[Cookie 099] Coconut Swirl Brownies

So now that I'm back in America, I'm eatin' all the foods I really missed while in Ghana and trying to get over my obsession with Waakye. When it comes to baking, I'm really glad to be back because it was impossible to find the right ingredients without paying an arm and a leg, but more importantly, baking in 95º weather isn't really so hot (pun intended! see what i did there?). But the longer I'm here in NYC and the more I get readjusted, the more I miss the little things that I had every day while in Accra. For one, plantains. And coconut. Good god, getting a fresh, young coconut on the side of the street from a guy who would chop it open for less than 35 cents was pretty unbeatable. Also, condensed milk. Strange, I know, but they aren't really all that into fresh milk there (I think this is pretty common in most non-Western cultures actually...I think us Westerners are the weird ones drinking another animal's baby food). Anyway, I got really into putting condensed milk in my morning coffee. So of course when I came across this recipe for Coconut Swirl Brownies with condensed milk, I knew I had to make it for our first Ghana reunion!

Now, if I was able to buy chocolate more easily and cheaply while in Ghana, I most definitely would have made these in an instant. I had the strongest craving for brownies while I was there (and I wasn't the only one, fyi), but I think West Africa exports most their cocoa products, so the only chocolate you could get was super expensive imported Western brands like Cadbury and I just couldn't afford that ish!

But these brownies would have been so worth it. They are super fudgy, dense, and chocolatey--not dry at all. And the swirls of coconut/condensed-milk goodness are just awesome. Everyone liked them at the little reunion we had. They made me so popular. I am happier now having made these. Soooooo....I'm not trying to suggest anything about your own popularity....but......ya know, if you're feeling a little lonely, these brownies could keep you warm at night. Happy belated Valentines Day.

P.S. Thanks so much to all of you who gave me such great recommendations, tips, and recipes regarding biscotti! I'll be sure to use them for the next biscotti recipe.

Coconut Swirl Brownies

Makes 9 large or 16 small brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 large egg white

2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).

Stir together 1 tablespoon of sugar, the condensed milk, coconut, egg white, and 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla in a bowl.

Put butter and both chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk remaining 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs; whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well combined.

Pour 1/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Drop dollops of coconut mixture (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining coconut mixture on top.

Gently swirl coconut mixture into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 3.5/5
Tastiness: 4.5/5
Attractiveness: 4/5
Is it worth it?: Yeah. Seriously, this is a brownie's brownie!

{Pairings}

Drink: Milk, duh. Whaddya some kinda idiot?

Song: Aben wo aha -- Daddy Lumba (this one is worth watching/hearing!)
Activity: Uh, I dunno, figure it out.

[Cookie 098] Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

Oh, Biscotti, bane of my existence. I just can't get you! You look so good, and have so much potential to be a cookie far better than its Starbuck's facsimile, but alas! You quiver at my very touch, collapse when I even look at you, and fail to be anything more than a broken pile of bones.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY AT ITS FINEST!!!!

Our relationship is a failed one. I have tried to make your kind before, and had the same qualms. Maybe it is Martha's directing that keeps getting in the way of our friendship, or maybe it's my lack of any Italian blood in me, but regardless, we just don't understand each other too well. I feel like a failed Professor Frankenstein (bare with me...): I have put the body together, it's laying on my operating table, and all I have to do now is give it some life. Put you into the oven and hope that when I take you out, you'll be walkin' and talkin' and puttin' on the ritz just like I had hoped. But no! I take you out of the oven after your first bake, and I try to slice ya up, and you COLLAPSE! LIKE A BUNCH OF BROCCOLI! (Anyone still getting the Young Frankenstein references, besides my dad?)

But seriously, what the hell, Biscotti? Maybe I'm just a slow learner, since I had these same issues with you last time, but whenever I try to slice you after par-baking you, you fall apart. I should have just learned to bake you longer than the recipe says for the first time, but noooo, I had to follow the directions and ignore my better judgment.

