Here ya go:
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CHEWS
(NOTE: This was originally posted with 1/4 cup flour, which is incorrect. It should be 1 1/4 cups, as noted below).
"This recipe will yield about 2 1/2 dozen 3-inch cookies, (I made about 42 - 2 1/2 " cookies), but you can make this simple cookie any size you want."
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided (Jansen uses Ghirardelli) (I also used Ghirardelli)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely ground dark-roast coffee beans (I used 2 1/2 tsp finely ground espresso beans)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, toasted,* then coarsely chopped (I omitted these)
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips, the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. (I used a double boiler). Set aside.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer on high speed, beat the eggs, sugar, ground coffee and vanilla extract until thick ribbons form and the mixture has doubled in volume. By hand, stir in the melted chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined, then add the dry ingredients, chopped walnuts and the remaining chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready some large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Make golf ball-size scoops of dough, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (I did very rounded Tbsp). Bake, in batches, 10 to 12 minutes; the tops will crack, but the cookies should be gooey inside. (I baked 10 minutes). Cool on the baking sheets at least 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
* To toast the nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 325-degree oven for about 6 minutes. Watch carefully because nuts will burn quickly.
Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. For long-term freezing, wrap the cookies individually in aluminum foil and place in resealable plastic food storage bags.
From Kate Jansen - Firehook Bakery
MOCHA TRUFFLE COOKIES
"These double-chocolate cookies have a soft trufflelike center, a crispy outside, and a delectable coffee flavor."
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter (I use unsalted)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (I use 3 oz Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate, chopped)
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals (I use 1 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use dark brown)
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch processed)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (I use Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F for dark pans). Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
2. In a large saucepan, (I use a double boiler), melt butter and the 1/2 cup chocolate pieces over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee crystals; cool 5 minutes. Stir in sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
3. In a medium mixing bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate/coffee mixture. Fold in the 1 cup chocolate pieces. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets.
4. Bake about 10 minutes. (Do not overbake! Cookies should remain very soft, almost raw to the touch in the centers; the edges will become crunchy when cooled).
5. Let cool 1 minute before removing from sheets to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 30 cookies.
Edited from Better Homes and Gardens
JAM THUMBPRINTS
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I used regular salt)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam (I used all fruit-sweetened jam)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (My note: line cookie sheets with parchment paper).
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. (I divided the dough in half and placed each half onto a piece of plastic wrap, flattened into disks, and covered with extra plastic wrap). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1-ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (about 1 1/2 - 2 " apart), and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. (I baked about 16 - 17 minutes). Cool and serve.
Yield: 32 cookies
Barefoot Contessa
WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY ALMOND COOKIES
From the poster: "...used unsalted butter and increased the salt a bit. The recipe didn’t say to toast the almonds, but I toasted them at 350 for about 11 minutes, let them cool, then chopped them. I also used a cut-up white chocolate baking bar instead of white chips. Finally, I changed the name because I didn’t find them chewy. They were really delicious, though! Maybe they’ll get chewy after they sit around for a while..."
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, measured by spooning and sweeping
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (see butter note)
8 oz butter, room temperature (if using unsalted butter, increase the salt to a generous 1/2 teaspoon)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon each – almond extract & vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups whole almonds, toasted and chopped by hand
6 ounces white baking chocolate, cut into chunks
DIRECTIONS:
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and extracts; beat on low speed for about 10 seconds.
Using lowest speed of mixer or by hand, stir in flour mixture. When flour is incorporated, stir in cherries, almonds and white chocolate. Chill dough for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Place on center rack of preheated 350F oven, and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
Makes about 36 cookies
Adapted from a 5 star prize winner on the Better Homes and Gardens site, "Better Recipes."
Thanks!
