Sugar Cube by Kir Jensen Read Free Book Online Page A

processor with 2 to 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour and pulsing until they are very finely chopped.
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To soften butter in a hurry, beat the crap out of it. Seriously. Just give it a couple of good whacks right in the wrapper. Get your aggression out. Peel off the wrapper, break off pieces by hand, and throw them in the mixer.

TRIPLE THREAT
Chocolate Cookies

    Chocolate cookies flecked with chocolate chips sandwiching a filling of chocolate ganache—these aren’t called “triple threat” for nothing. Prepare to become addicted. The cookies are best when still soft after baking, so be careful not to overbake them. You might want to bake just one or two at first, to test how long it takes in your oven. These cookies do not freeze well. MAKES 16 SANDWICH COOKIES

ingredients
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 / 4 cup ( 1 / 2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 / 4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 / 4 teaspoon baking powder
1 / 4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1 / 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans ( see tip, in Marionberry “Crack” Coffee Cake )
1 / 2 recipe Sexy Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
instructions
PUT BOTH CHOPPED CHOCOLATES and the butter in a medium metal bowl and put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring, until the chocolate is just melted. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
IN A SMALL BOWL , whisk together the eggs, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla. Add to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to scoop, several hours. If the dough ends up too firm to scoop, let it stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Drop the dough by 2-tablespoon portions (I use a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop)about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. With your hand, flatten each portion into an even 1 / 2 -inch-thick round. (Don’t make them too flat, or they won’t end up fudgy. Also, if the dough seems soft or sticky, lightly wet your fingers first to keep the dough from sticking.) Bake until the edges are cooked, the centers are soft but not wet, and you can feel a slight crust on top, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from front to back and between upper and lower racks halfway through, (In my convection oven, they take just 5 minutes. They should be soft and fudgy, slightly underbaked but not raw. They will firm up as they cool.) Cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks before removing the cookies with an offset spatula.
SPREAD THE FLAT SIDE OF HALF OF THE COOKIES with 1 / 2 to 1 tablespoon slightly warm, soft ganache and top with the remaining cookies, pressing to help them stick. The filled cookies will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, but be sure to serve them at room temperature for the best flavor.
TIP
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If you have a little leftover ganache, rejoice! You can melt it and drizzle it over ice cream or freeze it and use it later to make truffles or more cookies.
    Choosing Chocolate
    There’s no shortage of chocolate in the world, and that means there’s a lot to consider when choosing one to cook with. First things first: Check out the percentage. The higher its percentage, the less sugar and the more chocolate liquor (i.e., the chocolate solids and cocoa butter derived from the cocoa bean) the chocolate contains. For example, a bar labeled 70 percent is made of 70 percent chocolate liquor and about 30 percent sugar. Unsweetened chocolate can be labeled