Cookie Update

Happy Friday! It's been a long week. W is on his way down to New York, and a big snow storm is blowing in- we're expecting at least six inches just in time for Christmas, so it's the perfect weekend to settle in and figure things out between us.

A couple of updates for you- I've been a crazy cookie baker the last few weeks, see the start of my obsession here. I've churned out Chocolate Chip Cookies (decent, but not amazing), then Kolova Chocolate (severely underbaked, and good when re-baked, but too much effort), and Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps (excellent!). Yesterday I made Dark Chocolate with Sour Cherries (yum!), which were a hit at the office Christmas party this afternoon.

So here are the recipes I think are worth making again (and as the child of bakers, trust me, I'm picky about these things)!

Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps- (pictured above) The dough requires 45 minutes in the freezer to firm up before you bake these, but otherwise they are pretty easy. If you don't get enough confectioners sugar on them, the sugar gets absorbed by the cookie and looks cream colored, rather than a pretty white, so make sure to double roll them, and really coat them well with the sugar. These have a really strong coffee flavor, and be aware that the recipe only makes 18 cookies. These are a really pretty (and tasty) addition to your holiday table!

Dark Chocolate with Sour Cherries- I didn't have enough cherries, so I made part of the batch without them- they are good both ways, but the tart surprise of the cherries really makes them special. These are very rich cookies. Be careful not to overbake- after underbaking cookies last weekend (so frustrating), I was a little over zealous with these. The recipe says cook until puffy and cracked on top, they really don't crack very much (unlike the snowcaps), but they are done. As recommended on Every Last Cookie I made the balls of dough about 1" diameter, I wouldn't make them much bigger. Also, I ended up with four dozen cookies, so you may want to make a half batch or freeze half the dough to cook later.

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful weekend!