Better Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

When I made cookie brittle a few months ago, I liked it, blogged about it, and then wished it were a bit more brittle-like. So I went back to the original Nestle recipe, tinkered with it a bit, and came up with what to me, is the perfect version.

Cookies aren't difficult to make, but the process can be time-consuming. This brittle is what I make when I'm short on time but still want a satisfying treat. A few pantry ingredients (well, for me they are), and only one large pan to cool. A decadent buttery shortbread baked until the butter has browned, it's truly addictive.

Baker's Notes: I prefer the texture of this with the nuts, but chopped finely. Since it's a small amount, I use an inexpensive chopper rather than the food processor. You could do a larger amount and freeze the rest for next time. another key to success is to use a larger pan or cookie sheet. I use a half-sheet pan or a bun pan, about 18" by 13", but a large cookie sheet should work.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

•     1    cup    unsalted butter -- softened  (2 sticks)
•     1 ½    teaspoons    vanilla extract
•     ¼    teaspoon    salt
•     ½    cup    sugar
•     ½    cup    brown sugar
•     2    cups    flour
•     1 ½  cups    semisweet chocolate chips
•     ⅔    cup    finely chopped pecans (or whatever nuts you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a mixer or by hand, combine the butter, vanilla, salt and sugars in a large bowl and beat together until well blended. Stir in flour until just mixed. Add  chocolate chips and pecans.

Break the dough into small pieces and scatter them over entire surface of the ungreased, un-lined half-sheet pan or large cookie sheet. Press dough in a thin, even layer, but don't worry if the dough doesn't touch every edge and corner . Spreading the dough in a thin layer will give you the shortbread/brittle texture you want.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until medium brown. Check at the 20 minute bake time, then watch cookies carefully; they go from brown to burnt around the edges very quickly. Let cool completely in pan on wire rack. Using your hands, break the brittle into pieces, then store in an airtight container.

Chewier Chocolate Chip Cookies

We never tire of chocolate chip cookies. After all the special Christmas treats, it's comforting to return to familiar favorites. Plus, I finally bought a Beater Blade, and this project was its test run. Like many KitchenAid mixer users, I'm sometimes frustrated by the little bit of flour that gets stuck in the dimple at the bottom of the bowl. The Blade eliminated that problem, and I didn't have to scrape down the bowl either. Unlike the standard paddle, the Blade is plastic, so I'm a bit leery of using it for big batches of cookie dough, but so far, it performs exactly as advertised.

I ran across this recipe over at Confections of a (Closet) Master Baker. Gesine's posts range from simple recipes like this one, to more complicated tortes and pastries. The photos are pretty wonderful, too.

Compared to my usual CCC, this one is bigger, chewier, and saltier. Really tasty, with crunchy edges, and a softer center make these our current favorite.

Bakers Notes: Gesine uses European butter, I used regular unsalted because that's what I had. Gesine's recipe calls for a full 2 teaspoons of salt, next time, I'd cut back to 1½  teaspoons. They were just a bit too salty. I added vanilla extract. For the chips, I used a combination of bittersweet chunks and milk chocolate chips, using up some open containers. Slamming the cookie sheets sounds weird, but worked great, creating that elusive chewy texture. Usually, I like to chill this kind of dough, Gesine didn't, so I didn't either. Maybe next time.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Confections of a (Closet) Master Baker

• 2 ½  cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup bread flour
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg white
• 11 ounces  (22 tablespoons, or 2 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons salt (I thought this was too much, try 1½ teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating after each, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and slowly add to the mixer, being very careful not to over mix.

Stir in the chips, again don't overmix.

Using a large (I used a #30) cookie scoop, space the dough 3 inches apart on lined baking sheets.  That's about ¼ cup of dough.

Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. This depends on how you like your cookies on how "well done" you like them.

Here's Gesine's trick, though.  During the baking, about every 5 minutes,  pull on an oven mitt, open the oven and grab the cookie sheet and SLAM it down. I baked my cookies for 13 minutes, giving them the SLAM treatment at the 5 and 10 minute mark (Charlie particularly enjoyed doing this). This how you achieve that flatter, chewier cookie. Just keep an eye on them and resetting the timer.

Cool cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 30 3-inch cookies.

Really Fudgy Chocolate Cookies

File this one under quick, easy, and decadent. No mixer required. I try to remember to keep one of those chocolate blocks from Trader Joe's in the pantry. Chop it up, melt it, mix in some pantry staples and voilå! Deep, dark, fudgy chocolate cookies. Almost like flourless chocolate cake in portable form. Perfect for those times you need intense chocolate in a hurry.

Charlie pronounced them her new favorite.

Baker's Notes: I usually use the Trader Joe's 56% chocolate (nibble the excess 1.7 ounces), but I've used Hershey's Special Dark bars or finer artisanal chocolate as well. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave if you prefer, try 1 minute on high, then at 15-second intervals, stirring often. Setting the dough aside while the oven preheats lets the dough thicken and set, so the cookies have a better shape.

