- After baking, I use the small end of a melon baller to create the wells.  Rather than pushing straight down into the warm cookies, I pressed down gently, rocking the utensil back and forth to prevent the warm cookies from cracking excessively.

- The recipe calls for semisweet (62%) for the chocolate garnish but I used bittersweet (72%).  I just used a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate into the wells of each cookie.

- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week.

- There’s a how-to video of the recipe available from Epicurious.

Chocolate Cinnamon & Hazelnut Thumbprints

adapted from Epicurious

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Cookie Dough

1/2 cup (2.5 oz) toasted hazelnuts   

2 cups (10 oz) flour                                                

1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) cocoa powder                         

1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                                           

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                   

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon                    

8 oz (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature

1 cup (7 oz) sugar                                                  

1 large egg                                                                                                                          

1 tablespoon vanilla                                              

Sugar Garnish

1/2 cup sugar                              

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Finishing Garnish

2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) toasted hazelnuts

4 oz (about 2/3 cup) semisweet chocolate  [I used bittersweet]

2 oz (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Grind 1/2 cup hazelnuts until finely ground.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Beat 8 oz butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly blended.  Reduce to low speed and add the dry ingredients, beating just until thoroughly mixed.  Portion the dough into heaping tablespoons and roll into balls.  Place on a baking sheet and chill until the oven is ready.

Preheat to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

                       

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.  Roll the cookie balls in the mixture and place them 2" apart on the baking sheets.

Bake until puffed and set but still moist, about 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.

                       

Remove from the oven and immediately make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the small end of a melon baller or the bottom of a rounded measuring teaspoon.  Place the pans on a wire rack and cool completely.

                       

Finely chop remaining 2 tablespoons hazelnuts and set aside.

Finely chop the chocolate and melt with the remaining 2 oz butter in a small heatproof bowl over a barely simmering water bath or at 10-second intervals in a microwave, stirring often, until melted.  Fill the wells of each cookie with the chocolate and immediately garnish with the reserved nuts.  Set the cookies aside until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. 

Coffee Spice Shortbread With Crystallized Ginger

You can find coffee co-mingled with spice in other cultures, such as cardamom scented Turkish Coffee and Café Olla, a Mexican coffee brewed with a touch of cinnamon and piloncillo sugar.  Pierre Hermé also writes about a haunting memory of a coffee served with an accompanying piece of crystallized ginger, which prompted him to create a cake.   

These cookies from Bon Appetit are a play on this theme.  They're crisp with an unusual and aromatic blend of coffee, ground ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.  They’re sweetened with brown sugar and bursting with coffee flavor.  They are decidedly adult. 

The recipe includes a simple glaze and a super garnish of crystallized ginger.  I also tried them with a smear of chocolate.  But I must say I prefer the original recipe’s glaze, which I think enhances rather than masks the complexity. The crystallized ginger really pops and adds to its distinctive and unusual flavor.  I wouldn’t necessarily call them a shortbread but they do have a good amount of butter and are similarly baked at a lower temperature for a longer time than most cookies.

If you’re looking for a very unusual cookie full of spice and a satisfying burst of java, you may want to add this to your stack of curiosities.  

Bench notes:

- The recipe calls for baking in two 9” tart pans with removable bottoms but I made them into cookies using a 2 1/2 “ square cookie cutter.  If you use the tart pans, divide the dough equally between the two pans. Press it firmly and evenly onto the bottom of each tart pan.  Instructions say to bake at 325 degrees F for about 25 minutes, then rotate pans and continue to bake until golden brown and firm around edges with a center that is still just slightly soft, about 20 minutes longer.  Cool shortbread in pans for about 5 minutes. Remove pan sides. Use a sharp knife to score the warm shortbread in each pan into 12 wedges. Cool completely. Spread the glaze thinly, leaving 1/2” border at edges.  Garnish with crystallized ginger.  Let the glaze set for about 1 hour.  Slice into 24 wedges.

- For the glaze, I sift the powdered sugar into a bowl of 2 teaspoons of water to avoid lumps.  Then I add the vanilla.

- Store in an airtight container.

- You might also enjoy Chocolate Espresso Spice Cookies.

