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Category Archives: Chocolate

Baileys and Coffee Fudge Brownies with Walnuts

14 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Baking, Chocolate, Dessert, Recipe, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Sometimes in life you need chocolate.
Sometimes in life you are short on time and need to take a shortcut.
Sometimes in life you need a shot of Baileys.

For those times in life, you’ve got to make a pan of these Baileys and Coffee Fudge Brownies with Walnuts.

Baileys and Coffee Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts 1.jpg

These brownies are dedicated to my friend Mariah, the funny, nutty, sweet lady that I got to know at The Pantry over the last 6 months or so. Alabama is lucky to have you back, but we’re going to miss you here in Seattle.

These brownies are indulgent, over-the-top, and decadent. To make them, start with a box of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix, sub in olive oil for vegetable oil, replace water with a combination of Baileys and cold brew, add in chopped walnuts and chocolate, and cut down on the baking time. That’s all!

Baileys and Coffee Fudge Brownies with Walnuts

Ingredients

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix (20 ounce)
1/2 cup Baileys
1/2 cup cold brew coffee
1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1/4 cup roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 10×10″ glass dish.

2. Whisk together Baileys, coffee,  olive oil, and egg. Stir in brownie mix and 1/2 cup of walnuts. Spread into the prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes.

3. Sprinkle remaining walnuts and chopped chocolate over the brownies and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Cool in the dish completely. Serve in small portions – these guys are super rich!

Baileys and Coffee Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts 2.jpg

And now that the post is written, I’m tempted to make another batch to take more photos and to showcase the gooey, fudge-like texture of these chocolate bites. Any takers?

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Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart with Apricots

04 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baking, Cake, Chocolate, Cooking, Dessert, Nuts, Recipe, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart6.jpg

This year, I decided to bake myself a birthday dessert. I wanted something simple to make, decadent, and filled with chocolate. I turned to Giada De Laurentiis recipe for Chocolate-Pistachio Fudge Tart and made a few changes to make it my own.

 

As I’ve been obsessing about Oregon hazelnuts from Trader Joe’s, I decided to replace pistachios with roasted hazelnuts. I also replaced the heavy cream with half & half to lighten up the texture and the calorie load. I was at first worried that using half&half would not set up the chocolate filling, but it worked just fine. As the chocolate was melting into the hot half&half, I added a few extra ounces of chocolate, to make the filling thicker.

The tart came out just right. A balance between the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate filling and the crunchy, slightly salty nut and graham cracker crust. The topping of dried apricots is optional. I liked the golden, slightly sour bursts of fruit. I can also see how this same recipe would work well with fresh raspberries or strawberries. Happy birthday to me!

 

Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart with Apricots

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups roasted hazelnuts
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 whole graham crackers
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups half&half
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan or springform pan with butter.
  2. Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add the graham crackers and pulse until finely chopped. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until incorporated. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lightly press the crust into the pan; cool completely.
  3. Heat half&half, vanilla extract, and salt until just beginning to simmer. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk together until smooth and pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, then sprinkle with chopped apricots and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger

14 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Gluten Free, Holidays, Kosher Food

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Cover Title Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger09

Passover starts tonight.  This year I have decided to follow the no-gluten rule as a way to show my solidarity and test my will power.  To lessen the blow of giving up bread and cookies, I made this sweet Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Candied Ginger. I used the chocolate-covered-strawberry method, where I melted the chocolate with a little bit of butter and spread it over oven-toasted matzo crackers before topping them with chopped hazelnuts, cranberries and candied ginger.  This is in my opinion a much easier and faster way and gives you a splendid result.

Let’s give it a try!

Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Candied Ginger

Ingredients

9 matzo crackers

24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups roasted hazelnuts, chopped

2 cups dried cranberries, chopped

1 cup candied ginger, chopped

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil and arrange matzo evenly among the sheets.  You might need to break a few crackers in half.

Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger

2.  Toast matzo in the oven for 10 minutes.

3.  Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between with a spatula.  Once melted, stir in butter.

Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger02 Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger04

4.  Spread chocolate evenly over matzo crackers and sprinkle with hazelnuts, cranberries and candied ginger, lightly pressing the toppings into the chocolate.

Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger06

5.  Set the matzo crackers at room temperature or refrigerator before breaking into individual pieces.

Now that you know the basic method and proportions, it’s time to play.  Try this with sea salt, candied orange, different types of nuts, or a drizzle of white chocolate over the top.

Cover Title 3 Passover Chocolate Covered Matzo with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Ginger09

I wish you all a happy Passover.  May you have a sweet year.

