Friday, September 14, 2007

Chocolate Chunk Cookies


These are my current favorite cookies to make and also the first item with which I christened my Kitchen Aid mixer!








Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Dried Cherries
1 1/4 c AP flour
1/4 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda1
1/4 c old fashioned rolled oats
1 c pecans, toasted and chopped (I also like hazelnuts)
1 c dried sour cherries, chopped coarse
4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped into chunks about the size of choc chips
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark
1 large egg
1 tspn vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions; preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets w/parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, bp, bs, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries and chocolate.

3. In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough evenly into 16 portions, each about 1/4 cup, then roll between palms into balls about 2" in diameter; stagger 8 balls on each sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1" thickness.Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bakeuntil cookes are medium brown and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft (cookies will seem underdone and will appear raw, wet and shiny in cracks), 8-10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.

5. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temp.Cook's Note: I make smaller cookes and bake 7 minutes and then 5 min after the rotation.


Cooks Illustrated May & June 2005

1 comment:

Elly said...

Oats, pecans, chocolate AND dried cherries? I am in heaven.