Thursday, May 17, 2012

You've got the right puff, baby. Chocolate chocolate cookies on.

I sing to my cat Quincy all the time - and I don't know if that's weird, or what. My neighbour probably thinks that it is. But in all honesty, it's one of the things that brings joy to my day. I look at her little face and into her giant eyes and just sing to her, about her. All the time. And I don't really care if people think I'm mad. 

I'm know I'm not the only one who does this, anyway. Two of my closest friends sing to their cats too and I think being able to share that kind of madness is one of the reasons that I love them so much. And I really love that we each participate in this nutty act in our own way. One friend composes songs from scratch. The other makes her cat play along - guitar (or sometimes drums) with his little paws. And me? Well, I tend to rewrite the lyrics of songs I love to make them about Quincy. So it made me laugh very, very much when I received this in an email from a friend this week:


Yep, click on it. That's the artwork to my first album of Quincy covers. Isn't it beautiful? Isn't she beautiful? Or... lovely? I wanted to make something for the friend who sent it to me, so I looked (once again) to Good to the Grain for the answer. And I found it, in Kim Boyce's recipe for 'chocolate chocolate cookies'.


I feel a bit ashamed to say this, but chocolate isn't my favourite thing in the world. I mean, I really like it - and sure, sometimes I'm in the mood for a really good piece (or two). But no chocolate display makes me weak at the knees and (at the risk of Hannah never speaking to me again) I would never buy a packet of Tim Tams. I probably wouldn't even eat one if there was a packet open in the office. UnAustralian, I know. But these cookies! First of all, they're packed full of 70% cocoa dark chocolate; half is melted into the batter, half is chopped and stirred in. All is delicious. Secondly, the texture of the cookies is kicked up into a whole new level when you roll the sticky batter in cocoa nibs. Oh, CACAO NIBS (or however the hell you spell it). Bitter-sweet and fruity, they gently toast as the dough relaxes into a sexy sprawl in the heat of the oven, so that you end up with a crackly and shiny cookie, studded with these crunchy and ever-so-gently-squeaky little bits of cocoa bean. And finally - you might not be able to tell from looking at them - but these little darlings are made with spelt flour. After the addition of all that chocolate, you wouldn't think that'd mean much. But the nuttiness of this sweeter flour lingers beyond the intensity of the chocolate and helps to deliver a cookie with awesome might and complexity.

I think that bloke that did my album artwork liked them. I think you might, too. x

Chocolate chocolate cookies
Adapted from Good to the Grain, by Kim Boyce

I made two small changes to Boyce's recipe as it appears in her book. First, I made a half quantity of the dough, driven by the fear that I may never fit into my swimsuit again. Secondly, I made the cookies approximately half the size Boyce does (1 tablespoon of dough, rather than 2), because I like smaller cookies. I've adjusted quantities and baking times here accordingly. But you really, really should get this book. 

115g unsalted butter
240g dark chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa), roughly chopped
2 eggs
1 cup sugar, rounded (a real full cup!)
1 cup spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt (or a tiny bit less of flaked sea salt)
1/2 cup cocao nibs

1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave. Stir to thoroughly combine.

2. Combine the eggs and the sugar and beat with an electric mixture for around 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy. With the beater still running, slowly add the warm chocolate until thoroughly combined.

3. Sift the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and gently mix until all ingredients are combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

4. 15 minutes before you're ready to bake the cookies, turn your oven on and set to 180C/350F. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Use a tablespoon to scoop rounded quantities of the dough, pressing the top of each ball into the cocoa nibs before placing on the tray. Ensure there's enough room for the cookies to spread; I fit about 8 cookies on each tray.

5. Cook for for 15 minutes, or until cookies have spread and the edges have firmed. They'll still be soft in the middle, but that's a-ok! Shift them, paper and all, onto a cooling rack. Repeat until you have as many cookies as you want. Or keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days.

11 comments:

  1. i hope you print that artwork out and frame it. that is TOO cool. very nice payback as well.... ya weird non chocolate loving cat lady!!!

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    1. Innit great? Cat lady: guilty as charged. xx

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  2. *laughs and laughs* The only thing that would make me stop speaking to you, Lexi, is if I woke up one morning and my mouth was gone. Also, in my defense, before my recent Tim Tams fall from grace I hadn't eaten them in, oh, five years? Six? More? That happened during a particularly rough period earlier this year, I think about the time I ended up with shingles from work stress. So really, I just wanted to eat all the gross things ;)

    You know (at the risk of you not speaking to me), I'm usually never interested in cookies or chocolate-flavoured treats. But you described these in such a breathtaking manner, with so many adjectives representing deliciousness, that I'm utterly in.

    Plus, cocoa nibs. Best. Like you. And the singing. I think I'd probably be seen as more mad, because I sing to myself. Have started singing every time I walk to the bathroom at work, through the building that houses several other businesses full of people...

    Time to stop writing now. Too many words for one comment. Hug hug.

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    1. It's not a fall from grace - I didn't mean it that way! I've just had too many people look at me like I just said something simultaneously sexist and racist when I say "no thank you" to a Tim Tam. I love all the rest of the gross things.

      Singing to yourself is in. You haven't seen New Girl on the telly?xx

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  3. OMIGOD! You are adorable. My husband and I also insert our cat's name into every possible song. We get pretty creative with it. It is actually our hobby. I thought we were the only ones! Thanks for making me feel less weird. xoxo

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    1. You're not alone! It's the most fun ever.xx

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  4. So many delightful things in this post! Cat serenades! Cocoa(ao) nib cookies! And is that a New Kids on the Block cover in the title?

    p.s. I just poured a bowl of French chocolate granola-ish cereal and there was more chocolate than granola

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    1. NKOTB yeah! I was singing it to Quincy this morning, too.

      Hope you're having an ace time! I see the breakfast chocolate awesomeness doesn't stop at pain au chocolate. Make sure you bring some of that granola home with you! xx

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  5. Sounds like a flavour match made in heaven!

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  6. where can i get a copy of that disc? i NEED to be listening to "can't get jus out of my head" right about now.

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    1. Hello! Unfortunately it was only issued on vinyl in a really small pressing. The only way to hear it now is live. or you can access the karaoke version here: http://8tracks.com/heywoodindustries/puffin-about

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