Leave your Links: Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies
In the Oven: Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies
Posting date for these cookies is Aug. 17th!
Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies
11⁄2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
11⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (about 11⁄2 cups) chocolate chunks
1 large egg white
1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
11⁄2 tablespoons pure peppermint extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
2⁄3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chunks and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, corn syrup, peppermint extract, and vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg white mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 1 more minute.
Add the flour mixture all at once to the wet mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl again and mix for a few more seconds. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon–size balls and roll the dough balls in the granulated sugar. (Alternatively, measure the dough using a tablespoon and use your hands to form it into a ball before rolling in the sugar.) Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies have wet fissures and cracks on top.
Set the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool. Then, using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. The cookies taste best if eaten within 24 hours; however, they also freeze extremely well (and taste great straight from the freezer).
Freeze any leftovers, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 weeks.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Vanilla Bean Malt Cake
Leave your Links: Vanilla Bean Malt Cake
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In the Oven: Cinnamon Spritz Sandwich Cookies
Posting date is July 27th!
Cinnamon Spritz Sandwich Cookies
For the Cinnamon Spritz Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 large egg
For the Soft Meringue Filling
1 large egg white
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Assembly
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Make the Cinnamon Spritz Cookies
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg, and mix again until combined. Add half of
the flour mixture and beat at low speed until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat again at very low speed just until incorporated.
Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1⁄2-inch star tip and pipe the dough into 1 3⁄4-inch rosettes (about 2 inches apart) directly onto the prepared baking sheets. Chill the cookies on the baking sheets in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. While the
cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the sheets from the refrigerator and bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes for cakey cookies or 16 minutes (or until the edges are golden brown) for crispy cookies, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Set the baking sheets on a wire
rack for 5 minutes to cool. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
Make the Soft Meringue Filling
Place the egg white, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water—the bowl should not touch the water. Continue whisking until the sugar is
completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until glossy and voluminous, and slightly stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the cookies
Immediately scrape the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1⁄4-inch star or plain tip. Turn half of the cooled cookies flat side up. Pipe meringue onto the flat side of an upturned cookie, place another cookie flat side down on top of the filling, and press
slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
The cookies can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Banana Caramel Pudding with Meringue Topping
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In the Oven: Easy Candy Bar Tart
Posting date is July 6th! Happy baking!
Note that there’s an error in the book – the baking interactions for the crust are omitted, but they’re included here.
Easy Candy Bar Tart
Yield: One 9-inch tart
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust
30 chocolate wafer cookies (about6 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 ounces (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the Caramel Walnut Filling
1 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup heavy cream
21⁄2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon fleur de sel
2 cups walnuts, toasted
For the Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
3 ounces (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
Make the Chocolate Cookie Crust
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a food processor, pulse the cookies into a very fine powder. You should have about 1 1⁄2 cups. Place the crumbs in a medium bowl and stir in the sugar.
Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into the prepared pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides (just shy of 1 inch high). You can use the back of a large spoon or the bottom of a glass to even out the crust.
Bake the crust crust until it’s set (about 10 minutes) or until just fragrant. Put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Make the Caramel Walnut Filling
In a medium saucepan with high sides, combine the sugar with 1⁄4 cup water. Stir the mixture gently so you don’t splash any of it up on the sides of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, and, without stirring, allow the mixture to boil. Once it begins to turn a rich amber color, remove it from the heat and slowly stream in the cream. After the mixture stops bubbling, return the pan to very low heat and whisk in the butter. Continue whisking gently until the caramel is uniform and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and fleur de sel.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and chill the tart for at least 1 hour.
Make the Chocolate Glaze
Place the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in the bowl of a double boiler over medium heat. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the water and stir the glaze to release excess heat.
Pour the glaze over the tart and use an offset spatula to smooth it out to the edges—try to cover the entire surface of the tart. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour to set the glaze before slicing and serving.
Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. The tart can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Banana Whoopie Pies