Coffee Spice Shortbread With Crystallized Ginger

adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes 30 2 1/2” cookies

                       

2 cups (10 oz) flour                                                            

3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed                                                 

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons finely ground coffee                      

2 teaspoons ground ginger                                                                     

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon                                            

1 teaspoon cardamom                                                   

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                           

8 oz (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter                   

1/2 cup (2 oz) powdered sugar                                                                

2 teaspoons (1 oz) water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract   [I used 1/2 teaspoon]                                                          

6 tablespoons (about 3 oz) chopped crystallized ginger        

                       

Preheat to 325 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Place flour, brown sugar, ground coffee, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a food processor and process to combine.  Cut cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add.  Pulse until moist clumps begin to form at the center of the bowl. Gather the dough into a ball.  Divide dough into two equal portions.  Place each on a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it down.  Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and roll out to a rectangle about 7 1/2” x 10”.  Slide onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator.  Repeat with second half of dough.  Chill until firm.

Remove plastic wrap from both sides of cookie dough, leaving one piece underneath.  Cut out cookies using a 2 1/2” cookie cutter and place 15 per prepared baking pan. 

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through.  Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

                       

Mix the powdered sugar, water and vanilla.  Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of glaze over about half of each cookie.  Garnish with crystallized ginger.  Place on a wire rack until glaze is set, about 1 hour. 

Glazed Almond Lemon Cookies

It’s always nice to have a stash of homemade cookies tucked away in a tin to share when friends or family drop by.  And now that the holiday season is surely upon us, it’s good to stock up on ideas for little pastries to share at teatime and for gift giving to all those good people you love and appreciate.  Homemade cookies, loaf cakes and confections are among the season's cherished receivables.

Today’s cookie is of the simple, subtle and crumbly variety.  It’s made with ground almonds and brightened with lemon zest that's been processed with granulated sugar for maximum effect.  It’s all done in a food processor, which makes quick work of getting the mixing done.  The lemon glaze adds just the right touch of sweetness.

This plate of cookies is nothing fancy but a nice way to enjoy a moment of friendship at a time of the year that can feel way too busy and a notch stressful.  It’s for just those occasions when you crave a light but satisfying nibble rather than the richness of chocolate or something that screams spice.  For those understated moments of quiet relief, reach for your favorite hot beverage and one of these little treats.  Time to take a deep breath and relish the simple things in life.

Bench notes:

- I like to use sliced almonds because they result in a mixture that is more finely ground.

- To toast sliced almonds, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 – 7 minutes.  Watch them closely as they will burn quickly.

- A microplane is the best tool for zesting.  Zest the lemons directly over the sugar in the food processor to capture the oils. 

- The cookies don’t take on much color and firm up as they cool.

- Sift the powdered sugar for the glaze to eliminate lumps.

- I really love the combination of almonds and lemon.  If you do, too, be sure to put Lemon Almond Ice Cream on your list of things to do.

Glazed Almond Lemon Cookies

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen 2 1/2” cookies

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar                                                    

zest of 2 lemons

1 cup (3 oz) sliced almonds, toasted                             

2 cups (10 oz) flour                                                            

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                   

8 oz (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter                  

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract                                           

3/4 cup (3 oz) powdered sugar

2 tablespoons (1 oz) lemon juice

Pulse sugar and lemon zest in food processor until the sugar is damp and fragrant.   Add the toasted sliced almonds and process until finely ground.  Add flour and salt and process until thoroughly combined.

Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and process until the mixture starts to clump in the middle of the machine and there are no dry streaks.

Place the dough into an airtight container and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Portion the cookie dough into 1 1/4” balls and place 12 on a baking sheet.  Gently flatten them until they’re 1 3/4” in diameter. 

Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For the glaze, place the lemon juice in a bowl.  Sift the powdered sugar into the lemon juice and whisk to combine.  Use a pastry brush to apple a thin coating of glaze on top of the cooled cookies or dip each one into the glaze.  Place on a wire rack to dry.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

With apple and pumpkin pastries in good supply, it’s also absolutely a good time to roll out ginger cookies.  Everybody knows it wouldn’t be fall without them.  Spicy, chewy and crisp, they pack a real burst of flavor to remind us just how pleasing a little sugar and spice can be.  They are impossible to resist.

