Chocolate Strawberry Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Strawberry Sandwich Cookies : Perfect Valentine’s Day Treat

With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, my mind does what it does every year—it starts to fill up with thoughts and images of love, hearts, sugar cookies, and of course, chocolate. (Of course I don’t think about chocolate 24/7 every other time of the year . . . why would you think such a thing? Ha!) But I have to admit that by the time February 14th actually rolls around, sometimes the touch of cupid’s arrow has an undesired effect, sugar overload. So this year I decided to come up with a few treats that are still worthy of the season, but aren’t going to coat my taste buds in sugar and send my children climbing the walls. Living in Japan I came to appreciate desserts that weren’t as sweet. I learned that I loved them just as much, and often appreciated the flavors more because they weren’t being covered up by too much sugar. With this idea in mind, I dreamed up a sandwich cookie recipe with just enough sweetness to keep you coming back for more, but not enough to send you into a sugar coma. These cookies feature a bit of sweet white chocolate strawberry filling sandwiched between two rich dark chocolate sable cookies. Sable cookies are a classic French cookie that originated in Normandy on the west coast of France. “Sable” means “sandy” in French and refers to the slightly crisp, tender, sugary, salty, and delicate crumbly texture of the cookies. Sables are a great addition to any busy mom’s repertoire because the dough can be made and chilled for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

The key to making sables is to handle the dough, once the flour is added, as quickly and lightly as possible. Overworking the dough overworks the gluten, making the cookies tough and doughy. As a result, I like to make my sables without the use of a mixer, using only a whisk and a wooden spoon. When I do it this way, even my children can help. We start out by whipping the butter until it is creamy and smooth. Then we add the sugar, whisking until it is fluffy and light. “Squirrel” my 4 year old daughter, has become a master of the whisk, another reason to make these by hand. Who would deny an eager little girl the chance to whisk butter and sugar together to her heart’s delight?

Then we whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, add them to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix them together with a wooden spoon, just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough. Even if a child is helping with this step, you won’t be in danger of overworking the dough if you are watching. As soon as those dry ingredients disappear, you’ll know it’s time to stop! Then you gather the dough together on a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a long thin log, wrap it up, and chill it! When the dough has chilled and you’re ready to go, simply slice the log into quarter-inch rounds, throw them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and throw them in the oven for 12 minutes. When they come out they’ll still be soft, but as they sit and cool, they will firm up. When they are completely cool, you can whip together the filling and assemble your sandwich cookies!

The lightly sweet rich chocolate cookies balance out the sweeter white chocolate strawberry filling, making a delightful treat, perfect for any Valentine.

Just be forewarned, your children may reward you with what my friend Brandi calls a “Chocolate Kiss.”

Dark Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches with Strawberry Ganache

Makes approximately 28 cookies

Recipe Notes: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you don’t need to defrost it before baking, just slice the log into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer. For a fun variation, you can add a sugar edge to the dough. Whisk an egg yolk until smooth, brush it on the chilled cookie dough log, then sprinkle it with coarse sugar. Then slice and bake as directed in the recipe.

Dark Chocolate Cookies:
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk

White Chocolate Strawberry Filling:
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Whisk the cake flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl.

2. In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy. Whisk in the egg yolk until incorporated.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough. For the best texture, work the dough as little as possible, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly.

4. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log that is approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

5. Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the log into rounds that are 1/4 inch thick. The rounds may crack as you are cutting them. Don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch between them.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes—they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they reach room temperature.

8. Make the filling: When the cookies have reached room temperature, make the filling. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the strawberry jam and almond extract over medium heat. Pour the jam over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly.

9. Assemble cookie sandwiches: Spread a spoonful of filling on the bottom side of a cookie. Gently place a similar shaped cookie, bottom side down, on top of the filling, pressing lightly on the middle of the cookie to sandwich the two cookies together. Be careful not to push too hard, and not to push on the edges of the cookie, as the cookies are delicate and will break. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache.

Chocolate is pure

Pure Chocolate

My family members are savers - the classic, thrifty New Englanders who waste nothing, where the third R of the waste management triangle, Recycle, was virtually unknown because the first two (Reduce, Reuse) were maximized as much as humanly possible. We wear shoes too small or keep them in the closet in perpetuity (see One Size Too Small here.)

My father grew up picking potatoes and cutting wood in Maine, often in subzero temperatures. Even to this day, everything he does is defined by an extreme sense of survival. I have seen him scrape burnt toast and clean and fold aluminum foil for reuse.

In our home, for chocolate milk, we had Nestle's Quik, not Bosco or Nutella. I have a suspicion that this choice was driven both by compulsive neatness, another hallmark of many a spartan, Shaker-like New England household and the idea that it is easier to extract every last gram of powder from a can than syrup from a bottle. My father would watch our Nestle's Quik mixing ritual with a very keen eye. Regardless of how vigorously we stirred, there would always be some residue at the bottom of the glass. He would shake his head and in the most disapproving tone would say "Look at that. Pure chocolate"

To this day, on the occasions that I may have some dessert or beverage with chocolate sauce, memories of Nestle's Quik give me some agita, even In New York City where there is enormous waste. If every citizen practiced the most careful, frugal lifestyle, the sheer size of this metropolis still turns everything into a big thing, be it snow removal, traffic or the volume of trash. New York City produces an extraordinary 12,000 tons of garbage daily.

