Chocolate Crackles

What if I told you about a cookie that is chewy like a brownie and decadent like a truffle.  Would you be in? We're talking the most rich and decadent chocolate treat imaginable... that also happens to be cute as a button.

See?  I'm not sure whether cute is the right word.  Dramatic might be more like it.  But who cares.  I simply love the look of the white crackles against the color of the deep dark chocolate.

Don't live one more day without trying these cookies, people.

At least promise me you'll add them to your "I want to bake THAT!" list.

Chocolate Crackles
Adapted from Martha Stewart

8oz. good quality dark chocolate (70%)
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/3 c. milk
1t vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool.

2.  Combine the butter and brown sugar and whip until light and fluffy (a hand mixer works best)

3.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together and set aside.

4.  Pour the melted, cooled chocolate into the butter-sugar mix and combine thoroughly.

5.  Add the eggs and the vanilla.

6.  In alternating steps, add the dry mix and the milk.  Mix until just combined.

7.  Working quickly, roughly divide the dough in fourths.  Place each piece (it will be a wet, sticky "piece") into a piece of plastic wrap.  Cover the dough with the plastic and form into a rough log shape.  It does not have to be perfect.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

8.  Place dough logs in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerate several hours (overnight is okay, too).

9.  Preheat oven to 350F.

10. Remove one log at a time and, using a sharp knife, cut into rough 1-inch pieces.

11.  Prepare one small bowl (a cereal size bowl works well) with granulated sugar and the other bowl with powdered sugar.

12.  Take a piece of dough, quickly dredge it in the granulated sugar, roll into a ball using your palms, and dredge in the powdered sugar.  Important:  make sure you get plenty of powdered sugar (you don't want to see any brown) or else you won't get the strong white crackly effect.

13.  Place balls of dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes; rotate the cookie sheet and bake an additional 3-4 minutes.

14.  Cool on a cookie rack and store in an airtight container up to one week.

Grandma Bert's Whirlygigs

I know, another cookie recipe.  But can we ever really have too many this time of year?  Just when I thought I had my baking line-up finalized, in enters this terrific recipe for Whirlygigs...and a Benne Wafer recipe...and one for pebernødder, the ubiquitous Danish Christmas cookies.  I'm starting to ask myself where does it end?  Well, it better end soon because I am going through butter like there's no tomorrow and trying my hardest not to shovel them all in my mouth.

The Whirlygig recipe was clipped out of the local paper in Bend, OR, a few years ago.  It was the winning entry for the month of October for a fundraising calendar to benefit the California Firefighters Memorial and families of fallen firefighters.  Clinton Marsalek, a California Department of Forestry firefighter, provided it.

What I love about these cookies is their pin wheel shape, the ever so subtle peanut flavor, and the ribbon of chocolate throughout.  They're fun to make and go splendidly with a glass of cold milk.  Furthermore, who doesn't love a cookie called "Whirlygig?"

I'm dying to hear what kind of cookies you're making for the holidays this year.  If you had to choose one (hard question, I know), which would be your favorite?

Grandma Bert's Whirlygigs
Courtesy of Clinton Marsalek

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1/2c butter
1/2c sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1/2c peanut butter (I used creamy)
1 egg
1 1/4c flour
1/2t baking soda
1/2t salt
6 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Cream together butter, sugars, and peanut butter in medium bowl.  Add egg and beat until fluffy.  Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

2.  Roll dough into an oval shape and 1/4-inch thick on a sheet of wax paper; set aside.

3.  Melt chocolate chips slowly in top of double boiler; cool slightly and spread thinly over dough with spatula.

4.  Starting with the long end, roll up dough and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill for several hours or freeze until ready to bake.

5.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Slice dough 1/4-inch thick and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Let cool on wire racks.

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

There are plenty of recipes I'd like to share of things on my menu lately, and I'd even planned to write about them before the cookies, but I can't hold out on you any longer.  What I am about to give you did not originate with me but is perhaps the greatest peanut butter cookie recipe of all time. Thank you Heidi Swanson and 101 Cookbooks!

I love peanut butter.  It brings out the crazy in me, not like that's very hard.  If you haven't heard me mention it before, I have access to two brands here in Denmark.  TWO!  This is practically unthinkable when you come from the U.S., land of not only massive numbers of different brands, but peanut butter with jelly mixed in, chocolate, honey roasted nuts, unsalted, salted, and more.  And then there are all the other nut butters available that I could never dream of finding in Denmark.

It's no secret that Danes are not the peanut butter fans that we Americans are.  They eat rugbrød, a strong, dense rye bread that perhaps just isn't the best match for heavy peanut butter (although I happen to like the two together very much). Also, Danes are known to eat butter on their bread and top it with cheese and jam or cheese and meats and/or sliced veggies.  It's that whole smorgasbord thing.

But the best part is that among these lone two brands of peanut butter is an exceptional selection.  It's both natural and organic and comes in creamy and chunky.  I pay $6 for a smallish jar, but it's worth every kroner.  Alan detests peanut butter (but will easily inhale a dozen peanut butter cookies...hm), so I share my supply with me, myself, and I...and Anatole when he's in the mood.  Once in awhile I'll give him a teaspoon full right from the jar and he thinks that's pretty fun.

Recently I started day dreaming about peanut butter cookies.  I began my quest for the recipe by looking in cookbooks and online.  The recipe on 101 Cookbooks really caught my attention because it contains no butter, eggs, or refined sugar.  I'm not Anti any of these items, but why not go for a natural cookie if you can.  And this one totally delivers:  it's sweet (but not cloyingly so), soft, crumbly, and pure goodness in every bite.

I sprinkled sea salt on top of some and thought it was a delicious combination (but not one my family is crazy about).  On my last batch of dough I threw in a handful of chocolate chips thinking of the never fail peanut butter-chocolate chip combo, but frankly, I like the plain version better.  The cookie stands on it's own beautifully.  My other favorite part: the glossy dough is pretty, easy to work with, and makes such lovely pre-baked cookies. Baked, the cookies take on a more matte, dull finish.  But never mind because the taste more than makes up for it. So, my friends, make these cookies!

Peanut Butter Cookies

2c flour
1t baking soda
3/4t salt
1c peanut butter
1c maple syrup
1/3c olive oil
1.5t vanilla extract

350F for 8-9 minutes

Please see instructions on 101 Cookbooks

My notes:

Heidi says to use whole wheat pastry flour, spelt or all purpose.  I went with the latter because it's all I had in the house.  She also says to use finely ground sea salt, which I did, but I think table salt would do just fine.  I used natural, crunchy peanut butter.  I found that the 10-11 minute baking time in Heidi's instructions to be a minute or two too long and fared better with 8-9 minutes.  But of course ovens vary, so check yours at the 8 minute mark.  Like Heidi says, you don't want to overbake these as the result will be a dry cookie and what you're after is a slightly moist center that's just a tad darker than the outside.

Finally, in spite of the tip to refrigerate the dough for one hour for a mix to which it's easier to apply fork crosshatch marks, my dough didn't need this step.  It was so glossy and pliable that the crosshatched marks set in with no problem.  Perhaps it's because I used all purpose flour which is less dry than whole wheat.