Deep Dark Chocolate (7 page)

I CALL THEM “BABY LOVES,” BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I MADE
these delicate pink-macaroon-and-ganache cookies was for the celebration of a chocolate-loving mother-to-be and her friends. The recipe comes from dominique guelin, oregon’s favorite french baker and the owner of portland’s st. Honoré boulangerie. The ganache is my choice. As I was shopping for ingredients I spied a bar of dagoba chocolate called roseberry. Once I took a bite and savored the gentle perfume of rosemary and rose hips, I knew it would create the perfect filling. Dagoba is available where most fine chocolate bars are sold.

Macaroons

¾ cup slivered almonds (about 3¼ ounces)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 large egg whites, at room temperature or slightly warm

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 or 2 drops red or pink food coloring

Filling

1 bar (2 ounces) Dagoba Roseberry (59%, with raspberries) or other premium dark chocolate, chopped

¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream

TO MAKE THE MACAROONS:
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On each sheet, using a dark pencil, draw twenty-four 1½-inch circles, 4 across and 6 down. Turn the parchment over, pencil side down (you should be able to see the circles you drew through the paper). Set aside.

In a food processor, process the almonds in short bursts until finely ground. Add the powdered sugar and continue to process in short bursts until the almond meal is as fine as possible. Transfer the almond mixture to a medium bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. Fold the almond mixture and food coloring into the egg whites until no large streaks of egg white remain and the color is uniform.

Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch tip. (While you can use a 1-quart zippered plastic bag with one bottom corner cut slightly less than ¼ inch, it doesn’t give the same control.) With one hand perpendicular to a prepared baking sheet, rest the tip in the center of a pencil circle and apply even pressure to the end of the bag. Slowly pull the bag up from the baking sheet to pipe a 1½-inch round macaroon, lifting up the bag in a circular motion to release the top of the macaroon. Repeat to fill all the circles on both baking sheets. Let rest for 30 minutes to form a skin.

Preheat the oven to 300°f. Bake the macaroons, one sheet at a time, until crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, 8 to 10 minutes (do not open the oven during baking).

Pull the parchment onto the counter or wire racks and let the macaroons cool for 10 minutes. Removing the cookies can be a bit tricky. If they don’t come off easily (and they usually don’t), turn the paper over on a dry surface. The macaroons will not fall off. Moisten the parchment under each macaroon with a damp paper towel. Turn over and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment by sliding a thin knife underneath. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Place the chocolate and cream in a medium heatproof bowl and set in a wide pan or skillet of hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes, stirring 4 or 5 times, and let the chocolate melt completely. Stir until smooth. Let stand to thicken to a spreading consistency or refrigerate until slightly chilled, checking frequently.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Spread the base of 1 macaroon with the filling and sandwich together with another macaroon. Repeat with the remaining macaroons. The cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.

He-Loves-Me-Not Valentine Hearts

makes
about 2 dozen 2-inch cookies

IT’S A GOOD THING. REALLY.
A friend was visiting from San Francisco. It was Valentine’s Day weekend, and she had just found out her sweetheart was sweet on someone else. So we decided to bake our way through the romantic holiday and eat every last crumb. What better way to begin than with a dark chocolate shortbread cookie heart made with his favorite nuts? We dipped each cookie in really good deep, dark chocolate before devouring the hearts, but they are also delicious plain and simple.

Does your heart drop every time you try to roll out cookie dough? Mine did until I discovered the old-fashioned pastry cloth and rolling-pin cover. To my mind, these are among the most valuable tools in a baker’s kitchen. Now, rolled-out cookies or pie crusts are a breeze, and they never stick.

Almond meal, or finely ground almonds, is available at Trader Joe’s and natural-foods stores or supermarket aisles. These dipped cookies are best enjoyed within 3 days and should be stored at room temperature. (Since the dipping chocolate is not tempered, the coating will have a smooth, non-glossy surface. After several days, it will begin to mottle.)

Cookies

¼ cup almond meal

¼ cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon premium unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Large pinch of salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

Scant ¼ teaspoon pure almond or vanilla extract

Dipping Chocolate

3 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, almond meal, unsweetened and Dutch-process cocoas, and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract until well blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just blended, again scraping down the bowl as necessary. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and scrape the crumbly dough onto one-half of the wrap. Fold the wrap over the dough and knead 3 or 4 times. Flatten the dough into a disk in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it ungreased.

Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and cut it in half.

On a pastry cloth or a lightly floured board with a cloth-covered rolling pin or between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, roll out one-half of the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut a cookie, pressing the cutter straight down into the dough. Repeat, cutting the cookies closely together to avoid rerolling. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the cookie sheet and bake until firm to the touch, about 12 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Pull the parchment paper with the cookies onto the counter and let the cookies firm and cool slightly before transferring from the parchment to a wire rack to cool completely. (If not using parchment, let the cookies firm and cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring.) Undipped cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 2 months.

TO MAKE THE DIPPING CHOCOLATE:
Place the chocolate and shortening in a small, deep heatproof bowl and set in a wide pan or skillet of hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes, stirring 4 or 5 times, and let the chocolate melt completely. Stir until smooth.

Meanwhile, place 2 wire racks on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to catch any chocolate drips. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and allow the extra chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the cookies on the racks to set, for up to 2 hours, depending on room temperature. For a fast set, after 10 minutes, you can slip the wire rack into the refrigerator to chill for no longer than 5 minutes.

Variation

Don’t wait until Hanukkah to make
Nibby Hanukkah Coins
. Follow the main recipe. After rolling out the dough, use a 1½-inch plain round cutter to form each cookie. After transferring to the prepared baking sheet, lightly press 3 to 5 cacao nibs into the center of each “coin.” Bake as directed, cutting the time to 20 minutes. When the cookies are cooled, dip half of each cookie into the chocolate but do not cover the nibs. Proceed as directed.