Seeing all the goods in this city along with all the trash, does give the sense that to be in New York is to live in the horn of plenty. Even the underprivileged or homeless will do better here than in a less populated environment. There are outreach programs, soup kitchens, shelters and just lots for the picking in the streets of the city. When offered food, I have seen many homeless ask what it is before accepting. On Wednesday nights in Washington Square Park a Christian group brings free food. But I have seen many homeless turn down food offers from them, saying that they were either full or did not appear interested in the selection. I am not extolling the benefits of the homeless life nor diminishing its hardships. But opportunity is much greater in New York to get by.

Recently, I celebrated a friend's birthday at Mud (see here). The desserts are a little pricey but excellent. Three of us shared two desserts with chocolate sauce. As you can see from the photographic evidence, we did a respectable job of finishing what was served. However, looking at the finished plate with a scrutinizing eye, one can hear a haunting voice that says, "Look at that. Pure Chocolate" :)

The Chocolate Library

The Chocolate Library Can Now Call Itself a Library

​Remember that debacle over the Chocolate Library, the East Village chocolate shop whose owner was forced to change its name to Chocolate 101 after the education department told him the law forbade the use of the word "library" in business names? In a victory for the owner, Byron Bennett, he's now allowed to call his place a library.

Diner's Journal reports that officials at the education department have relented on their earlier cease-and-desist and have told Bennett that he can amend his business' incorporated name to reflect that "Chocolate Library" is still on his awning. A department rep told the Times that "It was clear that upon second review the use of the term library of this retail chocolate establishment did not pose a problem." Appropriately enough, Bennett now plans to carry books about the history and origins of chocolate.

Chocolate State tells Chocolate shop

State Tells Chocolate Shop

Yana Paskova for The New York Times

Byron Bennett can legally call his East Village shop the Chocolate Library.

This fall the education department — which regulates the use of the words library, school, academy, institute and kindergarten in certificates of incorporation and company names — rejected Mr. Bennett’s application. The thought was that the store might be confused with one of those places that lends out books or provides free Internet access.

But after a call from Diner’s Journal, officials reconsidered. Mr. Bennett received a letter from the department on Monday telling him that he could amend his business’s incorporated title, Chocolate 101, to reflect the name on his shop’s awning.

“It was clear that upon second review the use of the term library of this retail chocolate establishment did not pose a problem,” said Tom Dunn, a spokesman for the education department.

But the controversy shouldn’t have existed in the first place, said Mr. Bennett, 38, who said no one had mistaken his business for an actual library.

“This changes things a lot,” Mr. Bennett said. “Now we can move forward comfortably with our brand.”

What’s next for Mr. Bennett? Books, naturally.

Before the ruling he had held off selling books about the origins and history of chocolate and how to cook it. He also plans to set up a kiosk where customers can research the international selection of chocolates he sells. He hopes to reach his goal of carrying 100 brands of chocolates.

“We’ll get through Valentine’s first,” Mr. Bennett said.

Chocolate May Reduce Risk of Heart Failure

Chocolate May Reduce Risk of Heart Failure

Forget what you’ve heard about death by chocolate. A new Harvard study shows that chocolate may be good for your heart. It’s a great day for chocolate lovers everywhere.

Murray Mittleman and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School studied data on 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women to assess the relationship between chocolate and heart failure. The women who consumed an average of one to two servings (that’s a fairly small amount) of high-quality, cocoa-rich chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of experiencing heart failure. Those women who ate 1 to 3 servings a month had a 26 percent lower risk of heart failure.

The scientists noted that the high concentration of phytonutrients called flavonoids in dark chocolate are potent antioxidants that are likely responsible for the results. The flavonoids are believed to lower blood pressure and reducing inflammation linked with heart failure.

Keep in mind that not just any chocolate will do. Forget the vast majority of candy bars on the market. The study results were achieved with high-quality, cocoa-rich chocolate. Read DARK chocolate. The darker the better. And, be sure the one you choose is low in sugar, has no trans or hydrogenated fats, and no artificial colors, flavors, or other synthetic ingredients.

chocolate cakes

The best chocolate cakes in Houston for this sweet holiday & beyond

Maybe National Chocolate Cake Day is just a ruse planted by Betty Crocker to convince all of us to eat more of the good stuff, the way DeBeers invented the diamond engagement ring or the candy companies invented Valentine's Day (well, sort of).

But doesn't chocolate cake sell itself? Do we need a holiday to get us into the most classically and richly delicious of all desserts? Maybe not. But we've got one anyway and it's Thursday, so grab a glass of milk and head to these spaces for the best versions in town.

