Simple Measure

I realized recently that though I’ve made two kinds of shortbread cookies for this blog, I haven’t written about the classic good ol’ chocolate chip variety.

Though I enjoy flirting with fancy cookie baking, my heart has always been with the humble chocolate chip. This cookie does not put on airs. It is what it is, and that’s why I love it.

Despite its simplicity, the chocolate chip cookie can be made badly. I know, because I’ve done it. I’ve baked them for too long, so that they come out hard and crispy. I’ve been impatient and used melted butter instead of softened butter at room temperature.

Let me tell you, if you think that doesn’t make a difference, you’re wrong. The point of using softened butter is so that when you cream it with the sugar, the sugar crystals aerate the butter to create volume. Melted butter results in flat, greasy cookies. Your friends will still eat them, but you’ll be disappointed, to say the least.

For me, the best chocolate chip cookie is soft and chewy, with as many chocolate chips packed in as the dough can hold. Fortunately, by now I’ve learned from my mistakes and can make a cookie that’s pretty near perfect.

I’ve adapted this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens 75th Anniversary Cookbook (thanks, Mom!), but really there are only two tricks to good cookies, no matter what recipe you use.

First, chill the dough for at least an hour before baking. This keeps spreading (and flat cookies) to a minimum.

Second, don’t over-bake the cookies. Seriously, soft, chewy cookies only take eight minutes, maybe ten at the most in the oven.

Basic chocolate chip cookies

I love making these cookies because they respond so well to any additions you’re in the mood for. This time I added dried cherries instead of my usual espresso or peanut butter. They added a nice tart contrast to the chocolate.

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups dried cherries, or any dried fruit or nut that you prefer

1. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Add the flour in batches and beat until combined.

4. Stir in the chocolate and cherries until evenly distributed.

5. Place the dough into the fridge for at least one hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

7. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Drop about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the baking sheet. Keep about two inches between each cookie.

8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This makes about 40 cookies.

When it comes to cookies, I’m usually a chocolate chip kind of person. Nothing fancy required, though sometimes I like to throw in some peanut butter or espresso to jazz things up. I guess I just know what I like, and no one seems to complain when I bring another batch of good ol’ chocolate chip to work.

Yet after my foray into shortbread with Earl Grey tea cookies, I was inspired to try something just a little more decadent. And nothing’s swankier than a cookie made for royalty, right?

I chose to make Ischler Toertchen, a cookie created at the Café Zauner in Austria. Emperor Franz Josef always summered at the baths of Bad Ischl, and the Café was one of his favorite places to get world-class pastry.

The Ischler Toertchen is the kind of cookie that can live up to imperial standards: take two rich walnut butter cookies drizzled with chocolate and sandwich them together around raspberry preserves and you’ve got one serious treat. Perfect for royalty — and for friends who deserve something a little special.

Ischler Toertchen

From A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri

I love this book because it has all kinds of recipes from around the world for bread, cake, cookies and pastry. It gives you so many options it’s hard to decide on what to make, because everything looks fantastic.

The buttery walnut flavor of the cookies really was rich and delicious. I’m tempted to think that they might do fine all on their own, without the sweet accompaniments. But who can argue with a classic combination like raspberry and chocolate?

Cookie
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 cup (4 ounces) walnut pieces, finely ground

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup raspberry preserves

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup sugar

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2. To make the dough, put the butter and confectioner’s sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium until everything is soft and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes. Beat in the ground walnuts.

3. Stir the flour in by hand until it is completely incorporated. Divide the dough into three parts.

4. On a lightly floured surface roll out one section of dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 2 or 2 1/2 inch cookies. Mine were 2 1/2 inches, but I think next time I’ll make them smaller. These cookies are rich enough so that I’d rather have them bite-sized.

5. Continue with the remaining sections of dough. Push any remaining scraps left together and roll them out to cut out the last cookies.

