Sugar Cube by Kir Jensen Read Free Book Online Page B

99 percent (with 1 percent made up of vanilla and lecithin). For most recipes in this book, you’ll want a high-percentage bittersweet (a.k.a. dark) chocolate, something in the range of 64 percent to 74 percent.
    Another thing to consider is how much cocoa butter the chocolate contains. Cocoa butter is fat, and fat helps you taste flavors better and offers a richer, smoother mouthfeel, so the more of it the better. The amount of cocoa butter in a bar isn’t reflected in the percentage, and the amount varies from brand to brand, so check the labels. As long as there aren’t any other additives like cream or cookies and as long as you’re dealing with dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, the fat content on the nutrition label will just reflect the amount of cocoa butter in the bar, and the higher the better.
    Next you should consider how you plan to use the chocolate. If it’s going into something with lots of other ingredients, you likely won’t be able to taste the nuances of super-pricey premium chocolate, so go for something a step down that’s still high quality. Callebaut and Guittard are good workhorse brands, while Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, and Green & Black’s are a little better and just as widely available.
    When you’re making something that’s primarily chocolate, like truffles, go for the good stuff, maybe something made from a single-origin of bean, so you can really taste the fruity, nutty, or earthy notes the chocolate has to offer. There are many tiny top-notch producers in this category such as Felchlin in Switzerland, which I’ve discovered through shopping at Cacao in Portland. I love going to Cacao and geeking out with the shop’s owners, Jesse and Aubrey. They’re so good at helping me pick just the right varietal of chocolate for the dessert I have in mind. If you have a boutique chocolate shop in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend getting well acquainted with it.

Giddyup Cookies

    With their crispy edges and chewy, oat-y middles, these babies bring out the cookie monster in me. They’re one of the few things that make me thankful I’m a grown-up because it means I can eat as many as I want. Seriously, though, I can’t decide what I like more: the cookies alone or sandwiching cream cheese ice cream (see Cream Soda Ice Cream ) in the middle. They’re killer both ways, especially hot out of the oven when the cinnamon is at its most fragrant. MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES

ingredients
1 1 / 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground saigon cinnamon (see tip)
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (preferably Angel Flake)
1 1 / 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
3 / 4 cup golden raisins
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
instructions
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
IN A MEDIUM BOWL , whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Stir in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and raisins until well incorporated, breaking up any coconut clumps.
IN THE BOWL OF A STAND MIXER fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
DROP THE DOUGH by 2-tablespoon portions (I use a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop), several inches apart (they spread), onto the prepared sheets and bake until puffed in the middle and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
LET THE COOKIES COOL on the baking sheets for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will keep in an airtight container for several