Cookies - 2

I got a number of emails asking for other cookie recipes, so OK here are a few more then back to other recipes.

The Following are Micheal's favorites and I have to say mine too. The First one is a standard cookie with a twist and the other one is great but is not that easy to make but once you get it, its a keeper.

Ginger Snaps

Below is half the recipe i usually make - this will make about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks of butter, unsalted at room temp (3/4 of a cup)
1/2 cup raw sugar - yes raw no white sugar here
1/2 cup firm packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice

Raw sugar to roll the cookies in (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl stir together the flour, banking soda, salt and spices
Place a large bowl on the stand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses and mix until smooth.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the cream butter mixture, mix on low until smooth.
Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

During this cool time I usually start the other cookie recipe i will post, since you need the kitchen cool to create the batter. But let me finish the directions of the ginger snaps,

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
Roll chilled dough into about 1 inch balls. Now you can roll the balls in the raw sugar before you place them on the parchment line cookie sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown and the center of the cookie is barely soft. If the cookies get too warm before the enter the oven they will burn before the 10 minutes. I roll enough cookies to fill the trays and put the remaining dough back in the fridge until i am ready to roll more.
Place trays on a cooling rack and once the cookies are set then transfer from the cookie sheets to the racks to finish cooling. If you want the cookies soft, once cooled place in a seal plastic container. If you want them like ginger snaps from the box leave them out over night to harden.


Dark Chocolate Brown Bears

OK like i said before you need a very cool kitchen to make the dough for these cookies, nothing that produces heat can be on, nothing. Trust me, i worked very hard to recreate this cookie we had in Belgium, rich chocolate taste but not too sweet. This is my favorite cookie even though is a pain in the butt to make.

Ingredients

2 table spoons of Greens & Blacks Organic Cocoa powder - do not skimp, this works the best
4 oz of 100% chocolate - yes 100% chocolate, Schaeffen Berger, if you can not find it the 99% will do - rough chop
1 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of unsalted butter at almost room temp
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract - why cheap out now
1 teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water - tried using espresso but it did not taste the same.

Directions

Before starting place the large bowl for the stand mixer in the fridge to cool.

In the food processor place the cocoa, chocolate and 1/4 cup of flour - first pulse, then once the chocolate bits get smaller go full speed until the chocolate is finely grounded. Now add the balance of the flour, baking powder and salt, pulse to blend.

Place a large bowl on the stand mixer and cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy. Place mixer on medium and add the egg, vanilla and coffee. Once smooth and the bowl is still cool, lower the speed to low and slowly add the chocolate flour mixture to the butter mixture - do not over mix the dough. Quickly remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm at least 3 hours.

While dough is chill-in place a large cutting board in the ridge as well - I usually place two in. You need to work quickly when you roll out the cookies and you need a cool surface.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

Divide the dough into quarters, place the other quarters back in the fridge as you work on one. Remove a cutting board from the fridge and lightly flour it. Warm the dough a bit in your hands and then roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick - with the cookie cutter of choice, i use a bear thus the title of the cookie. Cut out the cookies and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet - collect the trimmings and roll into a ball and place in the fridge.

Bake in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes until firm. Remove place cookie sheet and with a quick move over a cooling rack side parchment and all the cookies from sheet onto cooling rack - It takes a few times to get the hang of it. I found since its hard to tell when the cookies are brown, if you leave them on the hot cookies sheet they keep cooking and sometimes they burn even when out of the oven. I do this same ting with another cookie i will get to in the future. You will know when the cookies are oven done when they break real easily with the slightest movement.

Repeat until all the dough is gone - this recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Place the cutting board you just used back in the fridge when you bring out the other one to start cookie batch two and so on.

Enjoy cooking