White and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I'm not sure what it is, but I've noticed lately that the desserts I gravitate toward are those where I don't have to choose between my favorite flavors - chocolate and vanilla. I don't want to choose. I want both.

These cookies definitely fall under that category. The pictures are deceiving because they look like they might be really big cookies, but they're not. They're actually only about 2 1/2 inches across, which compared to the enormous sizes of most of the cookies I make, these are delightfully diminutive. 

Their small stature not withstanding, they are chock-full of chocolately goodness of both the bittersweet variety and white chocolate. For both chocolates I used Callebaut because the quality of the chocolate will make a difference here.  You could probably still have a good cookie if you use some chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, but you wouldn't end up with the huge pockets and chunks of chocolate, which is really one of the main attractions of this cookie.

The other thing I love about this recipe is actually that it is a make ahead kind of dough. You will end up with two 'logs' of cookie dough, stashed in your refrigerator or freezer, that you can slice as needed and bake up a whole batch, or just a few cookies at a time and prolong the enjoyment. Nothing makes me happier on a hard day than knowing that I can bake up some cookies in a few minutes with no effort on my part. (Especially useful after days spent shuttling sick kids to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies - OY! I am SO over Winter!)

White and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy

Printable Version

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

4 oz white chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoons)

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Note: This dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to one week, so plan ahead.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter pieces, still a bit cold, until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle and add the sugars while continuing to beat until smooth, another 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla on low till combined. Still on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.  Add the chocolate chunks and mix them into the dough.

Place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on a clean work surface. Use a spatula or scoop to scoop out one half of the dough. Form it into a log about 2-inches in diameter. Roll the log in the paper, then roll that in plastic wrap or foil. Repeat with the second half of the dough on another piece of parchment or wax paper. Wrap the logs tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to one week.  You can also stash the dough in your freezer for up to a month (just allow to thaw slightly before trying to slice and bake).

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the lower portion of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut the logs, using a serrated knife, into 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick slices. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. If the slices come apart a bit when you are slicing them, just press the dough bake into a ‘slice’ shape (not into a ball).  Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. They are done when they are golden around the edges and bottom. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on racks. Store airtight. 

Note: To bake more than one sheet at a time, just rotate the sheets, front to back, top to bottom halfway through the baking time. I prefer to only slice a few cookies as needed and bake them fresh when we want a treat.

Almond Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

As Autumn is starting to roll around and the weather is starting to change my mind turns to baking.

What? That made no sense. My mind is always on baking, right?

Here's the thing. I don't know what it is, but there is something about Fall that makes me want to bake obsessively.

Oh, I already bake obsessively.... hmmm.

Exactly. That is the problem.

In the past couple of weeks, I've gone from being relaxed about all the things I want to make to obsessively making lists and priorities and bookmarking and making copies of recipes and basically thinking about baking all the time!

Even more than usual.  Which is tough to do.

I thought though, since the cooler weather also makes me obsessively start thinking about and drinking more hot chocolate, that I would share my most favorite biscotti recipe with you so that you can make something to dunk in your hot chocolate.

Remember a while back, when we made the Lenox Almond Biscotti recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie?  Hands down, this is the recipe I have riffed on and made out of Baking From My Home To Yours the very most. I've only ever actually made the recipe as written once though.  I've tweaked it so many times I'm not sure I've even written them all down.

In fact, if I had had to buy the book and only ever got that recipe from it, I would have been perfectly happy.  My favorite change that I always make probably makes my version less authentic though because I like my biscotti a little more on the chewy, slightly soft side, than really crunchy.

I have to admit, before I ever made biscotti at home I figured they would be difficult to make. I was so pleasantly surprised to find that they aren't difficult at all and are amazing.

Need a quick gift to give to a friend or someone you want to impress? Wrap a few of these up in a cellophane baggie with a pretty ribbon and they will love you forever.  Of course, they may also ask you to make them for them again and again too.  Since then you would have to eat a few - you know, quality control and all that - that isn't a necessarily bad thing.

So, my suggestion to you, especially these days, if you are like me and love having a cookie to dip in your hot chocolate or coffee, then do yourself a favor and make your own biscotti to go with the steamy beverage of your choice.  They are far better than anything I've ever had from the store or even most bakeries.

