Chocolate Butter Cookies

I know, I know. It’s a whacky idea for a blog – sort of culinary gynecology. I didn’t plan it that way, I swear. It just sort of evolved this way. You can use the categories at the right to find the medical posts if you don’t like to read about the food. Don’t worry – you won’t hurt my feelings (much).

Anyway, on to the cookies…

On this visit, Irene also brought us some of her famous homemade cookies. She makes amazing cookies, having honed her skills over the years making beautiful holiday cookie platters for Marvin’s office staff. On any given day, you will find one or more rubbermaid containers of cookies in one of her kitchen freezers, cookies arranged carefully on wax paper layers, often a masking tape label on the side.

This particular cookie is an adaptation from a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated Magazine. Irene gives us a yearly gift subsciption to Cook’s, and I highly recommend it to you.

Chocolate Butter Cookies

20 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks), softened to cool room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder (Cook’s recommend Dutch-processed as best) (about 2 ounces)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla exract
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)
Chopped nuts (hazlenuts, almonds and pistachios mixed)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and espresso powder; stir until mixture forms smooth paste. Set aside to cool, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix remaining 16 tablespoons butter, sugar, salt, and cooled cocoa mixture on high speed until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping sides of mixing bowl once or twice with rubber spatula. Add yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl. With mixer running on low, add flour in three additions, waiting until each addition is incorporated before adding next and scraping bowl after each addition. Continue to mix until dough forms cohesive ball, about 5 seconds. Turn dough onto counter; divide into thirds and roll into logs, 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long. (Correction: Roll it in the nuts before you chill it. The nuts will adhere better. Thanks, Irene.) Chill until very firm and cold, at least 1 hour.

3. Roll the chilled cylinder of dough into chopped nuts. Slice cookies 1/4 inch thick and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

4. Bake until cookies show slight resistance to touch, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time; if cookies begin to darken on edges, they have overbaked. Cool for 5 minutes, then, using spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack; cool completely.