Ginger is a delicious and powerful ingredient in all its forms.  It comes from a flowering plant indigenous to China and has long been a central ingredient in Asian and Indian food.  We now find it enhancing cuisines all over the world.  In America, it's also a part of the pastry and beverage universe.

Molasses is a by-product of the sugar refining process.  The first syrup produced from boiling the juices of sugar cane is called cane syrup.  Molasses is the product of a second boiling.  Blackstrap molasses is the very strong and slightly bitter result of a third boiling.  

Of course, ginger cookies also appeal to us because they are full of lots of strong spices.  In this batch, I add a heady mix of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.  This means your kitchen will be filled with quite an intoxicating aroma as you slide them into the oven and let them do their magic.  

If you have a cookie jar, I suggest you fill it with these cookies ASAP.  After all, it’s October and nothing says autumn like Ginger Molasses Cookies.  I'm definitely feeling it.

Bench notes:

- I always use Grandma's Molasses for baking.
- A #40 ice cream scoop is great for portioning the cookie dough.  This produces 36 2 1/2” cookies.

- I like my ginger cookies soft and chewy in the center and crispy at the edges so I baked mine for 11 minutes.  For crispier cookies, bake them another minute or so. Since all ovens are different, I recommend baking just a couple cookies first to get the timing right for your idea of perfect texture.  Let them cool for about 5 minutes, taste, judge and then carry on.

- If you want to crank up the heat in these cookies, toss in a couple tablespoons of fresh grated ginger when you add the molasses.

- I also recommend the easy and sublime Gingerbread Bars.  If you like chocolate mixed with your ginger, try Ginger Chocolate Cookies.  Ginger Cream with Blueberries is a creamy pop of ginger as is Ginger Ice Cream.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Makes 36 2 1/2” cookies

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz) flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

6 oz (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed

1 egg @ room temperature

1/4 cup (2 1/4 oz) molasses

2 tablespoons (1 oz) candied ginger, minced

1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) sugar, for dusting

pinch cinnamon

pinch allspice

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Set aside.

Cream the butter and both sugars until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the egg.  Beat until fully combined.  Scrape down the bowl and blend in the molasses.  Add the flour mixture and the minced candied ginger and mix just until there are no streaks of flour.  Chill the dough until firm, about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Place 1/3 cup of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and allspice in a shallow bowl.

Scoop or portion the cookie dough into 1 1/4” balls and roll in spiced sugar to coat them evenly.  Place 12 on each prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the cookies are light brown, puffed and cracked on the surface and just set around the edges, about 11 - 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Horseshoe Cookies

It’s the moment for cookie making.  Right about this time of year is when I start to think about the holiday pastries in my repertoire and what kind of experimenting and developing I want to do to keep things interesting for the season.

This is another very simple nut cookie that has a crisp and light quality along with the added bonus of a little dip in chocolate.  The cookie is flavored with almonds and vanilla and a touch of cinnamon.  I also include a small amount of unhulled sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.  The dough is mixed in a food processor so it’s quick and easy once you assemble all your ingredients. 

Speaking of assembling ingredients, I ran across an article on how to approach recipes and time spent in the kitchen.  It really rang true for me so I thought I’d recommend it to you.  It’s about visualizing your preparation of a dish before you begin.  Anyone who’s ever worked in a professional kitchen knows this rhythm very well.  You imagine in your head and think through the prep first before you even get started.  You read the recipe a couple of times and you can see and almost taste the desired result.  You think about the collection of ingredients and each step you need to take to get to the final product.  Organizing yourself in this way makes it much easier to actually cook or bake and it helps prevent any last minute surprises.  It makes the whole thing that much more pleasurable and builds your confidence about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.  I find this especially true for pastry.  Check it out!

You can shape these cookies any way you’d like.  I went for a horseshoe as a symbol of good luck.  I think finding homemade cookies in your midst does happen to feel quite lucky, especially when it's a simple nut cookie dipped in chocolate.

Bench notes:

- I like to use sliced almonds because they grind to a finer crumb.  To toast them, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 – 7 minutes.  Watch them closely as they will burn quickly.