Biscotti and Young Frankenstein aside, I also didn't really like the chocolate and pistachio flavor combination. To me, they just don't taste good together! Something about the hearty, savory nature of a pistachio, paired with another intense, dark flavor like chocolate, didn't really work for me. Pistachio and citrus, yes; chocolate and almond, DUH; but pistachio and chocolate, not so much...Am I crazy here, or do you guys agree too?

All in all, this recipe ended up producing a heavy chocolate cookie that was more like a hybrid between an almost-biscotti, and a brownie. They are very intense and chocolaty, and could be a really nice cookie if you didn't think of them like biscotti, and maybe substituted a different nut for the pistachio. So, when it comes down to it, I didn't like this recipe. Fortunately, there is still one more biscotti recipe in The Book, so maybe the third times a charm...

Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a baking sheet; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough. Stir in pistachios and chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12 by 4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

On a cutting board, using a sharp serrated knife, cut biscotti diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet, and bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8 minutes.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 4/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 2/5
Attractiveness: 2.5/5
Is it worth it?: If it tasted good, I'd say yeah, but since I didn't even like the flavor, the effort was not worth it. Boo.

{Pairings}

Drink: They are super chocolatey, so milk would be good. Or coffee/cappuccino, according to traditional biscotti makers.

Song: I Should Have Known Better -- The Beatles (this clip gets me every time...to be on that train! Swoon!)
Activity: Watch Young Frankenstein instead of making these.

[Cookie 095] Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Hey team. Happy New Years!! Oh-ten is so last week; oh-leven is here to stay! 2011! Twenty-in-heaven! Two-thousand-agendum! I smell good things for this year, and a lot of those things have chocolate in them, so get ready.

But first: Remember those Gingersnap Palmiers? You better, because it was only last week. Well get this: I made the second batch of dough on New Year's Eve, intending to take them to a party I was going to. And I decided that they might taste better if I didn't brush them with more of that molasses-ginger syrup (since that made them a little soggy), but instead sprinkle some turbinado sugar on them and bake them as is. Well, that worked out brilliantly and the cookies came out light, crispy, and delicious. I let them sit on the counter to cool and went about my business. I come downstairs, and half the batch is gone. Thanks Mom and Dad! They were very sorry and apparently had no idea I wanted to bring them to a NYE party (we won't get into my skepticism on that matter). Anyways, I leave for the party without cookies--am I really going to bring 10 cookies to a party? No!--have a nice time, ring in oh-leven with McDonald's fries (weird, I know), and then come home exhausted the next day only to find that....THEY ATE THE REST OF THE BATCH. Seriously, what the hell?? You can give a mouse/parents a cookie, and then something something something....end result: no cookies for you! Sad baker.

Ranting. Sorry, bad way to start off my first post of the new year. Well, here's a better way to start off the new year: Chocolate Waffle Cookies! Yeah, fuck that new year's resolution diet thing! Eat these and you'll be happier anyways, and that should be everyones biggest resolution for oh-leven right? Happier, sappier, dapper! No waffling; just pick this recipe and go for it!

Okay, but resolutions aside, how could you even turn down a cookie as cute as this? It looks like a baby waffle, but tastier!! I would have to admit, however, that these probably shouldn't be called cookies, since they are essentially just cake. But I'm not complaining! They are really fun to make and have a lovely flavor. There is a hefty amount of cinnamon in the dough, which really deepens the taste of the cookie when it is a day old. The glaze is nice too, but you could totally skip it or just glaze half the batch (that's what I did, since I ran out of glaze); with the unglazed ones, just pop them in the toaster oven and they get all warm and slightly crisped on the outside. Perfection. Add hot chocolate, or maybe just a glass of milk, and you're on your way to being Happiest Baker 2011 edition.

So you're convinced now? You've dug up that old waffle maker hiding in the depths of that hard-to-reach pantry and you've turned your regular cocoa powder into Dutch-processed (do it, save yourself a lot of money!). Great! Here are a few pointers: Once you've made the batter, make sure your waffle iron has really gotten to its proper heat. I have a pretty ancient one and turns out it takes it about 3 days to preheat, so make sure you get it fully hot before you start making the cookies. If it isn't preheated, it will continue to rise in temperature and burn your cookies, or just make it so you're never quite sure when they'll be done. If you see smoke, it's too hot/finished!

