You might want to make this recipe first and immediately get the cookies into your freezer, just in case of a party emergency.
This is a very sophisticated cookie. It has a dense chocolate cake like texture with walnuts, dried cherries and a kiss of Vandermint liqueur. You can serve it after a very elegant meal, pack it in a picnic basket, or as I did after pizza and salad.
The cookies aren’t particularly beautiful, so I enjoy watching peoples’ faces as they take the first bite. Totally unexpected joy and surprise! One of my guests exclaimed, “This is the best cookies I have ever eaten!”
This cookie is adapted from a recipe in Maida Heatter’s Brand-New Book of Great Cookies. I added the Vandermint liqueur and doubled the glaze quantity. Maida says to make the glaze while the first batch is in the oven. I find it easier to make the glaze first, keep it covered room temperature and have it ready to go.
I don’t know how Maida would feel about this, but I hope she would approve and wouldn’t mind that I tweaked the recipe. Feel free to tweak away!
CHERRY WALNUT CHOCOLATE HERMIT COOKIES
EVENT: DING-DONG! The Termites Are Gone!
MAKES: 40 Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped *
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 oz semisweet chocolate
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons powdered espresso
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Vandermint liqueur
4 oz chopped dried cherries *
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, strained
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Equipment
Double boiler
Large baking sheets
Parchment paper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Adjust oven racks, dividing oven into thirds.
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Make the glaze: In small bowl, blend all of the glaze ingredients until smooth. Cover the glaze and set aside.
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Place unsweetened and semisweet chocolate into double boiler over medium heat, and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
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Sift together flour, baking soda, espresso powder, cocoa and salt.
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In electric mixer, beat butter until soft. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until mixed. Add melted chocolate, eggs, sour cream, Vandermint and combine until well blended.
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Slowly add dry ingredients and beat on low, until combined.
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Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the chopped cherries and walnuts.
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Using an ice cream scoop, scoop dough and place on parchment lined baking sheet two inches apart.
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Bake these 1 sheet at a time.
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Place first sheet in oven and bake for approximately 6 minutes. Reverse sheet front to back.
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Bake only until the cookies spring back when pressed with finger.
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Remove sheet from oven and immediately put generous dub of glaze on each cookie. Spread glaze with pastry brush.
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Remove cookies from rack to cool.
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When cookies are totally cooled, they can be wrapped two together and placed in an airtight container, and frozen for 2 months.
* A NOTE: I buy my walnuts and dried cherries at Costco.
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