These cookies are a test-cookie and a reward. I used my base recipe that started out as cherry/chocolate chews. But, as I said before I have chocolate issues. I love the texture of these cookies. They are thin. They are crunchy on the edges and a little soft in the middle. We have some cookie monsters in the family, but they like their cookies soft, chewy, and substantial like carrot cake cookies, but those are cakes not cookies to me. Today it was about me.
The real reason I made these almond chocolate cookies is because I was kind of celebrating getting through jury duty; well rather I was an on-call potential juror. In the olden days, before the internet you went down to the courthouse and sat around all day and then you went home. But, we live in a modern age now. The court rule is everyday at 11:00 a.m., you check the court’s on-line website, and if your group number is called you have an hour and half to get to court. If you are not called, you are instructed to check again the next day, and the next. This started on Friday, and ran until the following Thursday. So you had to be dressed appropriately, and ready at the moment. But the gods smiled and somehow I lucked out they did not call my group number. On one hand it is easier since you don’t physically have to go to court and sit around, but on the other, you are literally unavailable to any other plans for the week. To me it was stressful. I am always uncomfortable with the thought of being a juror. Who would want me to be judging them? Well this is a food blog so I probably should not go into all that here, huh? So as the week dragged by I felt in need of a little comfort. I guess being on edge a little chocolate was in order.
Someone gave me a gift of mocha hot chocolate mix. It did not say it had soy, so I took a chance. I will know in a day or two if I get a stinging feeling that the package label was incomplete, and once again I fell victim to the mishegas of marketing. I checked my stash of nuts and almonds won. I thought they would go best and sure enough I was correct.
Note to bakers: Please gather everything you need prior to mixing. It just makes things so much easier. Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Be sure to measure accurately. For consistent sized cookies an ice cream scoop works well, but you can also use a spoon.
Note to all: This cookie was a chocolate cherry chew in its previous life. Because I like the texture I chose to take the base and use it for my base. I have changed out the flavors, nuts, and dried fruit. I believe it was from a cookie contest from Gourmet Magazine, but when I went in search I could not locate it. I googled the original recipe and the side notes in hope of giving proper reference or credit, but there was so many with identical information that I cannot credit the proper person. I am not sure at what point a recipe is plagiarized, but I feel confident that the original baker would not recognize this cookie.
Note to the court – thank you for not choosing me as a juror. I don’t think my mind could handle it right now. Just sayin…..
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- scant teaspoon almond extract (teaspoon not quite full)
- ¼ cup of mocha cocoa - the kind you use to make hot chocolate.
- 1 cup almonds, slivered or chopped
- Gather all ingredients - Bring to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, once at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Blend in flour mixture, a little at a time, until it’s all incorporated.
- By hand, stir in nuts just until incorporated.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced at least two inches apart.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes or until edges are starting to brown. Let cool on baking sheet for ten minutes then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Yield: about four dozen cookies.
I am taking this to Saturday’s Dishes
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