Too Much Food » cocoa

A Fail and a Success: Cocoa (Chocolate) Olive Oil Crinkle Cookies

Pinjing — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:57:37 +0000

In my ongoing quest to clean out my pantry, I had planned on using up a bag of vegan carob chips that I had bought; however, I had forgotten exactly when I had bought them (first sign of bad things to come?). I had bookmarked this lovely chocolate olive oil crinkle cookie recipe at Nook & Pantry to try; I measured out all my wet and dry ingredients, and was preparing to melt down the carob chips and found that they would NOT FRIGGIN MELT.

I had originally been patient and put them in a makeshift double boiler and after a good 10 minutes all I had to show for my efforts was a chalky, brown-grey, caulk-like paste that didnâ€™t look appetizing at all. Undaunted, I decided to throw it into the microwave and heat it in short bursts, and even when my chips continued to dry out I threw in a tablespoon of coconut oil in a half-hearted attempt to save the chips.

In the end, the carob chips remained dry and pasty (they probably had dried out a long time ago), so I ended up reverting to an old kitchen tip that had you substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of oil for every ounce of chocolate in a recipe. It was my first time trying this technique and in the end, the cookies came out just fine!

These cookies are chewy, rich in chocolate flavor and keep quite well; after a week in the fridge they’re still chewy and delicious. Not to mention heart-healthy with the use of olive oil instead of butter. Here’s the recipe as I made it:

Cocoa (Chocolate) Olive Oil Crinkle Cookies
Makes 1 dozen cookies.

What you’ll need:

30 g (6 Tablespoons) natural cocoa
60 ml (4 Tablespoons) extra virgin organic olive oil
90 g (1/2 cup) raw cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
75g (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) whole-wheat pastry flour (can substitute all-purpose here)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
30 g (1/4 cup) confectioner’s sugar for decoration

The procedure:

Whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Whisk together the olive oil, sugar and instant espresso powder until well combined. Beat the egg with the vanilla extract lightly and add it to the olive oil mixture.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up; this makes rolling the cookie dough into balls easier.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place confectioner’s sugar in a shallow bowl.

Roll dough into balls (about a tablespoon amount per ball); then roll each ball in the confectioner’s sugar, making sure all parts of the ball are covered. Place dough on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Use hands to lightly press down on the balls to flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Cookies will crack open while baking and when done will still look a bit shiny in the cracks. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Cookies will keep at room temperature in a airtight container for a few days; after that, feel free to place in the fridge (if they last that long).

Uncooking Experiments: Raw Cinnamon Almond Truffles

Pinjing — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:54:06 +0000

These are probably the healthiest and tastiest truffles I’ve made (eaten); I’ve been trying to cut out refined sugars for a long time and while I occasionally enjoy a calorie-laden sugar bomb, my everyday desserts nowadays tend towards the more wholesome and natural.

These truffles (given that you have the proper tools and ingredients) are easy to make, satisfying, healthy and delicious and contain no refined sugars and are vegan and gluten-free. They come together in a matter of minutes and can be enjoyed right away (as opposed to traditional ganache-based truffles). If you enjoy Lara bars, this recipe is for you.

Raw Cinnamon Almond Truffles
FromThe Friendly Kitchen

Makes 18 truffles

What you’ll need:

1 cup raw almonds, unsoaked
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
2 Tablespoons organic Goji berries
4 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water

The procedure:

In a food processor, combine almonds, dates, cocoa powder, Goji berries, and vanilla. Hold down the machine to steady it and plug up your ears because it will be LOUD. With the processor running, slowly add water a little bit at a time until the “dough” becomes a bit sticky and will hold its shape when rolled into a ball.

Place the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll small amounts of the truffle dough in your hands into small balls 1″ wide. Roll the dough in the cinnamon, making sure to coat the entire surface. Enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

As you can see, my truffles aren’t exactly smooth (my mini food-processor is on its last legs), but I quite enjoy the chunky bits of almonds (give it a nice texture). Yummy nonetheless.

Christmas Cookies For Halloween: Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Pinjing — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:57:51 +0000

Lately I was thinking about how I used to bake cookies for my friends in college whenever the holidays came around; then I realized that there’s nothing stopping me from doing it now . . . all it takes is some planning and a good travel-proof recipe. I consulted my tattered copy of Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies magazine (from 2005?) and decided on her Chocolate Ginger Cookie recipe.

Instead of cutting them out in autumnal acorn and leaf shapes, I decided to use my long-neglected halloween cookie cutters and decorate them in orange-tinted royal icing. These cookies are crisp, spicy with a slight hint of cocoa and molasses. A great holiday cookie that stands up well for mailing.

The recipe can be found on Martha Stewart’s site (you could spend hours browsing all the cookie recipes she has on there), but I’ve reprinted it here for convenience.

Chocolate Ginger Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies
Makes 4 dozen.

What you’ll need:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup dark unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

The procedure:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg, molasses, and grated ginger; mix until combined.

Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until just combined.

Halve dough; flatten into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour. Transfer disks, one at a time, to a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/4 inch thick. (If dough gets soft, freeze until firm.) Use 3-inch acorn or leaf cookie cutters to make shapes; place 1 inch apart on sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

Score designs with a knife; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are firm, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

I omitted the sanding sugar and opted for decorating them with a royal icing that I spiked with some drops of orange food coloring. I used Baking911′s Safe Royal Icing recipe.