Almond Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, soft

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (or chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center position.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (preferably a stand mixer with paddle attachment) beat the softened butter, brown sugar and sugar together at medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes until very light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes more, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to make sure everything is well beaten.  Add the almond extract and vanilla and beat till combined. 

Turn the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Add the sliced almonds and chocolate chunks and mix till just combined.

Scrape half the dough out onto one side of the lined baking sheet.  Using your hands and a rubber spatula, shape the dough into a log about 12-inches long and about 1 ½ inches wide.  The dough will be very sticky and should be more of a bumpy rectangle.  Repeat the process with the second half of the dough down the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake the logs for 15 minutes, or until light golden but still soft to the touch.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting and baking the cookies the second time.

Use a wide metal spatula to move the logs to a cutting board.  Cut the logs into 1-inch thick slices and place the slices back on the lined baking sheet.  Bake the cookies another 15 minutes, until golden and firm.  Transfer them to a rack to cool completely.  Store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them more chewy.

TWD: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tuesdays with Dorie this week is all about my (and probably most everyone else's favorite cookie - in this case the cookies are known as My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies chosen by Kait at Kait's Plate.

Now, I have used many, many chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and haven't ever really met a cookie I didn't like. That said, I have made this recipe two times, and both times, for some reason the results were less than stellar. In fact, the first time the cookies practically melted on the pan.

The second time I tried chilling the dough and following some of the high altitude changes suggested by King Arthur Flour since that has usually been the problem in the past when cookie recipes have somewhat failed for me. The cookies pictured here are the high altitude version, but since the results were still not what I was hoping for, they still don't beat out the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies for me (recipe here). I still give Dorie partial credit for that recipe as well since she is one of the sources consulted for the article, so it is still a TWD in my book! I don't know what it is about that recipe, but those cookies behave so nicely here at my Utah altitude (about 4,300 ft) that I'm still not switching.

I know the problem isn't just Dorie's recipe though because I've run into the same issue with several different recipes - it is just an altitude thing and I'm not knowledgeable enough to fix it on my own, so there you go. I hope that others fared better than I did. While you might think that altitude may not make too much of a difference, to give you an idea of the difference between where I live vs Dorie's elevation in NYC - well, the difference is drastic. While I'm at about 4,300 ft, NYC is pretty much at sea level.

For more cookies visit the TWD Blogroll!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I have been wanting to come up with a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a while now - really ever since we made the pumpkin muffins for TWD and I discovered that I actually do like pumpkin in some things. I knew that I wanted a cookie that was very soft, but would still hold its shape and not just fall apart when you pick it up. I also knew I wanted to come up with a recipe that would make a lot of cookies at once because we made these to take to Aidan's school as a treat for all the teachers and staff.

I am in charge of the 'Hospitality Committee' for the PTO at Aidan's school and in addition to four meals we are feeding the teachers this year during Parent/Teacher Conferences we are also providing a treat of some kind for the entire faculty six times a year. Crazy, I know. Luckily, I have a great co-chair who is an incredible help and between the two of us (and the occasional volunteer) we seem to be able to keep it under control.

This recipe makes enough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to feed a crowd - approximately 6 dozen in fact. They were each about 1/2-inch high or so and about 3 inches across - so fairly good sized I think.

I also wanted the recipe to have a decent amount of spice in the cookie itself - I didn't want it to be too mild or too spicy though. Just a good balance. You could easily add more chocolate chips (or sub whatever kind of chip you want - my next wish list is some of the cappuccino chips - I think that would be crazy good!) to this if you like your cookies with more than a scattering.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Holly Hanks

Makes approx 72 cookies (6 dozen)

6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly ground/grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

6 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 29-oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

3 cups (or more) chocolate chips (or another variety)

Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Use parchment lined baking sheets.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl with hand mixer) beat together the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar till well combined and lighter (it will be thin and not fluffy) - approximately 2 minutes. On low speed mix in the oil, melted butter, vanilla and pumpkin till combined - approximately 1 minute more. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add 1/2 of the remaining mixture and mix until combined, then add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. Using a large rubber spatula, add the chocolate chips and fold in until well combined.

