Recipe: Bittersweet and White Chocolate Bar Cookies

Bittersweet and White Chocolate Bar Cookies
Source: The International Cookie Cookbook
Makes about forty 2 3/4-inch bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached white flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 1/2 ounces almond paste, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely grated

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
coarsely chopped

White Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening
1 ounce white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease several baking sheets and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg,almond paste, and almond extract and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for about 3 minutes, or until the almond paste is thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Add butter and continue beating until it is lightened. Beat in sugar until well blended and smooth. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients and grated chocolate until thoroughly incorporated.

Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a smooth, evenly thick 13-inch log. Press down each log to form 2.1/4 inch wide bars. Trim off and discard ends of bars. Mark and then cut each log crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips. Place strips upright on baking sheets, spacing them about 1.1/4 inches apart and flattening them slightly so they don't fall over as they bake.

Place on the center oven rack and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until tops are almost firm in the center. Remove baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies stand for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully transfer them to wire racks and let stand until cool.

To prepare dark chocolate glaze:
Combine shortening and bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Dip the tops of the cookies, one at a time, into the glaze. It should cover their tops and sides. Place glazed bars, glazed sides up, on wire racks set over sheets of waxed paper and let stand until glaze sets.

To prepare white chocolate glaze:
Combine shortening and white chocolate in a small, heavy saucepan over lowest heat. Warm, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is smooth and fluid. When dark chocolate glaze on cookies is completely set, drizzle diagonal lines of the white chocolate glaze across the tops of the bars (Piping the glaze through a pastry bag fitted with a fine writing tip will give the most professional finish, but drizzling the glaze from a spoon will look fine too.) Let bars stand until the chocolate sets.

Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days. The cookies may be frozen unglazed, and then glazed after thawing. Once glazed they should be kept refrigerated.