- A #40 ice cream scoop helps to portion the cookie dough.

- When shaping the dough into logs that form the horseshoes, make sure the pieces are the same thickness from middle to ends so they will bake evenly.

- I shape the cookies into horseshoes on the baking sheet so I don’t have to lift and move them.

- I recommend semisweet chocolate for the coating because the cookies aren’t terribly sweet.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Horseshoe Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

2 cups (10 oz) flour

1 cup (3 oz) sliced toasted almonds

1/4 cup (1 oz) sesame seeds

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz) sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

8 oz (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Coating

4 oz semi-sweet (62%) chocolate                      

2 oz (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter                                                                             

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Place the flour, almonds, seeds, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the flour mixture along with the egg yolk, vanilla and almond extracts.  Process until the mixture collects into damp clumps. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it tightly.   Chill for 2 - 4 hours or until the dough has firmed up enough to handle with ease.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Portion the cookie dough into 1 1/2” balls.  Then form each one into 3 1/2” logs of uniform thickness.  Place them on the prepared baking sheets and shape each one into a horseshoe.

Bake until only slightly colored on the top and golden brown on the bottom, about 15 - 17 minutes.  Rotate baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking and browning.  Remove and place on a wire rack until cookies are completely cool.

For the chocolate coating, finely chop the chocolate.  Place in a heatproof bowl with the butter and melt over a pot with an inch or two of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  Remove from heat. 

Dip the ends of each cooled cookie into the bowl.  Scrape the excess from the bottom of the cookie against the edge of the bowl and place on a wire rack or silpat to dry.

Jam Fans

In a last gasp of summer, I discovered I still had a small amount of fresh plum compote on hand, so I set out to make some cookies.  Among an old stack of recipes, I found these little gems calling out for my attention.  They fit the bill perfectly.

Jam Fans are little shaped pastries made from a simple dough that includes a bit of cream cheese and lemon zest to perk it up.  I reduced the sugar as they were a bit too sweet for me but the cookies are not overly rich or heavy.  Perfect when you want just a little something.   

The finished cookies are buttery and crisp with just a nibble of fruit.  Use your favorite jam or a mix of your favorites for a jeweled platter.  They’ll disappear quickly.  I advise you to make sure you squirrel away a few for yourself.

Bench notes:

- When the cookies are stored in an airtight container, they will soften, so I made a half recipe of 22 cookies.  For the full recipe, see the original recipe, Lemon Blueberry Fans.

- Resist the temptation to use more than a scant 1/2 teaspoon of jam on each cookie.  Any more than that and it tends to spill out as it bakes.
- If your dough cracks a bit as you fold it over, not to worry.  Just pinch it together to seal it.

- These are baked at a higher temperature so watch them closely to prevent over browning.

- More jam cookies:  Pecan Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies and Peanut Butter & Jam Cookies.

Jam Fans

adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Makes 22 cookies

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) flour             

1 tablespoon (9 grams) cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt   

4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature                                              

1 1/2 oz cream cheese @ room temperature

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar   [I used 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) sugar]    

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest                   

1/2 teaspoon vanilla                                                          

1/3 cup jam or preserves  

Whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt.  Set aside.

Cream softened butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.  Mix in lemon zest and vanilla.  Add flour mixture and blend thoroughly.  Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap.  Cover it with another piece of plastic wrap and roll it out to an 1/8" thickness.  Place on a baking sheet and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.   Line baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

Cut out cookies using a round 2 1/2” cookie cutter.  Place the rounds 1” apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam onto the center of each cookie.  Shape into fans by lifting the opposite sides of each circle up over the jam and pinching them together about 2/3 of the way, forming a point at one end.

Bake until the bottom edges are lightly browned, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies

Every now and then you need a chewy cookie.  There’s no doubt that crumbly shortbread and crispy butter cookies are the stuff of dreams.  There’s something about a crunchy texture that does the trick.  But sometimes a chewy cookie also clocks in quite well on the cookie meter.

This is a chocolate version of a chewy cookie that is made with cocoa for an earthy chocolate richness and brown sugar for flavor and soft texture.  There’s also a good bit of cinnamon and some caramel chocolate chips to ramp it all up just perfectly.

