08 December 2010

salty chocolate cookies


You need to make these cookies

Warning: Once you share them at a social event, you will be expected to make them pretty much every time. Seriously, once I made a double batch (~80 cookies) and they were gone. I was impressed.  I'd probably make them for an upcoming holiday potluck, but I'll all out of brown sugar from making hot buttered rum. Poor me. ;)

Salty Chocolate Cookies (of deliciousness)
tweaked from post on Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/6 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/6 c. dark cocoa powder
1/2 t. baking soda
11 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature (very important! don't rush it!!)
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
3. With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on and off low speed (pulse) for a second or two about 5 times so that the flour mixture gets incorporated. Then mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just until the flour disappears into the dough (the dough will look crumbly).
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide it in two. Shape each half into a 9-inch log (oh yes, you know what this looks like). Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (Sometimes I make the batter logs before bedtime and bake 'em over breakfast the next day. The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you don’t need to defrost before baking – just slice the logs into cookies and baking the cookies 1 minute longer. Brilliance!)
5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are ½-inch thick (really, I use a ruler!). Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. Sprinkle a small amount of extra salt on top of each round.
7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes – they won’t look done, and won’t be firm, but that’s how they should be. I take them out once they are puffy; don't wait too long or you get some very sad looking burnt wafers.
8. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.