Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [79]
For a truly over-the-top cookie, you can frost any of these variations with Marshmallow Fluff!
RATNER’S CHINESE COOKIES
Ratner’s was once a Manhattan institution renowned for its soups and baked goods. It’s long gone now, but here’s a version of the famous cookies. They’re probably called “Chinese” because of the almond flavoring. Here we coat them in sesame seeds for a truly exotic chocolate taste.
MAKES A LITTLE LESS THAN 5 DOZEN COOKIES
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably natural, sifted
3 tablespoons hot water
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups sesame seeds, preferably white sesame seeds
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for buttering the baking sheets
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. First, prepare the ingredients you’ll need later on. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until the baking soda is evenly distributed; set aside. Mix the cocoa powder, hot water, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl until it forms a thick paste; set aside as well. Finally, sprinkle the sesame seeds on a large plate or cutting board and set aside.
2. Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and beat until pale yellow and light, about 1 more minute. Beat in the egg, then one of the egg whites, the almond extract, and vanilla. Remove the beaters, scraping off any dough adhering to them.
3. Stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, just until a soft, moist dough forms.
4. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, then divide the dough in half and place one half on the work surface. Dust the dough and a rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough into a 6 × 8-inch rectangle. Spread half the chocolate paste over this rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all sides. Roll up into a log, starting at one of the long sides—roll tightly without squeezing down.
5. Whisk the remaining egg white and 2 teaspoons cool water in a small bowl. Brush half this mixture over the log, then roll the log it in the sesame seeds, coating it with seeds (but leaving enough for the second log). Seal this log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours or up to 48 hours. Meanwhile, repeat the process to create a second chocolate-filled, sesame-coated cookie roll; seal this one in plastic wrap and refrigerate it, too.
6. Position the racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two large baking sheets.
7. Unwrap one of the cookie rolls and slice it into 1/4-inch disks. Place the disks on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the sheets back to front and top to bottom. Bake for another 6 to 8 minutes or so, until the cookies give a little when touched but are nonetheless firm. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If baking additional batches, cool the baking sheets for 5 minutes and lightly butter them again. You can also keep the dough logs in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, slicing off and baking as many cookies at a time as you like. Or you can freeze one of the logs for up to 1 month; if so, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 3 hours before slicing off the cookies and baking them.
Recommended storage
4 days at room temperature
Once baked, 3 months in the freezer
SOFT CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
Ah, soft, moist, classic oatmeal cookies—but with chocolate chips, not raisins! We’ve adjusted the sweetness to account for the chips; but in the end, these are the old standards,