The cookie dough is mixed in the conventional way by first creaming the butter and sugar and then adding an egg and the dry ingredients.  I recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight if you can to make sure everything has a chance to co-mingle properly.  Bake them for just 12 minutes and then give them a try.  I suggest a nice cup of coffee or cold glass of milk as your partner. 

Bench notes:

- I like to let cookie dough chill overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

- Once you add the flour, do your best not to overmix.  I usually take cookie dough and cake batter off my mixer just right before they’re completely and fully blended and then finish the mixing by hand. 

- For even baking and browning, I bake one cookie sheet at a time in the center rack, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.

- It’s hard to tell when a chocolate cookie is done because you often can’t really see the browning.  For this cookie, it’s better to be slightly underdone or you risk having a dry cookie. I bake these for 12 minutes.  If you’re unsure of your oven, you can try a couple testers before you bake the whole batch.

- Full disclosure:  I did some recipe consulting in May 2014 with Nestle’s development team on their new Toll House chocolate chip flavors.  However, I have not been compensated in any way for the use of their caramel chocolate chips in this recipe.  I really do like this product and would never recommend any ingredient I did not feel to be worth trying no matter the nature of my association with product representatives.

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) flour

1/4 cup (3/4 oz) cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed

1 egg @ room temperature

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup (3 oz) chocolate chips [I used Nestle Chocolate Caramel Chips]

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl.  Add the vanilla and mix.  Add in the flour mixture and blend until there are no dry streaks.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

For optimal flavor, place the cookie dough in an airtight container and chill overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.  

Shape the cookie dough into 1 1/2” balls and place 12 on each baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes, one baking sheet at a time.  Place the pans on a wire rack to cool. 

Ultra Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When esteemed chocolate expert and cookbook author Alice Medrich advises, I listen.  Her cookbooks are flawless examples of thorough testing and expertise, which result in reliably superb pastries and desserts.  It’s no wonder every cookbook she releases is an instant hit and award winner.

Alice is particularly proficient at creating wonderful cookies.  It’s interesting to note that her recipe for this Ultra Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies comes with a few very explicit dos and don’ts.  They’re not terribly complicated but they are necessary to achieve the right taste and texture: a dramatically large, ultra thin and crisp cookie loaded with caramel flavor and wonderful bites of chocolate.

First, you need to let the cookie dough rest overnight for maximum flavor.  Second, these cookies need to be baked on foil for the cookie to acquire the right level of crispness.  And since these cookies spread out to about a 5” diameter, you’ll need to place only 5 per sheet pan.  You’ll also need to flatten the cookie dough to a diameter of about 3 1/2” before baking so they’ll spread out properly.  Lastly, the cookies need to bake for 20 – 25 minutes to achieve the right caramelization and super crisp texture.  If you don’t bake them until they take on some good color, they won’t crisp up after they cool.

So, if you don’t mind playing by the rules, give this recipe a try.  You’ll wind up with quite a good snappy cookie, a worthy departure from the usual chocolate chip variety.  

Bench notes:

- Do follow Alice’s advice on all these steps and you’ll get a full-flavored cookie that really snaps.

- Make sure the dough is cool after adding the melted butter before you add the chocolate chunks so they won’t melt while mixing.

- If you need to bake these cookies the same day, let the dough rest for a few hours at room temperature.

- Slide the cookies and foil onto wire racks and proceed to the third batch.  Let the cookies cool on the foil.

- A small offset spatula is very handy for removing the cookies after they’ve cooled.

- The cookies will keep in an airtight container for about 3 days.  Good luck with that.

Ultra Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

Makes fifteen 5” cookies

5 oz (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter                           

1 1/3 cups (170 grams) flour                   

1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                                                       

1/2 cup (42 grams) oatmeal                                            

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar                                      

1/4 cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar, packed                        

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (55 grams) light corn syrup

2 tablespoons whole milk                                                            

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                           

7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet (72%) chocolate, coarsely chopped into small chunks

                                                                                                           

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Whisk together the flour and baking soda and set aside.

