This obviously isn't the name of these cookies (they're actually called Chocolate Truffle Cookies) but I'm sorry there was nothing Truffle about them.
However that could be in part to the fact that I burned the chocolate and it seized like the I-5 in Los Angeles on Labor Day weekend. Oh it was a mess. A stiff, 1 pound chocolate mess.
I've heard the 'myths' that seized chocolate can be brought back to life. However I've always been somewhat of a skeptic at the thought of bringing back chocolate that appears to be DOA. I mean really how could it ever recuperate? Chocolate is so needy and sensitive, and TEMPERAMENTAL...ohhhh I sound like I'm describing my pregnant self.
But holy macaroons it really is possible. I'm sorry I don't have any photos of the process to show you, I was beyond stressed while bringing it back to life. To make matters worse I was using Schaeffer Berger which can be compared to the Dior of Chocolates, luxurious AND expensive.
I blame it on my fancy-pants French Bain Marie. The water level indicator is broken so I think I didn't add enough water and all hell must have broken loose inside. It is now resting peacefully in the dumpster downstairs. Thanks a lot Frenchies, I was only able to use my 50 Euro Bain Marie three times before it busted. I'm sticking to a metal bowl over a simmering pot of water from now on. Lesson learned. I got burned. Literally.
Moving on. So just how do you fix seized chocolate. First take a deep breath and let the curses out. It's okay, just get them out so you can move on. With the #^*@*%$@!!!!!! over with grab the vegetable shortening and a tablespoon. Add 1 tablespoon to your sad lump of chocolate while it's still hot and stir, massage, and love that lump till it starts to soften again. Keep adding 1 tablespoon at a time until the chocolate is smooth and pourable. I don't think it will ever truly be the same, but at least it's not gone to waste. Reconstituted chocolate can be used in any recipe that calls for melted chocolate (cookies and brownies for example), except it cannot be used as a coating (to dip fruit or candies for example) nor can it be used to mold chocolate. The shine is gone so don't waste your time. The chocolate will now have a matte appearance, but taste-wise it's still good and will not taste burned....unless you really, REALLY burned it. Then I say f-it and have a drink. Bake another day.
If prepared properly with nicely tempered chocolate, these cookies will have a beautiful, shiny appearance. They are total brownie wanna-be's by way of taste and texture. They are flaky and crisp outside, chewy and soft inside. With 6 eggs you know they have to be something spectacular.
Chocolate Truffle Cookies from Dahlia Bakery
makes approx 30 cookies
printable version
Ingredients
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 pound plus 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 1⁄4 cups granulated white sugar
6 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Melt the chocolate in either a double broiler or the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth and melted. Allow chocolate to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (be careful they are slippery, these two snuck in together)
Scrap down the sides of your bowl as needed.
Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
Remove bowl from mixer and add the dry ingredients. Fold in by hand using a rubber spatula.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Start scooping the cookies as soon as you finish making the batter. The batter is very soft at first, but it starts firming up quickly as it sits, which will make it more difficult to portion. The easiest way to portion the cookies is with a 2- ounce ice cream scoop. Pack the scoop only about three- quarters full. Or use a scant 1 ⁄4 cup or 11 ⁄2 ounces of cookie dough for each cookie.
If you are baking in batches, don’t refrigerate the scooped dough, but leave them at room temperature. These cookies will not spread properly if the dough is chilled first.
Bake the cookies until they are evenly cracked all over the tops and softly set, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through the baking time. If you have 2 pans of cookies in the oven at the same time, also switch them between the racks.
Remove the pans from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheets with a metal spatula. They stick to the paper a bit, but you can scrape them off with a sturdy metal spatula easily enough.
Recipe courtesy of The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle
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