Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [6]
DOUBLE BOILER This handy kitchen tool consists of one pot straddling a slightly deeper one. Why would you need such a device? Chocolate is temperamen-tal—it scorches in no time—so a double boiler allows you to melt chocolate over indirect heat.
While the recipes that call for melted chocolate call for a double boiler, we also always offer an alternative. If there is only a small amount of chocolate to be melted, we give instructions for melting it in a microwave. For larger amounts, we offer a home fix-it contraption of a mixing bowl set over a similarly sized pot of simmering water. The one problem? The escaping steam in this less-than-perfectly-fitting system can give your fingers a nasty burn and can cause the chocolate to seize (see page 10). Watch the pot carefully, adjusting the heat under it to maintain a slow but steady boil.
ELECTRIC MIXER A stand mixer is powerful enough to soften the butter before it begins to lose its elasticity. If you have a handheld mixer, place your mixing bowl in the sink, securing it in the drain so that it doesn’t jump around while you’re beating in the ingredients. You may have to beat some of the batters a minute or two longer than stated in the recipes to get to the right visual cue for the steps in the process.
KITCHEN SCALES Of course, you can always rely on the 1-ounce squares of chocolate and the like—but if you buy in bulk, you’ll have to have kitchen scales for accuracy’s sake. Scales will also help you measure out shortening without the attendant sticky utensils (see page 12).
PASTRY BAG AND TIPS A few of the fancier recipes ask you to pipe out the batter using a pastry bag and a specified round tip, in all cases either a 3/8-inch round tip or a ¾-inch round tip. Pastry bags and tips can be found at any baking supply or kitchenware store. We prefer disposable plastic pastry bags, rather than traditional cloth bags simply because disposable bags make cleanup a snap. You can also improvise with a zip-closed plastic bag by snipping a bottom corner to the required diameter, filling the bag with dough, and piping out as directed by squeezing the dough through the small hole you’ve made. This homemade pastry bag will yield perfectly acceptable if not absolutely perfect results.
ROLLING PIN Buy one heavy enough that you don’t have to press down and roll the dough out by brute force. In other words, let the pin do the work for you.
WIRE RACK FOR COOLING A sturdy wire rack is essential for cooling cookies once they’re baked. The mesh allows air to circulate under the cookies so they don’t turn soggy.
Some Special Ingredients
Cookies don’t require many fussy ingredients. Most are well within a baker’s pantry. That said, some may have a few tricks or secrets—as you’ll see in this short list.
Almond paste
Sometimes sold as “marzipan,” this concoction of ground almonds and sugar (with glucose often added for a smooth texture) is found in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. Look for fresh, soft tubes—a squeeze will tell you if the paste has hardened to a useless lump. If yours in the pantry has, remove the paste from the tube and soften it in the microwave in 10-second increments—but hope for the best because the almond oil can easily fall out of suspension, creating a mess.
Baking powder and baking soda
The acid and the base in baking powder slowly duke it out over time, despite the presence of cornstarch, which is supposed to break