Or there is the perfectly shaped cookie, the ones you buy at the market, the ones that are too perfectly round. The dough slopes down to the edge of the exact circle that the dough was stamped out. It’s automated and that takes perfection to an artificial level,

How about round, naturally perfect and, on top of it all, delicious chocolate chip cookies?

In Tribeca, a couple of blocks from me, there was a lighting store. The easy place to go for bulbs and switches and all the little things you need when your building was built in 1860. It’s tough to find some of those missing parts. The lighting store closed a couple of years ago and I regretted seeing it depart. I asked them in their last week what was going into that space. “Maybe some kind of bakery,” they said.

I hid my delight. I held my hopes. I was rewarded. The light bulbs may be gone, but the cupcakes are here, and the cookies. And the frosting shooters, although I have told Suzen that I have never, ever eaten one of those.

Tribeca Treats is at 94 Reade Street, just west of Church and before West Broadway. It’s the best bakery in Tribeca. And the owner, Rachel Thebault, is about to publish her new book: Sweet Chic. Here’s her very good chocolate chip recipe that lets you form perfect circles. How? Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, chill for an hour. The chilled dough works wonderfully, nicely rolling into balls that gracefully warm and flatten in the oven. Using mini chocolate chips and no nuts means that dough can uniformly flow into those pretty bites you crave. The proportions of ingredients here give you a crisp cookie. Ones you can dunk in milk or just snap away at.

Sweet Chic will be published on October 26, 2010. I know the quality of Tribeca Treats and I’m sure you will love every recipe in the book. I just may have my first official frosting shooter.

Sweet Chick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulate sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Sift the flour, baking soda and slat into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter on the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the sugars, crumbling the brown sugar with your hands as you add it to get rid of any lumps. Mix on medium =-high speed until smooch, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the butter and sugar well mixed.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the blow to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated.

Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining flour and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the flour is fully incorporated.

Stir in the chocolate chips and mix just until combined, about 10 seconds. Remove the dough from the blow, press it into a flat mound and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let it chill fin the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and scoop or roil it into balls about 1 tablespoon in size. At this point, the cookie dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month (separate layers of dough balls with waxed paper).

Place the balls of dough about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are golden born. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slight, then transfer them a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Or serve warm

Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Source: Sweet Chic by Rachel Thebault

The brownie flavor here is quite, quite intense. So this creature is the perfect foundation for a brownie sundae. Top this brownie with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream for contrast [look for a Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream in tomorrow's post!]. Or, go for a complement. Coffee or mocha ice creams would be fine choices.

You can be decadent and top with marshmallow fluff. By now you need a bigger bowl. And probably a second batch of these treats.

On technique, this is a brownie made in a saucepan, not in a mixing bowl. It’s quick to prepare and you have less kitchen mess — yet you create a real treat. Chances are, anyone who tastes this will also vote for more.

Double-Chocolate Brownies

Yield: Makes nine 2 ½-Inch squares

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1½ cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
• Chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips may be added

 
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with the parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Fold in flour until combined.

Pour batter into pan. Bake until set and toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan about 15 minutes. Lift brownies from pan using parchment. Remove parchment, transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.

Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Here is recipe built on the Oreo idea but with a far more fascinating combination of wafers and filling. These cookies are soft and intensely cocoa-flavored. And the filling is a rich combination of pistachios and mascarpone. One bite and eyes pop open: “This is different!” This delicious cookie will be a treat for friends and family. You could probably convert a stranger into a friend with just one, although they might hold out for a second. Indulge them.

It’s clear that the best selling sandwich concept is two chocolate cookies and a whitish filling. Those “reverse” Oreos with vanilla cookies and chocolate filling have far smaller sales. I’m taking that as a culinary challenge, and if I succeed, you’ll be the first to know.

Chocolate Cannoli Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 16 Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients for the Cookie:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces at room temperature
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

 
Ingredients for the Filling:

• 1½ cups chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
• 1½ cups mascarpone cheese
• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt

 
Preparation:

Make the cookies: Beat the butter and both sugars with a mixer until creamy. Beat in the milk and vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, if desired. Scoop the dough onto a sheet of wax paper and shape into a 2-inch-log. Wrap in the wax paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/3-inch thick rounds with a sharp knife. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine ¾-cup pistachios, the mascarpone, ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt with a mixer on low speed until just blended; do not overmix or the filling will be too thick.

To assemble, sandwich about ½-inch filling between 2 cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Roll the edges in the remaining ¾-cup pistachios.

Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine

I know this blog has several brownies recipes, and there will be more. Just as there are connoisseurs of wine, so I know brownies. I can tell you how many eggs, melted or whipped butter, what kind of chocolate, what kind of sugar, the type of nuts, if the nuts were toasted, …

How many brownie books are in your kitchen? I have a few. Well, a lot. Well, just about every one I’ve ever looked at.

I think brownies are a fascinating food. After chocolate chip cookies, and of course Oreos, they are the American favorite. When you walk the baking aisle of your supermarket, you do not see a lot of packages for peanut butter cookies. But brownie boxes adorn the shelves like ornaments on a Christmas tree.

Do I have a favorite? Yes, it’s this one. Today. And next week, there may be another. I bake a batch or so a week. [If Suzen responds to this blog and says that I am not telling the truth, please just ignore her exaggerations]. My daily dosage is about 2 or 3. Or 4. Look, how many brownies does it take to match one piece of 3-layer cake? Viewed that way, brownies are a calorie bargain. Especially if the frosting is thin, which it is in this recipe.

This base of this brownie is actually the “standard” recipe but then extended with a thin layer of mint icing followed by the thinnest possible glaze of dark chocolate. This recipe is from my mentor, Maida Heatter, and I’ve made it more times than I would admit to you, to Suzen, or a priest.