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Valentine’s Dinner Celebration

18 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by in Allrecipes.com, Chocolate, Dessert, Holidays, Lamb, Recipe

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Valentine’s Day is probably the one holiday you should stay home, perhaps other than Mother’s Day and New Year’s Eve.  Avoid the crowded, overpriced restaurants, the lines, the reservations, the desire to impress, and cook yourself.

This year marked the second Valentine’s Day celebration with the Artist.  Simple, delicious, and elegant.  I roasted a boneless leg of lamb, marinated in parsley, garlic and olive oil.


To go along with the lamb, delicious Roasted Eggplant Dip with pomegranate molasses, chopped pecans, cilantro, salt and pepper.

And of course, we had to have potatoes!  Lucky for us, we were shooting a video for Irish Potato and Chive Casserole at Allrecipes.com that day and there was plenty to take home.  Creamy Yukon gold potatoes loaded with sour cream, cream cheese and of course, butter.  Sprinkled with chopped chives and smoked paprika, these potatoes were a hit!

Dessert came in a form of a cake, once again courtesy of working at Allrecipes.com.  I prepared and styled this double-layered Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Cake with Guinness beer, Irish cream liquor and bittersweet chocolate.

Share the love!

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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Almonds, Ginger and Clementine ~ Recipe

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Holidays, Nuts, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

The cookie swaps are happening across America!  They are in the neighbor’s home, at a friend’s apartment, and even at work!  Today at Allrecipes.com we held our own cookie swap and quite a few of us participated.  I loved sampling a selection of delectable, chewy, crisp, sweet, and irresistible cookies.

My contribution?  Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Almonds, Ginger and Clementine Zest

These cookies came to life based on a Chocolate Shortbread Cookies by Ghirardelli.  This basic, straight forward recipe got a makeover with the help of my friend Dana, a fellow graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.  Following a lovely dinner at home, I suggested Dana helps me bake the cookies, and she was more than eager to help.  Thank you!  We added freshly grated ginger and clementine zest to the dough and studded with toasted almonds.  Rather than baking these as separate cookies, we pressed the dough into a baking sheet, baked it whole and then cut it in shape.  Happy holidays!

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Almonds, Ginger and Clementine Zest

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 teaspoons clementine zest
1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds, toasted and cooled

Directions

1.  Cream together butter, sugar, ginger, zest and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2.  Sift together flour and cocoa.  This ensures the two are well incorporated and are lump-free.

3.  Combine butter mixture with flour and cocoa until no streaks of flour remain.

4.  Fold in almonds.

5.  Press the dough evenly into a parchment lined 9×13 baking dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  This allows the butter to set up so the cookies do not melt in the oven.

6.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

7.  Bake until the dough is almost set, about 20 minutes.  Cool slightly, transfer with parchment paper to a cutting board and cut to desired size and shape.

The cookies will keep in air-tight container.  You can dress these with confectioners’ sugar or unsweetened cocoa and serve with sliced clementines.


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Nutella Banana Chocolate Seduction Tart ~ The Ultimate Dessert

07 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Bananas, Chocolate, Cooking, Dessert, Nuts, Recipe

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Have you ever been seduced by a piece of dessert?  I’m sure the answer is “yes” for many of us.  In case you are one of the unfortunate people who have not experience this seduction – here is your chance!  This Nutella Banana Chocolate Seduction Tart has a little bit of everything – chocolate, cookie crust, fruit, and nuts!  And lots of butter and sugar.  Be still, my heart.

The beginning: making the chocolate shortbread tart crust:

Be sure your butter is super cold!
The crust goes in!  Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork so it stays nice and flat when baked.
Spread chocolate hazelnut over the cooled crust.
Banana time! I used a banana slicer, but you can slice bananas with a knife as well.

Arrange bananas in a layer over the chocolate hazelnut spread.  I took the time to arranged banana slices in a decorative way, but at the end they are covered with a layer of ganache, so you can’t see them anyway.  You choose how you would like to arrange them.
Once arranged, brush bananas with warmed apricot jam – extra flavor!

Making ganache – cream, butter, chocolate!
And butter!
Chocolate goodness!  Pour ganache over the tart, eliminate the bubbles and chill the tart.  It’s also ridiculously delicious as a frozen dessert!

Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and banana chips.

Eat now!

