Reverse Chocolate Chip
Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 28 COOKIES
You probably already have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’m here to share mine, which turns the tables by featuring a chocolate dough studded with white chocolate chips. You’ll get the deepest chocolate flavor from a bittersweet chocolate with 65% to 70% cacao content—which is the amount listed on the wrappers of most top chocolates now.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cacao), finely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (60 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
1. Position racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Bring about ½ inch of water to a simmer in a large skillet over low heat. Put the butter in a large heatproof bowl, place the bowl in the skillet, and melt the butter. Add the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is tepid and still liquid, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Combine the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a heavy-duty standing mixer. Beat on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture is pale yellow and has tripled in volume, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the chocolate mixture, followed by the flour mixture. Mix in the chips.
4. Using about 2 tablespoons for each cookie (a 1-ounce food portion scoop works well), scoop dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies have a thin, shiny crust and the edges feel set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire cake racks to cool completely. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
CACAO NIB
LACE COOKIES
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES
Do not miss out on these delicate, almost transparent cookies with bittersweet cocoa flavor. They are surprisingly easy to make and keep for a few days. Stick one vertically into a scoop of ice cream and it will instantly add height and drama to the simple dessert. They are excellent with the chocolate bread pudding here.
⅔ cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup or glucose
3 tablespoons whole milk
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
½ cup very coarsely crushed cacao nibs (see Chef Talk, this page)
1. Position a rack in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. Bring the sugar, corn syrup, and milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly to dissolve the syrup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the melted butter, followed by the cocoa. Stir in the cacao nibs.
3. Using about 2 teaspoons for each cookie, spoon 4 mounds of the batter onto the silicone mats, spacing them well apart. (Because the cookies spread so much—even more than you might expect—it helps to do a test run to check the number of cookies that will fit on your baking sheet.) Bake the cookies until they spread into 3-inch rounds and look lacy with set edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool and crisp on the baking sheet, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter. Once you get the hang of it, you can bake two sheets of cookies at a time. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
BLACK-BOTTOMED
BUTTERSCOTCH
Pots de Crème
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
When it comes to dining, I love a good surprise. These layered butterscotch desserts feature a hidden chocolate base and an unexpected coconut-infused whipped cream topping. Make sure you instruct your guests to really dig down into the bottom of their glasses, as the best bites include all three elements. The butterscotch layer is thickened with egg yolks only, so be patient when cooking, as it takes time for the mixture to reach the thickening point.
CHOCOLATE BASE
⅔ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons whole milk
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cacao), finely chopped
1½ ounces milk chocolate (about 40% cacao), finely chopped
BUTTERSCOTCH CRÈME
3 cups heavy cream, heated to steaming
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup water
9 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
teaspoon fine sea salt
WHIPPED COCONUT TOPPING
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
⅔ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Special Equipment: 6 (1-cup) glasses or jars
1. To make the chocolate base: Heat the cream and milk together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk the egg yolks well in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture. Return this to the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard reaches 185°F on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to coat the spoon (a finger swiped through the custard on the spoon will cut a swath), about 3 minutes.
2. Combine the bittersweet and milk chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl, and place a wire sieve over the bowl. Strain the custard (to remove any bits of cooked egg) directly into the chocolates. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute. Whisk until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Divide the chocolate base equally among six 1-cup glasses or jars. Cover and refrigerate until the base is chilled and set, at least 1 hour.
3. To make the butterscotch layer: Bring the cream and vanilla bean to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Using the tip of a small knife, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and discard the bean.
4. Bring the brown sugar and water to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Cook without stirring, occasionally swirling the saucepan by the handle, until the syrup is very thick with large bubbles and reaches 270°F on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Carefully ladle the hot cream mixture into the brown sugar syrup (it will splatter) and stir until well combined. Remove from the heat.
5. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together in a medium heatproof bowl. Choose a wide saucepan large enough to nestle the bowl. Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in the saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to keep the water at a steady simmer.
6. Whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Place the bowl over the simmering water (the bowl bottom should not touch the water). Cook, stirring almost constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping down any splashes on the side of the bowl, until the custard reaches at least 190°F on an instant-read thermometer and is thicker than the typical custard sauce, about 10 minutes. The idea is to cook the custard as much as possible without it coming to a simmer and curdling, which takes some time, so be patient.
7. Strain the custard through a wire sieve into another medium bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg. Add the salt. Using an immersion blender or hand mixer on low speed, beat the custard for 1 to 2 minutes to expel some of the steam and help cool it. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the custard is tepid, about 10 minutes. Divide the custard evenly over the chocolate bases in the glasses. Cover each glass with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the pots de crème are chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
8. To make the topping: Combine ¼ cup of the coconut with the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a wire sieve into a medium bowl, pressing hard on the coconut. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let stand until chilled, about 30 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Whip with an electric mixer until the topping forms soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
9. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the remaining 3 tablespoons coconut on a small baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the coconut is lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. (This can also be done, very efficiently, in a toaster oven.) Let cool.
10. Top each pot de crème with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkling of the toasted coconut. Serve chilled.