Like many chocoholics, I have a prejudice against white chocolate since it's not really chocolate as it contains no cocoa solids. But there are two particular types of baked goods I like them in - macadamia white chocolate cookies and in fudge cookies. In the first, they're more of a complement to the macadamia nuts (and they must be macadamia nuts, other nuts are just not the same) and in the second, they're a sweet contrast against real chocolate.
Note there's a difference between white chocolate and vanilla chips. Don't expect vanilla chips to be white chocolate in chip form. Not only do vanilla chips have more vegetable fat to help keep their chippy shape and melting point but I suspect there's far less cocoa solids (if any) in them. Which means I don't want to know what actually is in them but it ain't chocolate. If you do like white chocolate (or even if you don't but use them anyway), go for the best quality white chocolate you can find. Trader Joe's used to sell Ghirardelli white chocolate in blocks but I haven't seen them recently. For this recipe I used Callebaut white chocolate chunks - bought on sale at Williams Sonoma last week. I love a bargain, especially on the good stuff.
As a triple fudge cookie, this was pretty good. The edges were crisp but the middles were moist and chewy. Flavor-wise, I really liked the richness of the chocolate offset by the sweetness of the white chocolate chunks. Don't overbake them as nothing tastes worse than a dry cookie and nothing tastes better than a slightly underbaked chocolate cookie that sets once it cools and has a fudgy interior. Time these carefully - you can also judge when they're done once the middles are set and don't look wet. If the white chocolate starts to brown, it's time to take the cookies out.
Prep time: 25 minutes plus baking and cooling times
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsulphured (mild) molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa powder (I used Pernigotti cocoa)
Three 3-ounce Lindt white chocolate bars, cut into ¼” chunks
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates together in the top half of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In a 4 ½-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue to beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the molasses and vanilla extract.
5. One at a time, beat in the eggs. Sift the cocoa powder and add it to the mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Add the melted chocolates and mix. Decrease the speed to low and blend in half of the flour mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining flour with the white chocolate chunks. Do not overmix. (Work quickly at this step as once the melted chocolate is added and the first half of the flour is mixed in, the batter cools considerably and it's more difficult to add the remaining flour before the dough stiffens up.)
7. Drop the dough onto the baking sheets in walnut-sized mounds; flatten each mound slightly. Bake the cookies until the tops are puffed and cracked, about 12 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookies will be dry. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: 36 cookies
So glad you are linking up to Made it on Monday!
ReplyDeleteAnd with such a tasty cookie! :)
I hope you will join in often.