1. Mom's Chocolate Cake at Benjy's

This isn't a "just like mom's" chocolate cake. This is the real deal, with each one still made by owner Benjy Levit's mother. (Benjy: Give her a break, already!) With a gooey layer that encases a rich, fudgy center and just enough pecans for a crunch, it's simply perfection.

2. 24k Chocolate Cake at Strip House

Paper-thin layers of moist chocolate cake and smooth dark chocolate filling imported from Spain, plus an elegant semi-sweet ganache all over make this the most decadent chocolate cake in town.

3. Uncle Darryl's Chocolate Cake at The Chocolate Bar

People may rave about the more straightforward Aunt Etta's chocolate cake, but we head to the Chocolate Bar when we crave something a little darker and more complex — a cake with a rich, dark chocolate layers surrounding a sweet filling sprinkled with toffee and chocolate chip crumbles, all wrapped up in a sophisticated chocolate ganache.

4. Warm Chocolate Cake at Mark's American Cuisine

You know how Love Actually is so stuffed full of saccharine rom-com cliches that it should be terrible, but it's so smart and cute you love it anyway? That's how the chocolate cake at Mark's is. Whether paired with praline or mint ice cream, it's simply divine without crossing that "too sweet" line.

5. Jennifer's Birthday Cake at Dessert Gallery

Jennifer is Dessert Gallery owner Sara Brook's daughter, and nothing takes us back to our own childhood like this ultimate version of the classic chocolate birthday cake with a few sprinkles on top for flair.

Bonus: Vegan Chocolate Cake at Whole Foods Market

We polled our CultureMap vegan extraordinaire, Joel Luks, who said for his money the best vegan chocolate cake in town is the unassuming version at Whole Foods. Who knew?.jsk-HeaderWrapper { display: none; } .js-CommentsSkin-echo .jsk-ThreadWrapper { padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; }

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Poblano-Chocolate Mole Sauce

For The Love Of Chocolate: Poblano-Chocolate Mole Sauce

Emeril Lagasse…..the man who made me start shouting “bam” as I add spices to my meals. This weird habit would get strange looks when I was sitting in a restaurant and put a little hot sauce on my meal. Just kidding, I wouldn’t do that in public….especially if my teenagers were around as I wouldn’t want to embarrass them! Just kidding, back to the cookbook. It was published back in Emeril’s haydays of 2001. He to me really was the first celebrity chef that hit it big on the Food Network. Who didn’t enjoy watching a little Emeril on a Friday night? But I only now see glimpses of Emeril on the new Cooking channel. This cookbook is still full of good Emeril recipes like Hot Corn Dip with Crispy Tortilla Chips……Andouille Potato Salad…..or what I made Poblano Chocolate Mole. The cookbook has several pictures…..of Emeril.

Poblano’s long use to be a fear of mine…..they looked so intimidating when the recipe said to char them and peel the skin. But one day I decided to take the plunge and made my friend Sara’s Poblano Zuchini soup and my love affair has not stopped since. Sara and her hubby Eric’s catering business also introduced me to my first taste of “mole” (pronounced moh-ley). This sounds so exotic! Mole is a spicy sauce flavored with chocolate, usually served with turkey or chicken, or as we served it with a pork tenderloin. It was like destiny that I made this sauce. I had conquered my fear of the poblano so I think I can make the mole.

If you have never cooked with poblano’s before, here is a cautionary tale. Do not touch your eyes or lips after handling them. They are hot and your lips will tingle after you touch them. I really need to invest in some gloves that I wear while cutting peppers. I could get seriously hurt one of these days. I have already been to the ER with a papercut to my eye so I know a poblano burn is in my near future!

This took some time to make, but I think it was well worth the effort. I do not have a gas stove, so I roasted my peppers in a pan under the broiler….make sure to watch them. I purchased a pork tenderloin and baked it with the sauce on top of it. I also poured some of the sauce on once it was sliced and on our plates as well. You could make this dish vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Even the youngest child tried it. See, he likes spicy foods. He puts tabasco sauce on chips as an afterschool snack. Nothing is too hot for this boy.

My only other adjustment would be that the sauce needed to cook a little longer, as I like my mole thick like Mosaic Catering had made it.

Poblano-Chocolate Mole, page 184

Ingredients:

• 1 pound poblano chilies
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved (root ends left on)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. To roast the peppers, place them directly on the burners of a gas stove over medium heat and turn them frequently with tongs until all sides are charred black, 7 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, the peppers can be roasted under a broiler, or over a hot gas or charcoal grill.) Transfer the peppers to a plastic or paper bag, seal the bag, and let cool for about 15 minutes.
2. Roast the two onion halves over medium heat, using the same procedure, until the cut surfaces are lightly charred and the onion is slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Peel the peppers, remove the seeds and stems, and coarsely chop the flesh. Remove the root ends for the onions and coarsely chop them. (The chopped peppers and onion will yield about 2 cups.)
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds, and pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are browned, about 5 minutes. (The nuts will make popping sounds as they cook.) Cover the skillet if the nuts start to jump out of the skillet.
5. Add the chopped peppers and onions, the chili powder, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cilantro and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the cream, stir well, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Puree the mole with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender. Serve warm.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,