I remembered (and the weekend’s not even over yet!)!
Here’s my recipe for Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies (mmmm, I need to make these soon!). Plus when I was searching for that recipe I came across a good ginger one that I thought southern cook (and others) would enjoy—Chocolate Ginger Shortbread Cookies. Here they both are:
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
1 c dried cherries
1 c boiling water
½ lb unsalted butter, room temp
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 c granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs, room temp
2/3 c unsweetened cocoa (I use Scharffen Berger)
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lb good quality semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate, or a combination of both
Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cover cherries with boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Cream the butter and 2 sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the batter with the mixer on low until just combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate and cherries.
Drop the dough on the lined baking sheets using a rounded tablespoon (I use 1 ¾” ice cream scoop. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone.). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack using a metal spatula. Cool completely before storing in a tightly sealed container.
Chocolate Ginger Shortbread Cookies (Jacques Torres)
4-6 pieces of candied ginger
½ vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ c cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 c powdered sugar
4 large egg yolks
pinch baking powder
pinch salt
½ c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 2/3 c flour
Use a rolling pin to mash the candied ginger into a paste.
Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean lengthwise. Separate the seeds from the outside skin. Place the vanilla bean seeds, butter, sugar, egg yolks, and ginger in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until combined, about 1 minutes. Combine the baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and flour and add to the butter mixture all at once. Beat on low just until combined, about 1 minute. Do not overmix the dough or it will become tough. Remove dough from bowl.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Roll dough into log and slice or use a flexible baking sheet with dome-shaped cavities (roll the dough into a rope that is about the same diameter as the cookie mold. Use a knife to cut each piece of dough and press into the mold, filling all cavities). Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Have to go start dinner for our company!