Another tip: Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the waffle iron. It makes your "waffles" perfectly shaped and helps the whole process be a lot easier/less messy.

Hurray! Your first cookies of the new year are beautiful and tasty! You are happier, I am happier knowing that you liked this recipe. On our way to being better people. Awesome.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen (mine made only 3 dozen)

Ingredients

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus 2 tablespoons for icing

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Directions

Melt chocolate with 1 cup butter (2 sticks) in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly.

Put eggs, vanilla, and granulated sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in chocolate mixture, salt, cinnamon, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and the flour.

Heat a waffle iron until hot. Lightly coat grids with cooking spray. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter onto center of each waffle-iron square to make 1 1/2-inch rounds. Close cover; cook until set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, bottom sides up. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, coating grids with cooking spray after each batch.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; stir until smooth. Stir in milk.

Gently dip 1 surface of each cookie in icing so that just the waffle lines (not gaps) are coated. Repeat with remaining cookies and icing. Transfer to wire racks; let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Dust iced surfaces of cookies with confectioner's sugar. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 5/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 4.5/5
Is it worth it?: Yes

{Pairings}

Drink: Hot chocolate, or coffee. Or milk. You know the "flavor palette" I'm goin' for here...

Song: In the New Year -- The Walkmen
Activity: Waffle waffle waffle. Saying the word waffle a lot. Good activity.

[Cookie 086] Baci di Dama

Oh guys, it's taking every ounce of strength in me to not turn this post into a sob story about the best summer ever coming to a close, but I will keep my strength. It is difficult and a little painful. Same goes for these cookies--Baci di Dama. Baci di Dama is italian for "lady's kisses," how apt. Though, let's get real: they look a little bit like poops. Haha sorry, sorry...is anyone still reading this? Whatever, let's just think of them as the cookie sisters to Hershey's kisses. Unfortunately, the baked incarnation of this phrase is far more tedious and frustrating than actual lady's kisses, but what can you do.

Traditionally, Baci di Dama are made with hazelnuts I believe, but this recipe uses almonds. Once again I used almond meal instead of almonds that I ground up myself, and this time I think I should have ground them myself. The dough was a little too thick, which in part might have been because of how I whipped the egg whites, but also because the almond meal I was using is rather coarse.

Here's a question for all you meringue pros: after whipping the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks, whenever I add the sugar, the mixture gets very sticky, heavy, and gunky. And as a result, I think my cookies aren't as light and airy as they could be. Remember the Hazelnut Cookies of yore? Same problem. I'd love any advice you guys have to give! Granted, this recipe does specifically state that the batter should be thick and sticky, but I still think I could get the cookies to be a tad lighter in the end.

Alright, so after you make the dough, you pipe it out into a bunch of kisses onto your cookie sheet and baked them. Tedious tedious tedious. But not so bad. Here's the bigger issue: Martha tells you to make the kisses have a little mound, or peak, at the top (like a Hershey's kiss, sorta), but that makes the whole procedure that follows quite difficult. You see, you make this ganache and are supposed to sandwich it between two cookies, but with the peaks--kisses, if you will--it becomes nearly impossible to stand them up in a way that will let the ganache set. If you lay them sideways, the top cookie slides off and the ganache oozes everywhere into a mess. So I tried to wedge the peaks of the cookies between the grates on my cooling rack, but it still sucked. And plus, the ganache really refuses to set unless you refrigerate the cookies, which doesn't really help their texture much in the long run. Not impressed, Martha.

So I managed to make a million or so of these cookies and only had three mental breakdowns in the process. I wouldn't really mind though if the cookies were totally delicious in the end, but they weren't. They just tasted "meh." I'm sure you can buy some really fantastic Baci di Dama in Little Italy or at some Italian bakery somewhere, but this recipe isn't worth all the effort it requires.

