Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [20]
3. Spread the almonds on a third baking sheet or in a small, shallow roasting pan. Toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and very fragrant. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes as well.
4. Beat the brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick, satiny, and pale brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the cool chocolate in a slow, steady stream, beating all the while. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the vanilla until smooth. Remove the beaters and stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until moistened. Finally, stir in the toasted almond until evenly distributed.
5. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops are slightly cracked but the cookies are still soft inside. Cool completely on the baking sheet before removing the cookies from the parchment paper. Meanwhile, bake a second batch on the second prepared baking sheet, as directed.
Recommended storage
2 days at room temperature between sheets of wax paper
Not recommended for freezing
Personalize It!
Chocolate Cranberry Chews: Stir in 1/2 cup dried cranberries with the toasted almonds.
Chocolate Ginger Chews: Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger with the toasted almonds.
Chocolate Peanut Chews: Substitute 1/2 cup finely chopped, unsalted, roasted peanuts for the almonds. Omit toasting the peanuts.
Chocolate Pecan Chews: Substitute 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans for the almonds. Toast only 3 or 4 minutes.
Chocolate Walnut Chews: Substitute 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts for the almonds. Toast only 3 or 4 minutes.
CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI
There’s nothing so good as crunchy biscotti, dunked in coffee, vin santo, or even that bit of red wine left at the end of dinner. Don’t shortchange the baking times here—you want the cookies to dry out and become quite hard.
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN BISCOTTI
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the work surface
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups semisweet mini chocolate chips
3 tablespoons cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. Mix 2 cups flour, the baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In a second medium bowl, mix the mini chocolate chips with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour, coating them thoroughly; set aside as well.
2. Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the sugar and continue beating until grainy but incorporated, about 1 minute. Beat in the sliced almonds with the mixer to crush them up into the batter. Add both the eggs and continue beating until smooth, then add the egg whites and vanilla, beating at medium speed until the dough is light and uniform, about 1 more minute.
3. Turn off the mixer, add the flour mixture, then mix in at lowest speed possible, just until no flour is visible in the batter. Do not beat until the dough gathers into a ball. Remove the beaters and fold in the flour-coated chips with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until evenly distributed.
4. Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, then turn the dough out onto it. Dust your hands with flour, then knead the dough lightly until silky, about 2 minutes. Cut the dough in half and