I have been working on several new recipes that I am looking forward to sharing with you. In an ideal world, I would already have them photographed, written up, and ready to post. In the real world though, I spent the past few days alternating between a flurry of activity in the kitchen and a sedentary existence on the couch devouring the The Count of Monte Cristo. Perhaps you feel the same way as I do about the The Count of Monte Cristo (or The Count of Monte Crisco, as Scott likes to call it): it is addictive.
Despite the fact that I have read it several times and know how it is going to end, I am always swept into its literary vortex and cannot put it down. The last time I read it, I was living in Tbilisi and I spent the weekend sprawled across the couch with the book and a bowl of fresh green figs. I can’t remember what else I did that weekend besides read and eat figs. It is entirely possible that I did nothing else. This time I substituted these cookies for the figs. When I reached the ending line of "Wait and hope!" the cookies were long gone, but my enthusiasm for sharing the recipe with you wasn't.
Are you reading this waiting and hoping that I will tell you more about these cookies besides the fact that I ate them? The first times I made these cookies, it was for a wedding that happened one month and a day ago. Happy 1-month anniversary guys! I used a heart-shaped plate then, and they turned out looking more like bicycle seats than hearts (whoops!). This time I used an O-shaped plate and they ended up looking like giant pieces of chocolate Cracklin' Oatbran cereal. Luckily, the shape has no impact whatsoever on the taste. These cookies have a nice snap and are incredibly chocolaty. I totally would not be offended if you told me they are almost like almond-flavored Oreos without the crème, because that is exactly what they taste like-only better.
Notes:
If you don’t have a cookie press, you can still make these cookies. Just scoop out a teaspoon’s worth of dough, roll it into a ball, and bake them the same as you would the spritz cookies. If you like crispier cookies, flatten the dough balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar prior to baking. If you like softer cookies, don’t flatten the dough balls. If you don’t have black cocoa powder, use regular cocoa powder instead. The black cocoa intensifies the chocolate flavor. I order my black cocoa powder from King Arthur Flour.
Adapted from Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets
Ingredients:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoon almond extract
Yields several dozen, depending on the size of your cookie press plate
Sift, Cream, Add, Press:
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powders, and espresso powder. After sifting, use a whisk to stir the mixture until it is homogeneous, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and mix for 1-2 minutes until it is fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beater, and add the egg, beating until it is just combined. Add both extracts and beat until they are incorporated. Add the flour mixture in thirds, mixing just until no flour streaks remain. Scrape down the bowl and beater in-between the flour additions. Transfer some of the dough to your cookie press, and press out the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. Each cookie press is different, so use the instructions that came with your press. Bake the cookies at 375°F for 8-11 minutes, or until they are set, rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
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