I'll just tell it to you straight: I wouldn't recommend making these cookies. They don't really look that gorgeous when complete (even in the picture in the book), they don't really taste that great, and therefore they aren't really worth spending an entire afternoon swearing and sweating. Just hand out some real kisses instead--they'll be appreciated more, by both the receiver and the giver.

xoxo

Baci di Dama

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen (but I got way way more)

Ingredients

Cookies

2 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted

6 1/4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) medium-finely ground blanched almonds

• Filling

1/2 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Make cookies: Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until egg whites form stiff peaks. Add the sugar slowly; continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in cocoa until combined. Stir in almonds; mix until completely blended. Batter should be quite thick and sticky.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe teaspoon-size, peaked mounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake until slightly cracked, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Making filling: In a small bowl, combine shortening and melted chocolate. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto flat side of cookie; place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to wire rack to set; repeat with remaining cookies. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 4.5/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 2/5
Attractiveness: 3/5
Is it worth it?: No.

{Pairings}

Drink: I think these would go nicely with an espresso, something small to go with their size.

Song: I Learned the Hard Way -- Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings Probably the best song that's come out this year.
Activity: Skip baking these and go give out some of your own lady kisses.

[Cookie 074] Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

You guys. It's almost summer.

Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun a little bit (especially for those of you living in the other hemisphere), but I am still getting all giddy just thinking about the lovely smells, sights, and activities that come with the warmer weather. I only have TWO, count 'em two, more weeks until I am literally halfway done with my college education--but instead of thinking about that horribly scary notion, I pacify myself by forming mental to-do lists for the coming summer months. And it works, evidently, because I seem to have lulled myself into a false feeling of everlasting security when it comes to being entirely financially dependent on my parents! Right on! Graduating and getting a job in the real world? Hell, that's eons from now! Bring on 3 months of unemployed summer lethargy!

Yes, it's true, I am jobless for the entire summer. Well, that might not be entirely true, but until I've officially worked out some way to bring in the greenbacks, I'll be spending my days waking up early, enjoying homemade bread and homemade marmalade on the back porch for breakfast, and idling away my afternoons playing old country music records and printing black and white photos in my darkroom. God, that sounds way too good to be true.

Whoa, wait, where am I?? Cookies, right?? And where are my manners?! These are BIRTHDAY cookies for none other than my good friend D. Funny story: She likes Frank Sinatra--don't we all--but she, unlike most other people our age, genuinely refers to the act of having sex as "makin' whoopie." Naturally, when I saw this recipe, I immediately scrawled her name across the top so I would remember to make them in her honor. Done and done.

And they are very good. The individual cookies were actually too thick and bulky and I wished they had flattened out a bit just so the whoopie sandwiches would be a little easier to eat, but they were still tasty. And the peanut butter filling is to die for. Seriously, peanut butter + regular butter + powdered sugar + salt = just as good as makin' whoopie. There, I said it.

So I suggest you make these now, because once summer proper rolls around, I don't think you'll be in the mood for a cookie this heavy and rich. Southern-hemispherers, you can take your time--you're in it for the long haul now.

One small word of advice: if you're cookies end up as thick as mine, use a lot of filling. Otherwise the chocolate cookie obscures the flavor of the peanut butter filling and completely soaks up all the saliva in your mouth, leaving it dry, sticky, and chocolatey (in a bad way). Fortunately, this can be easily remedied with Milk: our Lord and Savior.

Also, I made a god awful mess making these guys. Let me just say: Avoid using a handheld electronic mixer in a bowl filled with nothing but cold butter and sugar. It was like Iceland in my kitchen. (...too soon?)

So, anyway, what are you all doing for summer/winter? Goin' anywhere fancy? Making anything? Learning anything? Makin' Whoopie Pies? Makin' Whoopie? Let me know! (Except for the latter--you can keep that between you and Old Blue Eyes).

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Makes about 4 dozen (I halved the recipe, and still ended up with way too many)

Ingredients

• For the Cookies:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• For the Filling:
• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• Coarse salt, optional

Directions

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
5. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3.5/5
Is it worth it?: Yes, I do believe it is.

{Pairings}
Drink: Milk--nothing else will suffice.

Song: Makin' Whoopee -- Ray Charles (sorry but I'll take Ray over Frank ANY day...this version is the best)
Activity: Sexual innuendos aside, I'd say these cookies are great to enjoy with platonic friends as well.