In a separate bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, stir together the melted butter, oats, both sugars, corn syrup, milk, and salt.  Add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly.  Stir in the chocolate chunks.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Position your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces, each one a scant 1/4 cup (or 50 grams each if you have a scale).

Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil.  Place 5 pieces of dough (4 in a square pattern and 1 in the center) on each sheet of foil. Use your fingers to flatten each piece to about 3 1/2” in diameter. 

Bake until the cookies are thin and browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.  Slide the foil with the cookies onto racks and leave them on the foil to cool completely.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Despite our very gloomy local weather, another thrilling apricot season has arrived. And, as luck would have it, my first purchase of apricots is gorgeous.  They are a good size with a beautiful ripened color, great texture and wonderful flavor.  I am blissed.

My first project of the season is Apricot Oatmeal Bars.  With fruit this good, I like to veer in the direction of keeping things very simple.  These are very easy to prepare and are more like a slice of easy crumbly pie.  I add oatmeal to the pastry because I am an oatmeal freak and wanted to pair off two of my favorite ingredients in a happy marriage of pastry deliciousness.  The apricots are simmered for just a few minutes with sugar and honey to coax out their juices.  The whole batch is baked in no time, a very good beginning to this season of plenty.

People, do not forget that apricot season is hideously, devastatingly brief, so do not waste your time ruminating about it.  Get yourself to the market, STAT!  

  

Bench notes:

- As they simmer, taste the apricots for sugar.  Baking does bring out their tartness, so add enough to take it right up to your preferred level of sweetness.

- Don't let the fruit boil.  Keep the apricots at a low simmer to preserve their flavor.  Cook them just long enough so they’re softened and pliable, not mushy. They can be made a day or two ahead. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

- For the apricots, I just used a piece of vanilla from my vanilla sugar jar, where I keep all my used pods.  If you don’t have any, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Add once you take them off the heat.

- Rinse your vanilla pods and dry.  Add to a jar of sugar to hold for future use.  Both the sugar and the pods can be used again and again.

- This crust/topping is crisp and very crumbly.  If you prefer a chewier version, change up the flour/oatmeal ratios, substitute some brown sugar and add some baking powder as follows: 1 cup (5 oz) flour + 1 3/4 cups (5 1/4 oz) oatmeal; 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar + 1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) brown sugar; and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

- I used old-fashioned oatmeal rather than quick oats.

- If you’re a fan of cinnamon, add a pinch to the topping and/or the apricots.  It’s a great flavor combination.

- More apricot bliss:  Apricot Almond Upside Down Cake, Apricot Swirl Cheesecake Bars, Apricot Galette, Apricot Cornmeal Crumb Tart, Cornmeal Cake with Apricots.

- If you have an ice cream maker, save your apricot pits and make the unforgettably sublime Noyau Ice Cream.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Makes 16 bars

8 (1 lb, 4 oz) ripe apricots                                      

3 tablespoons (39 grams) sugar, to taste                     

1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) honey

1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) water                                                                                               

1/4 vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) flour                         

1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 oz) oatmeal                                          

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz) granulated sugar                                     

6 oz (12 tablespoons) cold butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8” square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper large enough to form an overhang along two sides of the pan.

Cut the apricots into 1/2" slices.  Place them in a saucepan along with the sugar, honey and water.  Split and seed a 1/4 portion of a vanilla bean and add the seeds and the pod.  Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes at a slow simmer or until the apricots just begin to become tender.  Take off the heat and cool.  Remove vanilla pod.

Combine the flour, oatmeal, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until ingredients are combined and the oats are chopped up a bit but not ground completely.

Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla. Pulse until the mixture starts to clump. It should remain a bit loose but hold together when pinched.  Pour into a bowl and toss with your hands.

Press about 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan to form an even bottom layer.  Bake until the surface is puffed up and looks dry and slightly browned, about 15 – 20 minutes.

 

Pour the simmered apricots on top and spread to within 1/4” of the edges.  Top with the remaining crumb mixture, making sure to distribute to the edges and the corners to form a border.  Press down gently to secure.

Bake until the crumb topping is lightly browned around the edges, about 20 - 25 minutes.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  Run a thin knife around the edges and gently lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut into bars.