Quick to make, quick to please your mouth, these brownies will not linger long in your kitchen. Which means there will be room next week for some variety!

Chocolate Mint Sticks

Yield: 32 very small bars

Ingredients:

For the Brownie Base:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 ounces (one stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 ounces (generous ½  cup) wallets or pecans

For the Mint Icing:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup strain or sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon (or a few drops more) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

For the Chocolate Glaze:

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation:

Preparation of the Brownie Base:

Adjust a rack one third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 inch square cake pan and dust all over with fine, dry breadcrumbs. Invert the pan shakeout the exit excess. (This cake has a tendency to stick to the pan; using the crumbs will prevent that.)

Put the chocolate and the butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Stir until smooth. Remove the top of double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.

In small bowl of electric mixer beat the eggs until they are foamy. Beat in salt, vanilla, and sugar. Add the chocolate mixture (which may still be warm) and beat to mix. On low speed add the flour, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until mixed. Stir in the nuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it to make a smooth layer.

Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let stand in the pan at room temperature until completely cool

Preparation of the Mint Icing:

Place all the icing ingredients in the small bowl of electric mixer and beat until smooth. It might be necessary to add a few drops more a heavy cream, but it should be a thick mixture, not runny. Spread the icing evenly over the cake still the pan. It will be a very thin layer. Place the cake refrigerator for five minutes, no longer.

Preparation of the Chocolate Glaze:

Melt the chocolate and the butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Stir until completely smooth.

Pour the hot glaze over the chilled icing and quickly tilt pan in all directions to cover the icing completely with the glaze. It will be a very, very thin layer glaze, just enough to cover all the icing (if the icing does show through in a few spots don’t worry.)

Refrigerate the cake for about half an hour, or until the glaze starts to look dull.

Remove, cut, and serve. These are delicious both chilled and warmed to room temperature.

Source: Maida Heatter’s Cookies by Maida Heater

Uh, there is one exception. Everyone should taste a rocky road, a cookie made for anyone who does not have sugar issues. What is a rocky road? It is a second generation brownie, topped with marshmallows and nuts and then doubly topped with a chocolate glaze.

I call this a second generation brownie because after the first round of brownie recipes, some creative cooks wanted a way to boost the dessert experience. And the rocky road was unleashed. Actually, in Great Britain they add cherries, raisins, or sultanas [a white seedless grape]. I prefer mine American style with just the marshmallow.

While you can make this extension to any brownie, Maida Heatter in Maida Heatter’s Cookies offers an exceptionally different brownie. The basis for most brownie recipes is a standard combination: 2 ounces of chocolate, 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of flour. Other things go in, but the main ingredients come in those proportions.

Not in this recipe. There is more flour, less butter, and less chocolate. The result is a cookie that seems not be baking properly, but you need some faith and you need to follow the directions below. The hardest part is letting the final product cool overnight or for at least 5-6 hours. You can go ahead and try to cut through the cookie sooner than that, but it will be about as messy as an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. You really, really, really need to let these sit overnight. Then you are free to indulge.

I’ve changed this recipe a bit, going for a more common square pan and suggesting you use mini-marshmallows instead of cutting up large ones. It gives you a better coverage of the brownie base and an easier time when you try to melt the marshmallows.

By using just 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate for this recipe, instead of 2, Maida has created a cookie that is less fudgy, more mellow. It’s make the brownie base a better complement to the marshmallows and that very intense glaze that follow.

Dark Rocky Roads

Yield: 16 large brownies or just 1 very intense chocolate experience

Ingredients for the Brownie Layer:

¾ cup sifted all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces (generous ½ cup) coarsely cut or broken pecans

Preparation of the Brownie Layer:

Adjust  a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter a 9 x 9 inch baking pan and set aside.

Place the chocolate and the butter in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir constantly until they are melted. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and the sugar and stir to mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Stir in the shifted dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed, then stir in the nuts.

Pour into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out barely dry.

Do not overbake.

A few minutes before the brownie layer is done, start to prepare the glaze below.

Ingredients for the Topping:

1 to 1 ½ cups mini-marshmallows
2 ½ ounces [¾ cup pecan halves or large pieces

Preparation of the Topping:

Have the marshmallows and nuts ready to use just before the brownie layer is finished baking.

Ingredients for the Glaze:

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup strained confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
About 2 tablespoons boiling water

Preparation of the Topping and Completion of the Rocky Roads:

Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate hat. Removed from the heat, but do not mix in the remaining ingredients until you are ready to use the glaze

When the brownie layer is done, remove it from oven, but do not turn off the oven heat. Quickly place the mini-marshmallows over the top of the brownies, using enough to cover the entire area.

Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallows are very soft, but not browning or melting.

Remove the pan from the oven and finish the glaze as follows: Add the sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of boiling water to the melted-chocolate-butter mixture. Stir until smooth. The mixture should be thick, but thin enough to drizzle over the marshmallows. It may be necessary to add a bit more water, but add it very gradually and be sure that you do not add too much.

Quickly sprinkle the pecans over the marshmallows and then immediately (while the cake is still hot and before the glaze thickens), drizzle the glaze unevenly over the marshmallows and nuts. Some of the marshmallows should show through in a few spots, but the nuts should be at least partially covered in order to keep them from falling off.

Let stand uncovered overnight or for at least 5-6 hour is possible. Cut around the sides with a small, sharp knife to release the cake. Then cut into the proportions you desire. Keep dipping the knife into cold water to prevent it from sticking.

Source: Maida Heatter’s Cookies by Maida Heater