[Cookie 070] Mocha Shortbread

I really like coffee. I am rather snobby about it. Some might call me a coffee snob, but I prefer the term "Overall Snob," because I am snobby about lots of things. Yeah, that's right, I said it. I embrace my snobitude. But I am particularly particular about coffee. I do not see the point in buying a cup of coffee if it's not going to be decent. I'll pay a higher price if it's going to be good, because I figure that it would be a bigger waste of money to buy a cheap cup of coffee even if it is more affordable. I'd rather go without it altogether--can you smell the snobbiness yet? And don't even get me started on Starbucks...

Anyway, last week was Spring Break and I went Mexico. And I let random strangers do Tequila shots out of my belly button and flashed my boobies on TV and had Pina Coladas for breakfast (only one of those statements is true, and its the last one, thank you very much). It was beautiful and relaxing and warm and I got food poisoning and a tan, and had a great time. One problem: couldn't get a good cup of coffee to save my life. There was one little cafe owned by a Canadian dude that served a decent double Americano. I would have ordered a regular cup o joe except the owner could tell I was a coffee snob, and told me that if I really really liked coffee, I should go for the double Americano. Now, in New York I'd be a little scared to order that because 1) I am not the biggest Americano fan and 2) double shots tend to make me jump up and down and want to sprint up the entire length of Manhattan. This one, however, tasted like a regular cup of coffee. Hmm. Well, I drank it. The rest of the week we got our morning coffee from the Oxxo around the corner (that's an Am/Pm convenience store in American terms).

Okay, so the coffee sucked. Not the biggest problem when every day of the week I was getting 10 hours of sleep, but still, I enjoy coffee even without its caffeine kick. That's why when I saw this recipe for Mocha Shortbread it really tickled my fancy. But it calls for instant espresso powder, and being on a college student budget, that meant buying some cheap-o espresso powder. In the end, I could barely taste the coffee flavor, even though the shortbread was generally good.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you really love your coffee, maybe you should add a little extra espresso powder to these guys. Or, you could follow the recipe and just dunk these shortbread wedges into a cup of super strong coffee and get your fix that way. That's what I did. No regrets baby, no regrets. There is nothing I like more than a super strong cup of coffee and a nice, sweet, chocolatey cookie to dip in it. I'm salivating right now, my apologies.

What, you hate coffee? First off, get out. Go, get outta here, and don't let your laptop screen pinch your fingers on the way out. Ah, I'm kidddddding ma cherie! Let's just settle on knowing that you're crazy and I'm not. There, okay that's done with. If you don't like coffee, you could still probably enjoy these cookies, because as I said earlier, they aren't very strongly coffee flavored. You could also omit the coffee entirely and just make regular chocolate shortbread, but that's like eating pasta without any sauce, or toast without any butter or jam, or drinking a virgin margarita. What's the point, amiright?!!?

Anyway, these cookies are good, but nothing to right home about. As I said, they'd be better if they were stronger (either darker chocolate or stronger coffee), but you can remedy it. They would make a great base to a fancier dessert, too--you could top them with homemade whipped cream and a strawberry compote, or drop a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream on top. Or you could make some Sunken Treasure Hot Chocolate/Coffee a la City Bakery (that's when you make some uber thick and decadent hot chocolate--or it could work fantastically with a cappuccino--and drop some secret cookies or toffee or ice cream into the bottom of the cup...it's amazing beyond amazing).

So, in conclusion, take this recipe as a jumping off point to make something outlandish. If you come up with any wild ideas, please let me know, I'd love love love to hear them. In the meantime I'll go make another pot of coffee...and peruse this dangerous list.

Mocha Shortbread

Makes 8 wedges

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons of instant coffee or espresso powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line and 8-inch round cake or springform pan with parchment paper (I just buttered the pan, and that worked fine). Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir in coffee, and set aside.
2. Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar, and beat well. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.
3. Pat dough evenly into the pan. Bake until firm, 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed at the edges and dark all over the top. Remove shortbread from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into 8 wedges. Let cool completely on rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
4. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 1/5 (Dead easy, seriously)
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 3/5
Attractiveness: 3.5/5
Is it worth it?: Look, you know what you're getting. You want chocolate shortbread with a hint of coffee? This is your recipe.