6. Place the cookies on the baking sheets one inch apart. Bake until light golden, about 15 – 20 minutes. Cool on racks.

7.Take half of the cookies and turn them upside down. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of jam on these cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

8. To make the glaze, put the water, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan and stir together. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted. Let the glaze stand for 3 minutes.

9. Remove the cookies from the racks and place closely together on a piece of parchment paper. To glaze the cookies, pour the chocolate into a plastic bag and cut off the end. Drizzle the tops of the cookies with lines of chocolate.

Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.

I have a special place in my heart for Earl Grey tea. In Canterbury I drank three or four cups of the stuff every day, which is no small feat for an American who had never tried tea before.

I should have seen what was coming when I discovered that the only “extra” my bare apartment came equipped with was an electric kettle. But no, like a true American, I used the microwave that my roommates and I bought to heat my water instead. Back then I thought the microwave was a faster method than actually plugging in the kettle, but now I think it was just more familiar.

Tea drinking was a big part of my life for awhile — and the British do it really well. At little shops you can be treated to clotted cream, jam, or maybe lemon curd served with scones and biscuits. If you’re craving something savory, a rich pastry, roll, or sandwich is equally welcome.

To me it seemed indulgent but fascinating. Of course, that kind of tea wasn’t an everyday affair. My usual tea time called for Earl Grey and a biscuit, hopefully my favorite ginger cookie covered in chocolate. There was something so relaxing about the mid-afternoon ritual. If my roommates were there we would chat, if not, I’d read a book and enjoy the bergamot scenting up the kitchen.

When I came back to the States I still drank tea, but I never thought of baking with it until I read about a local bakery that sells Earl Grey cookies. The idea instantly took hold of me — what were they made of?

After a little internet digging I came up with an answer: shortbread. It seemed like the perfect tea time accompaniment — a rich buttery cookie to offset the slightly bitter taste of the drink.

These cookies are ideal for a person who doesn’t have a large sweet tooth because the flavor centers on butter, not sugar. With that in mind, always use fresh, unopened butter to make shortbread. If you have butter sitting in your fridge that is a darker yellow on the outside when you cut into it, then don’t use it. While that butter may be suitable for, say, a boyfriend’s mashed potatoes, you’ll definitely want to avoid adding refrigerator flavor to your cookies.

The tea gives the shortbread an earthy taste, while the orange zest highlights the bergamot and lightens up the flavor. Using confectioner’s sugar instead of granulated allows the cookie to almost melt in your mouth.

These cookies were certainly unlike any I had made before; enough so that Jereme and I went on an after dinner mission to Erin’s house to get a little taste testing done. I was relieved when Jared, who ordinarily doesn’t care for sweets, ate one after the other. Phew!

I think these cookies would complement any type of tea that you brew, but I recommend trying it with a cup of Earl Grey. It’s definitely a treat!

Earl Grey Cookies
From www.MarthaStewart.com

Makes 8 dozen

These really couldn’t be easier to make. I love that there are no eggs in shortbread because it’s almost guaranteed that I’ll have the four ingredients on hand whenever I want to make a batch. The flavor improves after a day or two, so it’s well worth saving some for later.

A note on the tea: I used Twinings Earl Grey. I just ripped open the bags and that was that. I didn’t see the sense in using any of my organic, artisanal tea. I’ll save that for drinking, and good ol’ Twinings for baking.

2 cups flour

2 Tbs finely ground Earl Grey (about 8 bags)

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 Tbs finely grated orange zest

1.Whisk together the flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside,

2. Put butter, sugar, and zest in the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium until light and fluffy, which would be about 3 minutes.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each piece to parchment paper and shape into logs about 12 inches long and 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Roll up tightly in the parchment, making sure to press out air at each turn. Tuck in the ends of the paper and freeze logs for at least one hour. At this point I ended up with square logs, not round ones, so if you’re particular about the shape of your cookies pay attention to the shape of the dough while you’re rolling.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut logs into 1/4 inch thick slices. Space one inch apart on pans.

5. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until golden colored. Cool completely before eating.