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Discovering Arabica Lounge in Seattle ~ Not Another *$

04 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Chocolate, Coffee, Dessert, Restaurant Review, Seattle

≈ 5 Comments

No offense, but when it comes to coffee, I prefer to stay away from the mega blockbusters of coffee shops (yes, I’m talking about you, Starbucks).  On a recent visit to Capitol Hill, I met with my friend Priya at Arabica Lounge for a cup of coffee and something sweet. 

The place was buzzing with the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, and cherry blossoms stuck in glass jars adorned beyond-gorgeous wood tables.  I wanted to pull out my laptop, or grab a book and settle in for an hour or two.  Short on time, I waited on Priya to arrive, ordered a “cup” of coffee and a chocolate cookie.  A word of advice ~ if you are serving a naturally gluten free item, like this delicious flourless chocolate cookie, perhaps you should call it a Flourless Chocolate Cookie instead of Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie.  Thoughts?

The experience at Arabica Lounge left me amused and caffeinated.  Let’s discuss the amusing parts first.  My coffee was served in a glass jar, rather than a cup.  I suppose that gives it a more rustic, down-to-earth feeling, but I would have preferred a cup with a handle and a thinner rim to sip the coffee.

Instead of a register to take the payment, the Lounge used an automated, touch-screen computer for credit cards.  Everything was touch-screen and automated.  I had to ask for the receipt to be printed.  Adding a tip was almost forced, since your server waited for you to add it in before printing the receipt.

I loved the community table at the center of the cafe.  While sitting at the table with Priya, the gentleman across from us, seemingly of European decent, struck up a conversation with us and suggested a few cocktail lounges/bars to visit in the area.  Priya – we still need to go!

The array of baked goods in the display case was quite appetizing.  I decided to go for a Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie, which I think should be renamed to a Flourless Chocolate Cookie.  The cookie was thin, dense, and chocolaty rich.  It reminded me of the cookies sold at the Apple Pie Bakery at the Culinary Institute of America.  The top was lightly crackled.  I could’ve had eaten another one, but shared the one I had with Priya, instead.

Next time you are in the area, skip the overpopulated, big-name corporate coffee shops, and stop at Arabica Lounge instead.
Location:

1550 E Olive Way
(between Denny Way and Summit Ave)
Seattle, WA 98102
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
(206) 347-6093

Hours: Mon-Fri 7 am – 10 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 9 pm

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German Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee and Toasted Coconut Walnut Frosting

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Holidays, Nuts, Recipe

≈ 9 Comments

Last time there was a birthday in the family, I baked a dozen Vanilla Raspberry “Surprise” Cupcakes with Raspberry Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.  They were gorgeous, festive, and pink, and held a delicious raspberry surprise that sunk to the bottom of the cupcake.  To get the full story, be sure to read the entire post.  

Fast forward a week: there was another birthday to celebrate.  Anja was turning…well, it was her birthday.  My brother, being the best boyfriend that he is, informed me that Anja is a fan of German Chocolate Cake and suggested that I bake a dozen of German Chocolate cupcakes.  He then proceeded to invite the family over to my place to celebrate Anja’s birthday with the cupcakes.  Meanwhile, I went to bake the cupcakes.

Once again, I turned to the “150 Best Cupcake Recipes” cookbook by Julie Hasson.  I used Julie’s recipes for Best Chocolate Cupcakes and Coconut Pecan Frosting as guides for my own dessert creation. (Excerpted from 150 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.)

To make the cupcakes even more flavorful, I added coffee to both the cake and the frosting.  For extra depth, I toasted coconut, and used toasted walnuts instead of pecans.  For the extra-special birthday factor, I used some of the Toasted Coconut Walnut Frosting in the middle of the cupcake – you should do the same, you’ll thank me!
German Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee and Toasted Coconut Walnut Frosting

Ingredients

For the Toasted Coconut Walnut Frosting

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 cup evaporated milk
2-4 tablespoons prepared coffee, cold
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, and chopped

For the Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, high-quality cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2-4 tablespoons prepared coffee, cold
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Garnish

sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Directions.

1.  Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
2.  Whisk in evaporated milk and coffee, continue whisking until sugar dissolves.
3.  Add butter and continue to cook the frosting, whisking constantly, until it is smooth and thick.  
4.  Remove from heat and stir in  coconut and vanilla.  Cool.  Stir in toasted walnuts, and set aside.

5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

6.  Whisk together sugar, oil, coffee, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

7.  Combine flour mixture with  the oil and sugar mixture, and buttermilk, alternating between dry and wet ingredients.  Do not overmix.

