Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [24]
4. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the sheets top to bottom and back to front. Continue baking for about 6 more minutes, or until the cookies have spread and started to brown at the edges. They should still be quite soft, even a little gooey, but stabilized, not wet and raw. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes—they will become mushy if removed too soon—then gently transfer them with a metal spatula to wire racks to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets for 5 minutes before making additional batches, as necessary.
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NOTE: You can purchase chocolate chunks in most supermarkets and almost all gourmet markets. To make your own, use a chef’s knife to cut dark chocolate bars into uniform chunks.
Recommended storage
4 days at room temperature between sheets of wax paper
2 months in the freezer
Personalize It!
Reduce the chocolate chips to 11/2 cups; add 11/2 cups of any of the following: chopped dried figs, chopped walnut pieces, cocoa nibs, dried cherries, dried cranberries, M&M’s, pecan pieces, raisins, Reese’s Pieces, unsalted roasted peanuts, or white chocolate chunks.
CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CHECKERBOARDS
These intricate, beautiful cookies look like small checkerboards. Admittedly, they’re a bit of work—you’ll need to make two doughs, weave them into a checkerboard pattern, then cut them into rectangular cookies. But the results are worth the extra effort: a crunchy, light, spiced cookie that’s sure to be a hit at every party, potluck, or family gathering.
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN SMALL, RECTANGULAR COOKIES
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
12/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening (3 ounces)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1. Place the chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over a pot of simmering water, or in a medium bowl that fits tightly over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, then remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave oven by placing it in a medium bowl and microwaving it on high for 20 seconds, stirring well, then continuing to heat on high in 15-second increments, stirring after each heating; when about two-thirds of the chocolate has melted, continue stirring outside the microwave oven until all has melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a clean, dry bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined; set aside.
3. Soften the butter and shortening in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed; add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating (on low at first, then at medium speed) until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in one egg yolk at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla. Remove the beaters and stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until moistened. Gather the dough together into a ball.
4. Divide the ball of dough in half. You need a very precise reading of half for this recipe, so we suggest using kitchen scales to get an accurate measurement. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, scoop out the dough in 1/4-cup increments, going back and forth between two clean bowls until you’re sure you have half in each bowl. Stir the melted, cooled chocolate into one of the halves of the dough. (You may find it works best to use your hands.) Wrap each half in plastic wrap, flatten into thick disks, and refrigerate until firm but not rock hard, about 1 hour but not more than 3 hours.
5. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a