{Pairings}
Drink: A big mug of coffee, maybe with a little milk. No sugar needed if you're gonna dip the cookies in it (which is what you will do, trust me on this one).

Song: King of Spain -- The Tallest Man on Earth
Activity: Enjoying a cappuccino at Peet's Coffee and Tea back home in sunny sunny California

[Cookie 068] Chocolate-Black Pepper Cookies

Ohmigod hey! I haven't seen you in forever! You look great! Tan and slim! It must be the lack of posting on this blog which has gotten you out of the kitchen, away from the cookies, and into the burgeoning spring sunshine. All that Vitamin D really has done you good, but it's time to come inside, rev up the ole' oven and computer, and get back to work. I am back. This blog is back. Cookie-making shall commence, and I need partners at my side.

I, for one, just got back from Spring Break vacation in none other than the most cliche college Spring Break vacation spot in the world: Mexico. No, not Tijuana, or Cancun, or even Acapulco (thank god because it got a little scary there this past week, so I heard); instead, I went to a sleepy seaside town with a stunning beach and delicious food that gave me food poisoning. BUMMER! I had a fabulous time aside from the ailment, but even as I write this entry in the comfort of my NYC bed, I am still suffering from abdominal pains to beat the band. Not good. I did get tanner though. Oh but the sickness, the sickness...

What's worse, my diet is now highly compromised, in a bad way. I shouldn't eat too much sugar or heavy foods (not that I even want to), which means no cookies until I feel better. Fortunately, I have quite a few recipes waiting to be posted! Good for you, and good for me!

This one here, these Chocolate-Black Pepper Cookies, were a surprisingly tasty cookie recipe. My friends and I had begun to think that a lot of Martha's chocolate shortbread-like cookies all taste rather similar (ie. Chocolate Charms and Cocoa Shortbread Diamonds), but these had a lot of extra spices and ingredients which really worked in the cookie. You've got cinnamon, espresso, black pepper, plus all that chocolate, and it's really excellent.

Now, I was hesitant, as you might be, about sprinkling freshly ground pepper straight on top of the cookies. I was like, hold up! Back it up! Wha?! Peppa?! Okay, I didn't say all of that, or maybe I did--regardless, it seems a little strange. But it does something crazy to your tastebuds. It almost tastes fruity, in a way, when paired next to the dark chocolate, and all the sugar on the outside. Trust me, you'll like it, and if you're worried, just sprinkle it on a few cookies for the first batch, and after you taste them, you'll be grinding pepper over all the others in no time.

As for the recipe itself? Easy peasy, as usual. I strongly recommend storing your rolls of cookie dough in paper towel tubes in the refrigerator so you can get perfectly round logs. I always save my paper towel rolls (or I try) and people think I'm crazy, but look who's crazy now!! I've got PERFECTLY SYMMETRICALLY ROUND COOKIES!! (Yes, I am still the crazy one...I realize this)

So, in summation, it's good to be back in the USA, even if it does mean no more direct sunlight, beaches, 85º weather, camarones/chilequiles/pina coladas at 9 am---who am I kidding, I wish I was still on vacation, but what can you do! You gotta take that Pepto Bismal, bust out the old text books, and bite the bullet. C'est la vie, but hey, at least it's spring!!!

Chocolate-Black Pepper Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen (I think? Not sure...the website doesn't say)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon good-quality instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
3. Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Roll log in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from parchment paper. Let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Roll log in sanding sugar, gently pressing down to adhere sugar to dough. Transfer log to a cutting board, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each round with freshly ground pepper.
5. Bake cookies until there is slight resistance when you lightly touch centers, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3/5 (Sometimes getting the dough into an even log can get tricky--use a ruler pressed against the edge!)
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3/5
Is it worth it?: Yes, if not just to surprise your friends that pepper can be used in a chocolate dessert!

{Pairings}
Drink: Something spicy, like Masala Chai might be nice

Song: Surprise Hotel -- Fool's Gold
Activity: Spring cleaning!