8.  Scoop the cupcake batter halfway up each paper liner.

9.  Scoop 1-2 teaspoons of frosting and cover up with the remaining cupcake batter.

10.  Bake cupcakes in the oven for 22-25 minutes.  Remove and cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes.  Remove cupcakes and finish cooling completely on a cooling rack.

11.  Cover each cupcake with a dollop of frosting and spread evenly over the top.

12.  Sprinkle the cupcakes with toasted coconut.

The cupcakes were a sweet delight!  I really believe that adding coffee enriched the overall flavor and highlighted the chocolate.  My father, who is not a fan of coconut, said he loved the cupcakes and wasn’t bothered by the coconut.  I bet toasting coconut was a key to getting rid of the raw flavor.

Anja was one happy birthday girl and my brother took all the credit!  Why am I not surprised? 🙂

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Culinary Adventures in Portland, Oregon

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in Chocolate, Coffee, Portland, Restaurant Review, Sandwich, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

We left the turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing behind, packed our bags and headed out to Portland for a post-Thanksgiving weekend away.

Magically, after days of never-ending pouring rain in Seattle, the sky cleared up, the sun made its much appreciated appearance, and the traffic cooperated nicely.

On the way to Portland, we made a stop in Olympia, Washington to pay our respects to the Washington state capital and walk around.  Not wanting to leave right away, we drove to the downtown area and missed it.  That’s right – the downtown is literally just a few blocks in length.

Looking for fuel in the form of caffeine, we stopped at Bonjour Cupcakes bakery.  The bakery had an old charming feel and decor, with scattered cupcake-related merchandise.

We chose two mini cupcakes: red velvet and chocolate mocha, adorned with a chocolate covered coffee bean. While I can’t vouch for the red velvet cupcake (someone is still learning how to share), the chocolate mocha cupcake was a perfect two-bite delight.

Our first meal in Portland was just a few blocks from the hotel (we stayed at the fancy Historic Governor Hotel – thank you http://www.priceline.com).  Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen serves up pastrami sandwiches, lots of local beer, and plenty of pickles.  Unfortunately, they were out of latkes for the night, and the gefilte fish has yet to make its appearance on the menu, but the place was bustling with happy customers and we were ready to order.

Pardon for the quality of the photo. The photos in this post were taken with my new phone and could use some work.  Back to the food.  The chicken liver sandwich with pastrami was my favorite.  I honestly would’ve loved it without the pastrami, and will order it plain if I return to the deli.  The pickles were crunchy, and as addicting as ever.  I did like the potato salad and coleslaw, but my body was craving something hot and slightly more nurturing – perhaps a bowl of matzo ball soup would’ve done the trick.

Following the meal, we walked around the downtown area of Portland, taking in the holiday lights and the ever-present determined Black Friday shoppers.  I won’t lie – there was a mandatory stop to the Macy’s shoe department, but somehow I ended up purchasing zilch and taking no advantage of tax-free shopping the entire weekend.

On the way back to the hotel we stumbled across Voodoo Doughnut shop. Along with the glaring neon sign and the long line of patrons that extended outside, the sweet smell of doughnuts beckoned us to come in.  We settled on a Mango Tango (raised yeast doughnut, filled with mango jelly and topped with vanilla frosting and tang!) and Raspberry Romeo’s (raised yeast doughnut, filled with raspberry jelly and glazed on the outside).  

I did enjoy the unusual flavors of Mango Tango and the tanginess that mango added to the doughnut.  I dedicated the doughnut to my sister of MangoTomato and my good friend, and tango extraordinaire Lera.  Unfortunately, Raspberry Romeo’s didn’t fare as well and ended up composed, hardly eaten.

The next day’s adventure started at Fuller’s Coffee Shop.  This traditional, cash only, diner served up heaping plates of eggs, crispy potatoes, and bacon. 



I went for a Mexican-style breakfast of potatoes, smothered with tomatoes, mushrooms (clearly canned, not fresh), spinach, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.  My partner, once again, chose a more delicious option of spinach and sausage scramble with crisp potatoes on the side.  We finished with country white toast smothered with homemade raspberry jam and headed for a 3-hour adventure at the Portland’s Museum of Art – or was it the Portland Art Museum?


The day’s culinary adventures ended at Hollywood Bowling with the mandatory White Russian and a plate of nachos.


The next morning, with the return of rain (I think the city was mourning our departure), we sipped on a cappuccino and a mocha at Portland’s Pearl Bakery cafe.



I got into a heated debate over heating up my chocolate croissant, but the service was refused, and I missed out on warm chocolate, oozing between the thin layers of flaky puffed pastry.


