Bon Appetit Desserts (151 page)
Read Bon Appetit Desserts Online
Authors: Barbara Fairchild
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.
DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
Cookie Basics: Getting Started
It’s tempting to dive right in and start baking when you know there will soon be cookies coming out of the oven, but take a minute to do the proper prep work—it will pay off in the end.
Be sure that you have all the ingredients for the recipe.
Assemble and measure all ingredients before beginning.
Make sure that your ingredients are at the proper temperature. If a recipe calls for chilled butter, use it directly from the refrigerator. If room-temperature butter is required, allow it to stand until it is slightly soft when gently pressed with a fingertip.
If the recipe calls for toasted nuts, allow them to cool completely before adding them to the dough or batter; if still warm, they could melt the cookie mixture.
Dark and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with GingerThe addition of crystallized ginger gives these chocolate chip cookies a surprising kick. Crystallized ginger can be found in the spice section or the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.
Makes about 2 dozen
2⅔ cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, divided
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup self-rising flour
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
3½ ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), very coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips with butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth; cool 10 minutes. Beat eggs and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla, then flour. Stir in ginger and remaining ⅔ cup chocolate chips; let stand 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 1½ to 2 inches apart. Press white chocolate pieces into tops of cookies, dividing equally. Bake until cookies look puffed and slightly dry on top, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets.
DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Cookie Basics: The Proper Tools
Most cookies can be made without fancy equipment or even electrical appliances. (Drop cookies, for example, can often be mixed with a large wooden spoon in a deep bowl. And you can use your fingers to combine flour, butter, and sugar into a mixture resembling coarse meal for shortbread and other cookies.) But there’s no denying that electric mixers and food processors can dramatically simplify the cookie-making process. Here are other essential tools you’ll turn to again and again:
A large chef’s knife, for chopping nuts and chocolate
A rolling pin and a smooth, large work surface, for rolling out cookie dough
Good-quality, heavy cookie sheets, to ensure that cookies bake and brown evenly. Thin cookie sheets tend to burn the bottom of cookies. Owning at least three cookie sheets allows you to have two batches of cookies in the oven while you’re getting another batch ready to go in.
Two baking racks, for cooling up to two dozen cookies at a time
A pastry brush, for brushing cookies with glaze and for removing excess flour from rolled cookies
An offset spatula, for spreading jam, chocolate, or other fillings, and for transferring cutout cookies from the work surface to the baking sheet
A ruler, for measuring the thickness of rolled dough, for measuring the diameter of cookie cutters and pans, and for cutting rectangles and strips
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats, for lining cookie sheets. Silicone baking mats, such as the ones made by Silpat, are available at cookware stores. These are thin liners that are made to fit cookie sheets and baking pans and provide an excellent nonstick baking surface that doesn’t need to be greased. They also add a thin layer of insulation to safeguard against burned cookies. The mats may seem expensive at first, but they can be used over and over again.
An accurate—and loud—kitchen timer, to prevent ruining a good batch of cookies. Because cookies are small, they overbake and burn easily. Consider getting a timer that clips on to your clothing, so you’ll never miss the signal.
Oatmeal CookiesThese raisin-studded beauties make a great snack—or even a breakfast treat. If you like extra crunch, add 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter along with the raisins.
Makes about 2 dozen
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⅔ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raisins
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until very well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture, then stir in oats and raisins.
Using trigger cookie scoop and about 2 tablespoons dough per cookie, arrange mounds of dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden brown, reversing baking sheets halfway through baking, about 14 minutes total. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.
DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Equipment Tip:
The Scoop
A trigger cookie scoop makes simple work of dropping cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet—a much easier task than scraping the dough off of spoons or out of measuring cups. The scoop looks like a small ice-cream scoop and comes in several sizes. Look for them at kitchen supply stores or order online (see Online and Mail-Order Sources, page 632).
Cherry-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal CookiesNot the usual oatmeal-raisin cookie. Dried tart cherries replace the raisins, and chocolate chips, almonds, and almond extract add new twists to the classic. Enjoy them as an afternoon snack or with cherry or fudge marble ice cream for dessert.
Makes about 2 dozen
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried tart cherries
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until well blended. Mix in egg and both extracts. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, then chocolate chips, cherries, and almonds.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies 12 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and continue to bake cookies until golden, about 6 minutes longer. Cool cookies on baking sheets (cookies will firm as they cool).
DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Spice Cookies with Raisins and WalnutsThese cake-like cookies combine spices, plump raisins, and walnuts. They are an excellent addition to a lunch box or a great pick-me-up on a hike.
Makes about 6 dozen
1⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature