Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

• 2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (like Medaglia D'Oro, or similar)
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs one at time, mixing after each addition to make sure they are well combined.

In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. I use a whisk to make sure the dry ingredients are well mixed.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix everything until the ingredients are fully combined, but do not overbeat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Using a 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop, or rounded teaspoon, drop dough on the sheet 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Yield 52; 120 calories.

VERDICT:  Delicious, even with slightly fewer chocolate chips than called for (the bag has 10.5 ounces!).  Maybe next time, cut recipe in half.  Keep.

White Bean and Radish Salad

• 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 1/2 cups (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup (or more) white wine vinegar
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, cut into thin wedges
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
• 3/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted, quartered 

Blend anchovies, oil, capers, and 1 cup parsley in a blender until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in 1/4 cup vinegar, and season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.

Add radishes, scallions, beans, olives, and remaining 1 1/2 cups parsley to bowl and toss to combine.

DO AHEAD: Salad can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. 

 

Serves 6; 470 calories.

 

VERDICT:  So many things went wrong here that I don't think I can properly judge this recipe.  I left out the anchovies on purpose, then discovered we only had about a 1/4 c. of olive oil and a cup of parsley.  I opted to add a 1/4 canola and put the whole cup of parsley in the dressing.  I also added a hardboiled egg, as suggested by the recipe notes.  It was a little goopy, but again, I suspect that's my fault.  Suspend judgment and try again.

Brown Sugar and Spice Cookies

Cookies:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg 
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• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Cooking spray $

Topping:

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cookies, combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, and next 4 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended.

Shape the dough into 30 balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray; flatten cookies with bottom of a glass.

To prepare topping, combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, and allspice in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over cookies.

Bake at 350° for 9 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on pans. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yield: 30; 67 calories.

VERDICT:  These surprised me by being soft and chewy--I was expecting them to have the snap of a gingersnap cookie.  They're not as strongly flavored as I like, though, so toss.   (Note: I rolled the balls in the sugar mixture for easy flattening.  Seemed fine.)