Use a 1-ounce scoop (or scoop by large rounded tablespoons) onto the parchment lined sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until the tops are set and only slightly springy but not too moist or wet. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. (Optional: Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar just before serving). Store in an airtight container or freeze and enjoy later!

SMS: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds. Even the name is genius! You know, I can't really say that all chocolate chip cookie recipes are created equal. I also can't say for sure, but I am fairly certain I have never had a chocolate chip cookie with almonds, toasted or otherwise, in it.

What I can say, without any doubt at all, is that this week's recipe, as voted upon by myself and my fellow bakers - which is being hosted by Lorelai and Melissa Murphy herself, is in now in the top three of my very favorite chocolate chip cookies (rounding out the top three would be the NY Times chocolate chip cookies and the ones at Paradise Bakery).

The recipe is really quite easy and friendly to put together. While there are some extra steps involved - toasting almonds, chopping your own chocolate, chilling, rolling logs, cutting, etc. - it is oh so worth it. I actually did the recipe + half and ended up with three nice logs of cookie dough. I baked one, gave one to some friends that let us crash their family dinner as a last minute hostess gift, and the other is happily nestled in my freezer - waiting until I have another immediate craving.

The toasted almonds really set this recipe apart and are amazing in the baked cookies. That said, let me just tell you what my favorite part was. In fact, I have a little bit of a terrible confession to go along with it.

In high school I don't recall that I ever ate lunch in the cafeteria - in fact, I'm not sure that I ever even went to lunch in the cafeteria. We were allowed an open campus for lunch and always visited a variety of places. Probably the strangest lunches I ever ate though were when we went to grocery store. It is a rather awful testament to my sweet tooth that on more than one occasion we would buy a tube of cookie dough, cut it open and eat it for lunch.

Obviously, I never went through a real healthy eating phase. That said, I rarely want to eat cookie dough anymore. That is, until today.

I knew these cookies were going to be amazing because one little taste of the dough and for the very first time in years I really just wanted to grab a spoon and dig in!

Make sure to check out the Sweet Melissa Sundays blog and bakers for more cookies and a post with Melissa's pictures.

TWD: Chipster-Topped Brownies

Beth of Supplicious chose this week's recipe from Baking From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, for our Tuesdays with Dorie escapades.  

Beth, my sincerest thanks go out to you for the choice and especially to Dorie for creating and putting this recipe in the book in the first place.

To say that I loved this recipe is actually putting it mildly.  After all, this recipe basically combines my two most favorite comfort desserts into one insanely delicious and addictive pan -seriously, it is genius.  Chocolaty and delicious brownies topped by incredible chocolate chip cookie dough.  

'Nuff said - well, almost, I will say one more thing for you to wrap your mind around:  Cut a nice square while warm, top it off with some vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce - yeah, I went there.

Don't forget to check out more chocolaty goodness at the Tuedays with Dorie blogroll!

Millionaire Shortbread - NaBloPoMo Day 7

When I finally got my copy of Baked I couldn't wait to decide what to make first. So many incredible sounding and looking recipes, so little time. Since time was something I didn't have a lot of, but just had to make something right then, I decided to go for the Millionaire Shortbread. Now, I'm not saying this recipe was instant gratification, because you do have a couple hours of chilling, but it was worth it. After reading the review over at Serious Eats, they sounded fun, not too difficult, and interesting.

Mainly I was intrigued by the idea of being able to make Dulce de Leche in your microwave. DDL in under 30 minutes instead of several hours sounded pretty awesome to me. I ended up overcooking mine a bit, but overall these cookies were still really incredible. They are described as gourmet Twix candy bars and I'd have to say that is probably a pretty accurate description - except these are so much better!

Millionaire's Shortbread
- makes 24 bars
(- Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

Shortbread:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 /12 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten

Caramel filling:
28 ounces sweetened condensed milk (two 14-ounce cans)

Chocolate glaze:
6 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

For the shortbread:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. butter the bottom and sides of aa 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended.
3. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6-by-6-inch square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.
5. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

For the caramel filling:
1. Put the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) for 4 minutes, stirring briskly halfway through, until smooth.
2. Cook on 30 percent power (medium-low) for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.
3. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about two hours.

