Flamingo Musings » milk chocolate http://flamingomusings.com Just another WordPress site Wed, 09 May 2012 12:57:54 +0000 en hourly 1 Triple Chip Hot Cocoa Cookies http://flamingomusings.com/2011/05/triple-chip-hot-cocoa-cookies.html http://flamingomusings.com/2011/05/triple-chip-hot-cocoa-cookies.html#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000 RJ Flamingo http://flamingom.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/triple-chip-hot-cocoa-cookies

Hi, there! Remember me? Pink? Fluffy?

It’s been a crazy last few weeks, between preparing Freakin’ Flamingo samples for the swag bags at Eat, Write, Retreat (#EWR11), making more jam (because it seems that everything’s in season right now!), and organizing (and baking for) the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale – Miami, benefiting Share Our Strength.

In the middle of all this, I also decided to join up with The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

My secret mission, this month, was to select a recipe from Kate’s isn’t everything in the kitchen trial & error? (Great blog name, don’t you think?) So I scoured Kate’s blog, literally from the very beginning, searching for a great Bake Sale cookie. You know – chocolate chip, but not so, well, ordinary. Then, just two weeks ago, Kate posted these Hot Chocolate Cookies. Instead of using cocoa, the recipe calls for using full-sugar hot cocoa mix, which gives the cookies a milder, yet rich and chocolatey depth of flavor.

I didn’t change a thing in this recipe, believe it or not. Kate gives you the choice of which type of chips you feel like using that day, so I used all three – milk chocolate, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips. ‘Cuz that’s just the kind of girl I am. I used a small scoop, about the size of the large end of a melon baller, and got the full 4 dozen cookies – the perfect amount I was looking for.

The texture was – in my mind – perfect. Crisp and chewy at the same time. As Kate observed in her blog post, they freeze really well, too. And look how pretty they look, all dressed up for the big Bake Sale!

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out, together!

 



]]> http://flamingomusings.com/2011/05/triple-chip-hot-cocoa-cookies.html/feed 25 The 12 Days of Cookies: Day 10 http://flamingomusings.com/2009/12/the-12-days-of-cookies-day-10.html http://flamingomusings.com/2009/12/the-12-days-of-cookies-day-10.html#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:39:00 +0000 RJ Flamingo http://flamingom.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/the-12-days-of-cookies-day-10

I’m on the home stretch, and finally getting to Day 10 of our 12 Days of Cookies project, where our little band of intrepid bakers are baking and blogging 12 cookie recipes of our individual choice from Bon Appétit’s 2008 Cookie-a-Day collection!


Hazelnut Shortbread Sticks

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup finely ground husked toasted hazelnuts (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped husked toasted hazelnuts

Preparation:

  • Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
  • Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into 3-inch-long logs. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until light golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool cookies completely.
  • Stir milk chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Place 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts in small bowl. Dip 1 end of cookie into melted chocolate, then into coarsely chopped hazelnuts. Return to rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

    DO AHEAD Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes:

Love this cookie! Crispy, tender, and light, and the milk chocolate with toasted chopped hazelnuts really set it off.

They’re also very quick to prepare and bake – just what the doctor ordered for that last-minute cookie emergency. And yes, there are cookie emergencies. Really.

I actually melted the chocolate in the microwave (50% power for about 90 second, stopping to stir every 15 seconds), which made for an even faster and less fussy/messy experience.

I would absolutely make these again, and so should you.


Please visit my partners in holiday baking, below, and see what they’ve got in store for you. And don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the eleventh installment!

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings (hey! that’s me!)
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

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