Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [47]
2. Into one half of the dough, stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and red food coloring as well as the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. In the other half, stir the confectioners’ sugar, mint extract, and green food coloring as well as the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Cover both bowls and refrigerate until both doughs are firm enough to roll out, about 1 hour.
3. Divide each of the doughs into 8 pieces (so you have 16 pieces of dough). Shape about half of these into short logs about 2 inches thick. Gently pat the remainder into circles, ovals, or rectangles. The point is to have many shapes and sizes of dough to fuse together. Lay these out on your work surface, with some of the pieces overlapping, some of them sticking up, and others lying on their sides, greens and reds mixed together. Starting at one long side of this mass of shapes, use your hands to roll them all together into a large log, about 11 inches long and 21/2 inches in diameter. Wrap this log in plastic wrap, evening out its shape through the wrap. Seal well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 5 days.
4. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the log into 1/4-inch-thick disks and place them on a large, ungreased baking sheet, preferably nonstick, spacing the disks about 11/2 inches apart.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the sheet back to front once during baking, until the cookies are browned at the edges and are firm to the touch, if still a bit springy. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking additional cookies.
Recommended storage
5 days at room temperature
3 months in the freezer after baking
More Choices!
Chocolate Almond Marble Refrigerator Cookies: Omit the green food coloring. Substitute almond extract for the mint extract.
Chocolate Banana Marble Refrigerator Cookies: Substitute yellow food coloring for the green; substitute banana flavoring for the mint extract.
Chocolate Orange Marble Refrigerator Cookies: Substitute orange food coloring for the green; substitute orange extract for the mint extract.
Chocolate Rum Marble Refrigerator Cookies: Omit the green food coloring. Substitute rum extract for the mint extract.
CHOCOLATE MINT SANDWICH COOKIES
Here’s a cookie that replicates Mint Milanos, the fix of every midnight snacker, the bane of every dieter. Why make your own? For the sheer fun of it, of course. These tender water cookies taste a little like a vanilla wafer. They’re good on their own, but isn’t the chocolate-mint filling always the best part?
MAKES ABOUT 1 DOZEN LARGE SANDWICH COOKIES
4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening (2 ounces), plus additional for greasing the baking sheet
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for the baking sheet
21/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
11/2 tablespoons crème de menthe or mint syrup
1/8 teaspoon peppermint oil (optional)
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 425°F. Use a dab of shortening on a small piece of wax paper to grease a large baking sheet; flour the baking sheet, then set it aside.
2. Beat the shortening and sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and airy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, then beat in the egg whites in two increments, making sure the first is thoroughly incorporated before adding the second. Beat in the vanilla until smooth. Remove the beaters and stir in the flour, using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, just until incorporated.
3. Fit a pastry bag with a round, 3/4-inch tip; fill the bag with the dough, squeezing it toward the tip. Pipe out twenty-four 3-inch-long cookies on to the prepared baking sheet, each about as thick as your thumb. Space