For the chocolate glaze:
1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
2. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.
3. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so as not to crack the chocolate glaze. Cut into squares and serve.
4. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

TWD: Caramel Crunch Bars - Two Ways

For Tuesdays with Dorie this week Whitney of What's Left on the Table? chose the Caramel Crunch Bars.  I have had this one bookmarked since I got the book, but just never got around to making it.   Before I get into all that though, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mardi Gras today!  I will be making a New Orleans inspired dinner tonight, complete (hopefully) with a homemade King Cake (barring any disasters throughout the day that is).  At least if I don't get to make the King Cake, our friends can still munch on some of these delicious bars.

I know now that I will make this many more times.  It was easy and delicious.  It lends itself to lots of interpretation as you can see above.  The cookie base is buttery, with a dark, caramel-like flavor from the brown sugar.  I used good milk chocolate for my finely chopped chocolate in the cookie base and for the chocolate / toffee bit version above I used bittersweet chocolate and some milk chocolate on top (since the only toffee bits I could find were actually more like just broken up Heath candy bars instead of just the toffee).

In the future, I will probably just make some toffee with nuts myself since I think that is way I would have really, really loved this.  Also, though the original recipe calls for espresso powder in the cookie base, since I don't have any of that and never do, rather than leave it out, I decided to grind up about a teaspoon of cocoa nibs in a spice grinder and substitute that.  I scored some of the new cocoa nibs that local Utah Chocolatier, Art Pollard, is making over at Amano Artisan Chocolate. I love their chocolates and the fact that they are right here in our little State, so it was an extra special treat to use them.  They have several different varieties, but for my first go around I decided to use the Ocumare.

For my ice cream filled variation on the caramel crunch bars I topped the cookie base with white chocolate and then sprinkled it with some of the cocoa nibs.  After the cookies were all set I sandwiched two cookies each with some Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream I made (I will be posting that recipe soon - promise!  It comes from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz). The ice cream was simple and so fun to make.  It was dreamy and refreshing to eat too and I know I will be making it again in the future.

Be sure to check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll to see everyone else's creations this week.  I am sure there are insane amounts of chocolate-y goodness running around out there to enjoy.  I am just grateful that I will still have a couple of these to nibble on while viewing.

The Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate

What? You didn't think there was a Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate? I beg to differ. Funny enough, the very first thing I posted on this blog was chocolate chip cookies - a really easy recipe that was mixed in one bowl with no fuss. They are still a really easy and fast cookie, but there are others that taste better and have better texture.

The subject of this month's Cookie Carnival, that event dedicated to trying out new cookie recipes as a group, created by Kate at The Clean Plate Club, was for a chocolate chip cookie too. I am always up for more chocolate chip cookies and this one is claimed to be (it is right there in the name) The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookie.

Well. So, is it? The Ultimate that is? The answer for me on this one is going to have to be a no. They were really good, don't get me wrong (can there be a bad chocolate chip cookie?). They just weren't an ultimate for me.

I blame it on the cookie you see below. Yes. It is THAT one. The one from the New York Times (and if you haven't seen them, you have to follow that link - they are gorgeous!!).

I made them a while ago and wasn't going to bother to post about them since you have probably all been bombarded by all the posts about them from bloggers better than I. This month's cookie recipe changed my mind because I think the Times cookie has ruined me for all other recipes. All I can say is that the New York Times Recipe is all it is cracked up to be. It may sound a little fussy to make, but really, it is just a couple extra steps that aren't a big deal. To see what these cookies should really look like check them out at The Smitten Kitchen (Deb even had the chocolate feves - of course there is no finding those here in Utah). This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe now.

As for the The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies...well - I did say that they are really good. As you can see they are cakey and a little chewy and have lots of chocolate. Regan Daley, creator of these cookies, in her book, In The Sweet Kitchen describes them as "Crisp and Crunchy have their place in the world of biscuits, but not, I believe, in the best and simplest chocolate chip cookie. If you like chewy, cakey and full to the brim with chocolate, these are for you."

So, they are there only lovely treat, but if you are like me and want the crisp outer edge, the chewy part and the melty chocolate and center that is a little gooey...? Just give in and make the NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookies, well, unless you really want a cakey version, then go for the Ultimate below.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

3. Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If somehow they don't get inhaled immediately, they may be stored airtight at room temperature for up to one week.