Bake It to the Limit is sure to be the hot, new dessert cookbook. This full-color photographic cookbook includes rich and decadent desserts that anyone can make, following Dede Wilson's carefully prepared recipes. Not satisfied with recipes that just taste good, she offers spectacular, Bake It to the Limit variations that will really impress. Some of the variations are easy-sprinkling gold leaf flakes over a cake, sandwiching ice cream between two cookies and dunking it in chocolate ganache, or
These trufflelike cookies are packed with white, milk and dark chocolate. I have been sitting on this recipe for almost ten years, waiting to publish it. Make these right now!
Makes 30 cookies
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
9 ounces white chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment. (If you have 4 sheet pans, your baking will go more quickly because you can have 2 in the oven and 2 cooling at the same time.)
Melt the finely chopped semisweet and unsweetened chocolates together with the butter in a double boiler or microwave. Stir occasionally until smooth. Cool slightly to a warm room temperature.
Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and beat with the balloon whip attachment on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 5 minutes. Fold in the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain (an extra-large rubber spatula works best).
Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and stir together with a whisk to aerate lightly.
Fold the flour mixture into the batter just until combined. Fold in all of the chocolate chunks.
Use a 1/4-cup-size measuring cup or ice cream scoop to drop the batter onto the prepared sheet pans. Leave 3 inches between the cookies.
Bake for 14 minutes. Rotate the pans front to back once during baking. With these cookies it is hard to judge doneness. Depending on your oven, they will be done after 14 to 17 minutes, when the tops and edges have become dull but the insides and middles are still soft. It will go against your instincts to pull them out of the oven now, but they are done. Do not overbake! They will firm up a bit when cool, but they will remain chocolate truffle-like inside. Bake one or two at first and play around with the timing until you get it right before embarking on the rest of the batter.
Place the pans directly on racks to cool. If you try to remove the cookies too soon, they will fall apart. When they are cool, remove them from the pans with a spatula that is large enough to support the entire bottom of each cookie. Keeping them as flat as possible, store them in single layers separated by parchment or waxed paper. They must be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Don't worry about storing them for long, though-these go fast. Eat within 2 days.
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT This is very easy and makes a big difference. Reserve about a quarter of the chocolate chunks, all flavors. Scoop the batter onto the sheet pans. Then manually press the chocolate chunks into the cookie tops before baking. The chunks will remain quite visible and make the cookies look as if they are bursting with chocolate
