Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [42]
NOTE: We don’t recommend using butter to grease the pan because you want a very thin coating—the madeleines must not fry as they bake. Lightly grease the pan, even if it has a nonstick surface, because the coating will put a barrier between the chocolate and the heat, thereby ensuring that the chocolate at the madeleines’ edges doesn’t singe and turn bitter.
Recommended storage
3 days at room temperature
2 months in the freezer
More Choices!
Chocolate Chip Madeleines: Mix in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips after the milk.
Chocolate Currant Madeleines: Mix in 3/4 cup currants after the milk.
Chocolate Orange Madeleines: Substitute 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for the vanilla extract.
CHOCOLATE MANDELBROT
Sometimes called “Jewish biscotti,” mandelbrot (“mandel” = almonds; “brot” =bread) are dry cookies, often served after a holiday meal. Our version fills this traditional cookie with a rich vein of chocolate. The dough is soft, almost like a yeast dough; so the cookies are softer and moister than Italian biscotti.
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES
1/2 cup almond paste (about 4 ounces, see page 17)
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons cool water
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Cut the almond paste into 1 cup of the sugar and the salt in a large bowl, using a pastry cutter or two forks, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the butter and continue cutting in a few turns, just until softened a little. Then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Beat in 4 of the eggs at medium speed, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Then beat in the vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Finally, beat in the flour in 1/2-cup increments at very low speed just until a soft dough forms. There’s a fine line here between cookies and bread—you want a soft dough that’s not sticky. When in doubt, beat less than you might think necessary.
4. Lightly dust a dry work surface with flour and turn the dough onto it. Knead for about 2 minutes, just until the flour has been incorporated and the dough is smooth. Divide in half, lightly flour your work surface and the dough, and roll or press each half into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle. Cover with clean kitchen towels.
5. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, hot water, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to form a thick, smooth paste. A fork works best—the mixture will be stiff. Divide this chocolate paste in half and make a flattened log about 11 inches long out of each half. Place this log in the middle of each half of the rolled-out dough, allowing about 1/2 inch on each end. Fold the almond dough over and around the chocolate log; pinch to seal the seam and both ends, taking care not to leave gaps in the seals. Place these filled logs, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet, about 4 inches apart.
6. Beat the remaining egg with the cool water, then brush this mixture over each loaf on the sheet, using a pastry brush or pastry feather.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the sheet front to back once halfway through baking, until the logs are very brown and firm to the touch. Cool completely on the baking sheet, about 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
8. Remove the logs from the baking sheet and use a serrated knife to slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. If desired, slice them on the diagonal for longer slices. Return these slices to the parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them cut side down. If you need to use a second baking sheet, line it with parchment paper as well—but toast the cookies one sheet at a time.
9. Bake