Hot Chocolate Cookies

Cookies are the perfect sweet treat when to pack when you go camping. They can be made ahead in a large batch, don't need refrigeration, and even the simplest cookies taste extra delicious when eaten around a campfire. We have a few camping trips planned in the next few months, and as always, planning the menu is one of the most important preparation tasks. 

These cookies are family favorite, the original cookies recipe comes from Stacy Adimando's The Cookiepedia but we have changed  it up a little to suit our tastes.

One of our favorite things is the slow unexpected heat from the cayenne pepper. It gives just a little warmth at the end of a bite, and it definitely makes you want to go back for more. Without the pepper, these are simple but good chocolate cookies, but our family can't resist that little surprise flavor the cayenne adds. These are definitely on our camping menu this summer, and I know they will be devoured long before we return home. 

Hot Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 
2 tbs cocoa powder 
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temperature 
2 oz butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs dark brown sugar 
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla 
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

 Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, stir to combine and add chocolate chips. Chill dough 1 hr . Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls,bake 350 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Ice Box Caklettes

One of our favorite cakes in Mimi's Kitchen is an icebox cake. It is a simple dessert with endless flavor combinations. Made with crisp cookies and whipped cream flavored any way you want, this cake takes about 10 minutes to assemble, and the best part is that it has to be made the day before serving. Overnight, the cookies soften in between the layers of whipped cream to create a soft, cake-like texture surrounded by the cream that firms up to create a "frosting" of sorts. An easy 2-ingredient cake that is mandatory to make ahead- what's not to love? We have made this so many times that each of us has our own favorite. I stick with the classic chocolate wafer and vanilla cream, Mr. Mimi loves chocolate with mint, and Boy Mimi would eat an entire coconut version all by himself. 

 

To get all those even layers, you need very thin wafer cookies. You can definitely buy any thin crispy cookie, (we have used a box of ginger thins from Ikea before) but I like to use Alice Medrich's recipe for chocolate wafers. The recipe makes a lot of cookies and they have great chocolate taste. Her instructions call for rolling it into a log and slicing into thin cookies, but that leaves one side a little flat, so last time I rolled it between layers of plastic wrap and used a circle cutter so that all the cookies were an even thickness and size with a perfectly round edge. 

Whether you make or buy cookies, this cake couldn't be easier to make and with all the possibilities for flavors, this cake will remain a family favorite for a very long time. 

Chocolate Wafer Cookies
Adapted from Alice Medrich

Makes 50 to 60 1 3/4-inch round wafers if you roll into a log and slice them. I rolled the dough 1/8 inch thick between two pieces of plastic wrap and got about 95 cookies.

1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

3 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.

**Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed. 

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.

** I divided the dough into 4 portions, chilled it and rolled each portion between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8 thick and cut them with a 1 3/4 inch round cutter. When the cookies were baked they were about 2 inches in diameter.
printable recipe

Ice Box Cake or Cakelettes

Wafer cookies
whipped cream
garnish- I used a Bailey's ganache on these small ones, but I usually do cocoa or chocolate curls

Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whip to firm peaks.

Ganache
1/2 cup cream
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream to boiling, pour over chopped chocolate. Let set for a minute. Gently stir until chocolate is completely melted and ganache is smooth. Stir in Bailey's and cool to almost room temperature. You can refrigerate this until you need it. If it is cold or too thick to pour, heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. It needs to be warm enough to be able to be poured over the cake, but if it is too hot it will melt the whipped cream so heat in small increments and pour carefully.  
 

To assemble: 

For one large cake, cover the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with an even layer of cookies. I usually break a few into halves or pieces to fill in gaps, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Cover the cookies with an even layer of whipped cream. Continue layering cookies and cream, until all of the cream is used up, ending with cream on top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours. To serve, release sides of pan, garnish as desired.

  

 For cakelettes: 

I used a piping bag with a 3/8 round tip to pipe even layers of whipped cream between the cookies. Once I had the cookie stacks the size I wanted (5 cookies high), I covered the sides and top with whipped cream  and chilled them for 24 hours. Before serving, I drizzled them with Bailey's ganache.

Foodie Friday

Oreos

 Often the question is, Chocolate or Vanilla? But in this month's Improv Challenge, we were challenged to combine those two classic flavors into one dessert. The choices were endless, but homemade Oreos have been on my to do list for a long time and once again the Improv Challenge gave me the boost I needed to cross something off my "must make" list. I reviewed lots of recipes and decided that I would try Thomas Keller's version of Oreos. Interestingly enough, there are several different recipes that claim to be Thomas Keller Oreos so I went to the source, Bouchon Bakery cookbook by Thomas Keller.

 These cookies were good, but they were not Oreos. The cookies were buttery, and chocolatey with a delicate sandy texture, and the white chocolate filing was perfect for them, but nothing like the classic Oreo filling that is arguably the best part of the cookie. To get something closer to the Oreo taste, I also made a more traditional creme filing that really tasted like Oreo filling. 

 The ganache really enhanced the flavor of the cookie itself, but once filled, the cookies quickly lost their crispness. In the other cookies, the more traditional creme filling seemed to mute the chocolate flavor of the cookies, but they stayed crispy and crunchy much longer. So, while not the perfect homemade version of an Oreo, these are cookies that we quickly devoured and will definitely be making again.

 Oreos:
 from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel

 Ingredients:
 White Chocolate Filling:
 4 ounces (125 grams) 35% white chocolate, chopped
 0.5 ounce (15 grams) Unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla* My addition
 ½ cup + 1 teaspoon (125 grams) Heavy cream

 Chocolate Shortbread:
 1 ¾ cups + 1 ½ tablespoons (259 grams) All-purpose flour
 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (87 grams) Unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
 3/8 teaspoon (1.6 grams) Baking soda
 8 ounces (227 grams) Unsalted butter
 2 teaspoons (6 grams) Kosher salt* I used 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (161 grams) Granulated sugar

 Instructions
For the filling: Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring constantly. Meanwhile, bring the cream to just under a simmer. Pour the cream over the melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day, until completely chilled.

For the shortbread:
Place the flour in a medium bowl, sift in the cocoa and baking soda, and whisk to combine.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium-low speed and mix until smooth. Add the salt and mix for another 15 to 30 seconds. Add the sugar and mix for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds after each, or until just combined, then mix until the dough begins to come together
Mound the dough on the work surface and, using the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper, push it together into a 6-inch-square block. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (standard). Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and place it between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, pound the top of the dough, working from left to right, to begin to flatten it, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat (this will help prevent the dough from cracking as it is rolled). Roll out to a ⅛-inch-thick sheet. If the dough has softened, slide it (in the parchment) onto the back of a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm enough to cut. Using the fluted cutter, cut rounds from the dough. If necessary, push the trimmings together, refrigerate until firm, and reroll for a total of 16 rounds. (Any trimmings can be baked as is, cooled, and ground in the food processor to use as cookie crumbs over ice cream.) If the dough softens, return to the refrigerator until the cookies are firm enough to transfer to a sheet pan. Arrange the rounds on the sheet pans, leaving about I inch between them. (The dough can be shaped in advance; see Note.) Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, turning the pans around halfway through baking, until the cookies are fragrant, with small cracks on the surface. (Because the cookies are so dark, it can be difficult to tell when they are done.) Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
To assemble the cookies: Place the filling in the bowl of the mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until smooth. Transfer to the pastry bag. Turn half of the cookies over. Pipe ½ inch-long teardrops in a ring on each one, beginning ⅛ inch from the edges of the cookie, and then, working toward the center, pipe concentric rings of teardrops to cover the cookie (use 18 grams of filling per cookie). Top each with a second cookie and press gently to sandwich the cookies. The cookies are best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in a covered container, at room temperature if unfilled, or refrigerated if filled, for up to 3 days.
 Note on advance preparation: The shaped dough can be frozen on the sheet pan—wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap—for up to 1 month. Transfer to a lined room-temperature sheet pan, and bake from frozen.

Creme filling

Adapted from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman

For the filling:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 55 grams) room-temperature, unsalted butter

1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable shortening

2 cups (240 grams) sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

To make the creme, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

Link Foodie Friday

Vanilla and Chocolate Pairs:

Marbled Flourless Chocolate Cake	Banilla Nutella Frozen Yogurt Pops	Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake
Vanilla Glazed Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread	Vanilla Bean Cream-filled Sandwich Cookie	Cocoa-Rubbed Chicken w/Vanilla Balsamic Glaze
Chocolate Cake Ice Cream	Chocolate Zucchini Muffins w Vanilla Glaze	Milk Chocolate & Vanilla Pudding Pops
Oreo Brownies	Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cookies	Marbled Mini-Muffins
Chocolate Donuts with Vanilla Glaze	Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats	S'mores Cookie Bars
Oreos	Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cake

Bourbon Balls and Cookbook Review

When I was a child, Bourbon Balls were the Adults Only dessert craze. We children were not allowed to eat them.  My mom would make them just after Thanksgiving and let them age until Christmas. When I did finally taste one, the alcohol flavor was so strong that I spit out my first bite and haven't given them much thought since. When I received the Little Old Lady Recipes-Comfort Food and Kitchen Table Wisdom cookbook to review, I found the recipe for bourbon balls, so I thought this was my opportunity to give them another chance.

The recipe is slightly different that my mom's. It uses honey instead of Karo syrup for the sweetener and I think this is a delicious change. Also, I didn't add the full 1/4 cup of bourbon. I just used enough to make a moist dough and used bourbon that had had a vanilla bean soaking in it. Our balls turned out to be a little drier than the ones Mr. Mimi remembered, but he still liked the flavor and ate several for the sake of an accurate review.  If you like a softer cookie, use the entire amount of bourbon.

Little Old Lady Recipes, written by Meg Faverau and published by Quirk Books (quirkbooks.com, available at Amazon.com), is full of comfort food recipes, along with photos and kitchen wisdom of the ladies who contributed recipes to the book. There are plenty of comfort food recipes, including Irish soda bread, chicken and dumplings, meat loaf, fried chicken and rhubarb pie. The recipes are written just as if your grandmother scribbled it on a recipe card, direct and to the point, often assuming that you have some kitchen knowledge (or have watched her make the recipe hundreds of times). Sprinkled in among the recipes are tips from the cooks, ladies with lots of life experience and even more advice. One of our favorites was "There isn't much a good cake won't fix". You can't go wrong with a motto like that! 

Bourbon Balls

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafer cookies

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup Bourbon

additional powdered sugar for rolling.

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl and then add honey and bourbon; stir. Form into balls with your hands and roll in powdered sugar. Refrigerate before serving. Makes approximately 48 balls. (I got closer to 36 balls)

links: Foodie Fridays at Designs by Gollum

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Back to school is cookie time at Mimi's Kitchen. When the kids were younger  cookies were a great surprise in their lunch box or a quick after school snack.  Although everyone is pretty grown up now, we are still busy baking cookies- some to send to Mini Me when she is away at college and some for Boy Mimi to grab on his way to soccer practice. Eric at Quirk Books was nice enough to offer me a new cookie book to review, and we can never say no to a new cookbook around here, especially one filled with cookies. The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando was the perfect book for us here at Mimi's Kitchen since everyone likes to bake cookies (except for Mr. Mimi, who just enjoys his title as official taste-tester).  

Stacy sure knows her cookies, The Cookiepedia got thumbs up from all four cookie bakers in the kitchen. Boy Mimi made the chocolate chip cookies and they really were perfect- crispy on the edges and chewy throughout, without being cakey or undercooked in the center. Mini Me made the Cornmeal Cookies with Rosemary. We all love anything made with cornmeal and these were no exception. They were light, buttery and crunchy, and the rosemary garnish complimented the lemon zest without tasting too floral.  Mimi Jr. and I made the triple chocolate cookies as the final test recipe. These cookies were a family favorite, fudgy and moist almost like a brownie, with a deliciously crackly top.

What we liked about this book beside the delicious and easy to follow recipes was that it included the required classics, like chocolate chip, as well as some new cookies that we can't wait to try, like the pistachio butter cookies. It was well organized by cookie category, from "buttery" to "fruity" to "fancy", and on the insides of the of front and back cover were helpful conversions and substitutions. All the cookies have a picture, so you know that your matcha cookies are actually supposed to be bright green, and the spiral binding allows the book to lay open flat to your recipe without the pages flopping over.

 

Triple Chocolate Cookies

     The Cookiepedia

1/34 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 Ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter , room temperature

1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (8oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder. baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set  it

2. Set a small pot of water on the stove and bring it to a simmer.  Place choppe4d chocolate in a metal or heatproof blass bowl and set bowl top the pot. Stir the chocolate until it's fully melted and looks smooth. Remove from the heat. (We melted our chocolate in the microwave)

3. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for several minutes, until they're light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix to combine.  Pour in the melted chocolate and continue beating.

4. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips half at a time, and mix on low speed, until just incorporated.

5. Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 15 to 20 minutes, until it's firm enough to scoop.  Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper or siilicone baking mats.

6.Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  They'll appear soft, but they'll firm up once cooled.  Set the sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies directly onto the rack to cool completely.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

printable recipe

We all thought this was a great book to add to our cookbook shelf and would be a great gift for anyone, from a beginning baker to someone who wants to add some new recipes to their collection.  You can find this book at http://www.quirkbooks.com/, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Round Up Week Part Two:TWD

I've been struggling a little with how to organize this  blog. Since the Daring Bakers always post the last part of the month, I've decided to make that date the start of the monthly roundups. Part two of the roundup is Tuesdays with Dorie.  This month we had more tasty recipes and we managed to make them all.

First Christine of Happy Tummy chose Great Grains Muffins

These were a nice change from the usual blueberry muffin. We liked the mild sweetness from the corn and raisins, as well as the number of options you have for creative mix-ins. These are something we would make again when we are feeling like a healthy version of the breakfast treat.

 – Sharon from Simply Southern chose Bourbon Bread Pudding .

Bread Pudding is one of those warm, comforting desserts that is best at the end of a cold, rainy day, and since that is exactly the weather we've had, we were all looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it was a little bit of a let down. We added some chocolate chips and raisins before baking, and without those, it would have been way too bland. I also made a brown sugar-bourbon sauce to drizzle on top, and that is what took this recipe from boring to tasty.

 – Caroline and Claire of Bake With Us chose Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

This was the surprise recipe of the month. Everyone really liked these. They were a good combination of chocolate and oats, with just the right amount of cinnamon. They had an almost brownie-like texture, without being too heavy. We even made a second batch to send back to school with Mini Me after she came home for a quick weekend visit.

 Mike of Living Out West chose Toasted Almond Scones

I have been wanting to try these for a long time. Fresh out of the oven, these were really good. However, after that, they were just ok. We all really love the flaky, orange zest infused scones I usually make, and felt that these just didn't have the almond flavor we were looking for. For a scone recipe with an egg, these still had a nice texture, as some I have made have turned out rubbery or too dense. I would make these again, and maybe try a few things to increase the almond flavor.