Saturday, February 12

Chocolate Crackles

Ok so it's approching mid-February... if any of you who listed "Lose Weight" or "Stay Away from Sugar" or  "No More Chocolate" for your New Years Resolution .. then go no further... I wouldn't blame you for clicking away from my Blog...

BUT for those who have a hankering for chocolate, and will admit they've wanders off the band wagon... try making this amazing cookie... It's actually Martha Stewart's recipe (2006 Holiday Cookie Magazine) I got off I the Bakerella Blog .. I just love looking at their goodies.. let alone eating them!

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They are yummy and soft and just plain pretty. But mostly yummy.
Oh and chocolatey of course. Very, very chocolatey.

So really that’s all you need to know, right?

Start out with 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate. Oh yeah.

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Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over another pot of simmering water.
Then set aside to let cool.

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Transfer it to a heatproof plastic bowl so it will cool a bit more quickly.

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And yes, be sure to test the temp with your finger.
And maybe more than once...


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While the chocolate cools, mix together the flour, cocoa baking
powder and salt…


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… until it’s all combined and beautiful.


Set aside and beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in eggs. Mix in vanilla.

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And then add the melted chocolate.


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Add half the flour mixture, some milk and the rest of the flour mixture.

Don’t worry. I’m going to give you the recipe....
Anyways...

Once it’s all mixed together, divide the cookie dough into four
equal parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a
couple of hours or until firm.

If the cookie dough seems much more like thick cookie batter,
you could place it in the freezer to get it a little firmer.
When ready to use, unwrap one section at a time.

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I divided it into 12 pieces with a knife because I found that if I handled
it too much, the “dough” was starting to melt from the body temperature
of my hands.
But dividing it this way ended up working out pretty good.
Grab one of the small pieces of dough and quickly roll into a 1 inch ball.
Every few you roll, rinse and dry your hands to avoid them sticking
to your hands too much.

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Roll it in granulated sugar and then roll it in powdered sugar and place
on a baking sheet.  Like so..

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Here’s the different stages for reference.

P.S. The recipe link only mentions using one of the sugars, but the
one in the magazine calls for both. So I’d do it that way.

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Wow. It was tempting to just leave them like this.

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But then I wouldn’t get to see them do this after they baked.

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They are just so pretty.

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And so so good.

I love trying new things and then crossing them off my “to bake” list.
How about you? What was the last new thing you baked?


Martha Stewart's Chocolate Crackles
Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

3. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.

4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Of course they won't last that long at my home. 

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