Our adventures of eating ended at a nondescript, perfectly delicious, family-run pho shop with heaping bowls of steaming broth, rice noodles and a few meatballs.  We bid farewell to Portland and headed back to Seattle.


And before I tell you all good bye, here is something we did not eat (found in Olympia, the Washington state capital).



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Chocolate Truffles with a Kick of Cayenne and Himalayan Pink Salt

19 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in Chocolate, Cooking, Dessert, Recipe

≈ 7 Comments

In just a few hours, I’ll be attending a culinary potluck to celebrate Mark Bitterman‘s new book Salted: A Manifest on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes.  As a guest, I will be contributing a recipe that showcases the importance of salt.  This task made me think of one of my favorite childhood fairy tales.

In the story, a father asks each one of his daughters how much they love him.  When the youngest daughter compares her love for her father to her love for salt, she is banished from the family.  I can’t exactly remember what happens next, but I’m sure there are countless bland dishes and recipes that follow and the father finally realizes just how much his daughter really loves him.

Moving on, when thinking about my contribution, for some reason, truffles came immediately to mind.  I took the basic recipe and decided to add a touch of vanilla and a kick from cayenne pepper.  Dusted with Himalayan Pink salt, these little round delights are as beautiful, decadent, and special, as they are delicious.  You might want to double the amount of cayenne pepper if you want them extra spicy.

Ingredients

1/3 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet, but feel free to use your favorite.  You can also buy a block of chocolate and cut it yourself into small pieces)
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Himalayan Pink salt as needed (mine came from Marx Foods)

Directions

1.  Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small pot.

2.  Turn off the heat and whisk in chocolate and butter until completely incorporated.  If necessary, you might turn the heat on very low to help the chocolate and butter melt.  If you work quickly and carefully, you will be able to avoid using a double boiling method and save an extra bowl to clean.



3.  Off heat, stir in vanilla and cayenne pepper.  Pour the chocolate goodness into a shallow container, I’m using a large Pyrex dish.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or until the chocolate sets.

4.  Once set, remove the chocolate from the refrigerator.  Line a baking sheet with parchment (I love parchment sheets that lay flat, rather than cutting a roll of parchment paper).  Using a scoop, drag the chocolate across, forming a tight ball, and release.  

Now, you can either let the truffles be (I call this roll and drop method), or you can roll and roll, where you roll the truffle in your hands, to achieve a more uniform shape.  My hands were too warm and as I tried to roll the truffles, they began to melt, so I let them be.  Let’s pretend I was going for the rustic look.  Once rolled, sprinkle the truffles with salt and put back in the refrigerator to set up.

Time to eat!  I can’t wait to hear what other fellow potluck gathers will think of these truffles.

You could also roll the truffles in cocoa, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, or melted chocolate.
What’s your favorite salt recipe?
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Sour Cherry and Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Chips

21 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Cooking Classes, Dessert, Nuts, Recipe

≈ 6 Comments

I don’t bake often.  There are more than one reason for this – the restriction of following a recipe, somewhat lack of experience (catch 22) and potential access to extra calories.  But that’s “my problem.”

When I teach cooking classes, however, I often include a dessert recipe for my students.  During one of my latest cooking classes, Summer Picnic, which included a Summer Picnic Potato Salad, I thought a cookie would fit right in.


























Sour Cherry and Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Chips
(adapted from Whole Foods Market recipe)

Makes about 2-3 dozen (depending on the size of the scoop you use)

Ingredients


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried sour cherries, roughly chopped
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Continue to beat until ingredients are well combined.

3.  Sift together flour, salt and baking soda to eliminate any possible clumps, combine ingredients, and add a little bit of air for a lighter cookie texture.  Add dry ingredients into the butter, sugar and egg mixture.  Stir just enough to combine, do not over beat.  Add chocolate chips, sour cherries and pecans.  Combine together.

4.  Remove the cookie dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.  Without refrigeration, the dough is too soft and the cookies will spread out in the oven when baking.  

5.  Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookies onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 1.5-2 inches in between.  Depending on the size of the scoop you are using, bake the cookies 12-20 minutes.  If baking both cookie sheets in the same oven, rotate them half way through the baking process to ensure even doneness.

6.  Transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.  If you can resist, wait for the cookies to cool completely, otherwise, go ahead and eat!

These were quite amazing!  If you choose to use sweet cherries instead of sour, I suggest you cut down on sugar.  Leave your pecans and cherries a bit chunky – your taste buds will thank you.

Now, where’s my glass of milk?

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