I saw these cookies on the last page of the September issue of Food and Wine. Kurt loves chocolate chip cookies, so I immediately decided I should make these for him. Yes, these were all for Kurt. At any time, when asked what kind of cookie he would like, the answer is always chocolate chip. I hoped he wouldn’t mind the usual simplicity being ruined by a chocolate ganache filling, but I thought he would probably be able to deal with it. So, yes, these cute, little, crunchy cookies with a rich chocolate ganache sandwiched between them were not something I would want. Not at all. This baking endeavor was entirely for Kurt.
The cookie dough recipe is straightforward. Walnuts were added to the dough, and if you prefer your chocolate chip cookies without nuts you could omit them. The walnuts were particularly enjoyable in this cookie though. I mean it seems like they would be since these cookies were for Kurt not me. The ganache filling was started in the usual way. Cream was warmed with corn syrup, and that was poured over chocolate. The chocolate was whisked to a smooth state, and then the recipe called for creme fraiche to be added. I had never added creme fraiche to a ganache before. Butter, yes, but not creme fraiche. The finished ganache was chilled for 30 minutes before being spread on half the cookies. I noticed that my cookies turned a little darker than those pictured in the magazine. Next time, I’ll check on them before the end of the 12 minute baking time.
So, after baking the cookies, making the ganache, and filling the sandwiches, I gave up the notion that these were just for Kurt. I had tasted a plain cookie and quite liked it, but the sandwiched cookies with this chocolate filling were just crazy. I want to say the creme fraiche made the ganache a little more like chocolate pudding, but I really didn’t think about it for long. I was too busy trying to prevent myself from devouring every last cookie before Kurt even got home.
The cookie dough recipe is straightforward. Walnuts were added to the dough, and if you prefer your chocolate chip cookies without nuts you could omit them. The walnuts were particularly enjoyable in this cookie though. I mean it seems like they would be since these cookies were for Kurt not me. The ganache filling was started in the usual way. Cream was warmed with corn syrup, and that was poured over chocolate. The chocolate was whisked to a smooth state, and then the recipe called for creme fraiche to be added. I had never added creme fraiche to a ganache before. Butter, yes, but not creme fraiche. The finished ganache was chilled for 30 minutes before being spread on half the cookies. I noticed that my cookies turned a little darker than those pictured in the magazine. Next time, I’ll check on them before the end of the 12 minute baking time.
So, after baking the cookies, making the ganache, and filling the sandwiches, I gave up the notion that these were just for Kurt. I had tasted a plain cookie and quite liked it, but the sandwiched cookies with this chocolate filling were just crazy. I want to say the creme fraiche made the ganache a little more like chocolate pudding, but I really didn’t think about it for long. I was too busy trying to prevent myself from devouring every last cookie before Kurt even got home.
by Michael Recchiuti. I had no ambivalence about chocolate while reading this book. It contains one photo after the next of delectable-looking chocolate items. The second chapter is about truffles, and I was completely inspired by the infused ganaches. Earl grey, jasmine, lavender, and cardamom were some of the flavored ganaches suggested for making truffles. After reading this, I went on a truffle-tasting binge. Every time I passed a chocolate counter, I had to try various truffles and then spend some time daydreaming about making my own. Well, I never got around to switching to a career of truffle-making, but I finally did try the truffle cream filled chocolate cookies from that book.
The cookies themselves are simply chocolate shortbread made with cocoa powder. The recipe made a crumbly dough which needed to rest in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before being rolled. Once rolled into a thin sheet, the dough was cut into one and a half inch rounds. The baked rounds were then filled with a rich chocolate truffle cream made from 65 percent cacao chocolate, heavy cream, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. I actually went to the trouble of putting the truffle cream in a piping bag so as to swirl it onto the sandwich cookie bottoms. Ordinarily, I run screaming from piping bags, but these petite cookies just begged for the added attention to detail. The sandwich tops were to have been dusted with cocoa powder, but I used the last of mine to make the cookie dough. Instead, I dusted the tops with espresso powder.
The cookies were sturdy but yielding. Bigger versions of them would be perfect for ice cream sandwiches. They had just the right amount of chocolate flavor, and I had to remind myself that they were meant to be filled and sandwiched and not just eaten out of hand. Thankfully, I restrained myself well enough to have plenty left to fill. Now, the highlight, the truffle cream, was ridiculous. It was silky and richly chocolaty and maintained a lightness even after the finished cookies had sat in the refrigerator overnight. I’m already planning alternate flavor infusions for the ganache for the next time I make this truffle cream to fill cookies. Although, I may have to spend some time perusing the book’s chocolate drinks chapter or the ice cream chapter before I make it back to the cookies for a second time.
