“Happiness”

Realising you could just eat foods beginning with “C” and be in bliss forever.

Exhibit A: cake, cupcakes, custard, croissants, cheesecake, cream, candy, cocoa, creme patissiere, cinnamon buns, coffee, chips, caramel….

And now, the triple whammy: Cherry Chocolate Cookies!

Such addictively chewy cookies made with decadent dark chocolate and the occasional cherry surprise bursting into your mouth with a refreshing acidity. There’s no way you can stop yourself at just one cookie. This is also how I discovered my sticky paws can conceal three cookies at once. Being a stealth cookie-monster: one of life’s most important skills.

Finding dried cherries can be a little tricky, but the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne saved the day. Apart from markets, spice shops are another potential source but if it’s all too hard just used any dried fruit. I’m curious to try dried cranberries in the next batch or perhaps brandy-soaked prunes. Can’t go wrong.

This recipe came from the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook. Bourke Street Bakery supplies droolworthy Artisan Bread and sweet sweet pastries to the people of Sydney. Lucky for us non-Sydneysiders, they have released a cookbook with easy-to-follow recipes for some of the treats that feature in their bakery. And even luckier still, their book is on sale for $29.95 on Fishpond, down from $70 (as of 28th June 2010). Woo hoo! Think of all the chocolate you could buy with the savings, he he.

It’s inspired me to give bread-baking a go, so expect some serious carbs to appear on this here site soon.

Cherry Chocolate Cookies

Source: Bourke Street Bakery

YOU WILL NEED

235g Dark Chocolate (55% Cocoa, chopped)
150g (1 cup) Plain Flour
40g (1/3 cup) Cocoa Powder
1 ½ Teaspoons Bicarb soda (baking soda)
½ teaspoon salt
100g Unsalted Butter
240g Soft Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
100g Dried Cherries (morello)

Makes 12-24 cookies

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees celsius.

Melt the chocolate over a simmering pot of water or in the microwave.
In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb soda and salt.

Whisk the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing well each time, then add the melted chocolate. Stir in the cherries.

Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes before shaping the cookies. Take one heaped tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Allow at least 3cm between each so they have room to spread. (using a tablespoon, I had 18 cookies in the batch).

Refrigerate until firm (approx 30 minutes). Bake the cookies in batches, for 15-20 minutes each, or until risen and quite cracked on top. Cool on the trays.

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Tagged as: Brown sugar, Cherries, Cocoa powder, Dark chocolate, Eggs, Fruit