LITTLE MISS MUFFET SAT ON HER TUFFET
AFTER BAKING CLOUD COOKIES ALL DAY
ALONG CAME A SPIDER WHO SNUGGLED BESIDE HER...
THEN TOOK ALL HER COOKIES AWAY.
I have had two inquires about the Chocolate Cloud recipe, which is included in my book Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours. Both questions were exactly the same "Why don't my cookies have the signature cracks like the ones in the photograph?" Both bakers had emailed me their photos, followed with a telephone conversation. I knew in an instant what their problems could be and I am happy to report that they were easily solved with just a few questions. I have listed them below for you because I want everyone to make perfect Clouds.
1. Did you cream the butter and sugar long enough?
2. Did you scoop the cookies with a 2-inch ice-cream scoop?
3. Did you flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand?
4. Did you rap each pan on the baking rack 3 minutes before they were done, which deflates the puffy cookies and forms their signature cracks ?
5. Is you oven calibrated? This means the dial reading and the internal temperature of your oven are the same. You can think you are baking at 350ºF and you are not. This can be a big problem for a baker. If your oven is not accurate, a quick visit from a reliable appliance service company can fix it in a moment.
I take your questions seriously and I retested the recipe from the book. As you can see from my photos, Mr. Spider thought they looked and tasted pretty, pretty good.
CHOCOLATE CLOUDS
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
BAKERS NOTE: Place the dough about 3 inches apart on the half-sheet pans—they spread.
1 1/3 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups (8 ounces) toasted sliced almonds
2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips
1. Position the racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 3 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Rub the sugar and brown sugar together through a coarse wire-mesh wire sieve into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar mixture, then the vanilla. Beat, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until the mixture is pale yellow and light textured, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer speed on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until each addition is incorporated. Add the almonds and chocolate chips and mix just until combined. Empty the dough onto the work surface, and use your hands to thoroughly distribute the almonds and chocolate chips in the dough.
3. Using a 2-inch-diameter ice-cream scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared pans. Using the heel of your palm, slightly flatten each ball of dough. Bake two of the pans with the cookies, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are evenly golden brown,15 to 18 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, rap each pan on the rack. The cookies will deflate and their signature cracks will appear on the tops. Repeat with the third pan. Cool on the pans. (Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)
Tags: Chocolate Clouds
, Cookies
, Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours
Categories:
Cookies,
Dessert