Fudgy Chocolate Cookies

•     1    pound    dark or semi-sweet chocolate
•     1  ½    cups    firmly packed brown sugar
•     ½    cup    butter -- at room temperature, cut in pieces
•     4        eggs
•     2    teaspoons    vanilla extract
•     1    cup    flour
•     ½    tsp    baking powder
•     pinch of salt
•     2    cups    semi-sweet chocolate chips ( or chunks, or any chips or chopped chocolate you like)

Chop the pound of chocolate into small pieces, and melt in a double boiler, stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in the butter until its melted and combines. Mix in the sugar and vanilla then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder. Gently mix in the chocolate chips.

Set dough aside at room temperature, and preheat the oven to 350°F.  When the oven is ready, line your baking sheets and drop the dough by heaping tablespoons. I used a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop.

BAKE 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet 1-2  minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


Makes about 40 medium-sized cookies.

Pear Almond Tart

Sometimes, I'm lucky. Last week, as I passed the "New Books" shelf at my local library, not only was there a cookbook on the shelf, it was one I was hoping to read. In this case a cookbook worth reading, namely In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark. The kind of cookbook I love, with plenty of stories and recipe provenance.

Over the weekend, I flipped through the dessert section. I hadn't completely restocked the pantry since the holidays, so I stopped at "Jaimee's Pear-Almond Pie". I had some pears in the refrigerator, and some almond paste as well, so I was all set.

After all that, the tart was just okay. Not bad, not difficult, just not a wow. Kinda boring.

Baker's Notes: I prefer rustic fruit desserts, but I decided to use a tart pan in lieu of a pie plate, just for fun. I may try the tart dough again, with a different filling, because it behaved well and was easy to make. I was annoyed that this recipe measured the almond paste by volume rather than weight, but then I also forgot to weigh it for my notes as well.


Pear Almond Tart
adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite


Crust:

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond paste
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ¼  cup all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 5 Bartlett pears (about 2 ¼ pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds

 Optional: Demerara or turbinado sugar, for finishing

Make the crust. Using an electric mixture with the paddle attachment, cream together the almond paste, butter, and salt until smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the egg yolk and mix to combine. Mix in the flour at low speed, in three additions, just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press into a flat disc, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

When you're ready to make the tart, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter while you make the filling, it will be easier to work with.

In a large bowl, combine the pears, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside while you roll/press the dough.

If you're making a pie, you'll want to roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, making a ¼-inch thick circle. Then, line the pan with the dough, there should be a 1-inch overhang, which you can drape over the filling. To make the tart, I merely pressed the dough, in pieces, into a 9-inch tart pan, patting it carefully to make it even. In either case, scrape the filling into the pan, then pop it back into the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 375°F.

Sprinkle the surface of the tart with the almonds and demerara or turbinado sugar, I used about a tablespoon. Put the tart on a baking sheet (just to make it easier to remove it later), and bake for about 45 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the fruit is fork-tender.

Marbled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Happy New Year! I didn't mean to stay away so long, honestly. I had a wonderful Christmas, full of many delicious baked goods. I even took photos. Then, I was caught up in the swirl of mailing packages and parties, and you know, the holidays just flew by. Throw in a basketball tournament and Charlie's birthday, and blogging just got pushed to the back burner. I need a new Christmas plan, the good news is, I have several months to work on it.

I did take a quick break from holiday baking to make another Big Batch of Cookies. Yes, they have oatmeal and chocolate. Another variation on chocolate chip cookies, they are both whimsical and satisfying. I gave most of them to the Night Ministry, and the rest to the basketball team. Everyone loved them, and I will definitely make them again.

Baker's Notes: This is a big batch of fairly heavy dough, I would use a stand mixer if at all possible. When mixing in the additions, mix the light-colored dough first, then the dark, so you won't have the clean the beaters or paddle in between. As to mixing the two doughs together, when I just pressed them, I ended up with a yin-yang cookie, like the one on the left in the photo. To really marblize the doughs, I had to fold them together using my thumbs. This would be a great activity for children, mashing the doughs together.


Marbled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Quaker Oats

• 1    pound  (4 sticks) unsalted butter -- softened
• 2    cups  granulated sugar
• 1    cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 4    eggs
• 1    tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ¼  cups  all-purpose flour -- divided
• 2    teaspoons  baking soda
• 1    teaspoon salt
• ½    cup  unsweetened cocoa (natural -- like Hershey's)
•  2    cups   old fashioned or quick oats -- divided
•  2    cups  (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips -- divided

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 cups flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions, stirring at low speed to combine.

Divide dough evenly between two bowls. Add cocoa to one bowl and add remaining 1/4 cup flour to second bowl; mix well. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup oats to each bowl; mix well. Cover and chill both doughs 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375°F. To shape cookies, remove small portion of each dough; keep remainder refrigerated, this will help the dough keep its shape when formed. Combine 1 teaspoon (I used a #100 scoop) of each dough, twisting and folding doughs together to form a single cookie. Place 2 inches apart on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheets. To make larger cookies, use a tablespoon of each dough.

Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light colored dough is golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Makes about 85 cookies.