If ever there was a fraternity devoted to cookie lovers, it would most likely be split into 2 sects, the chewy diehards and the crispy advocates. I, for one, belong to the latter union. I have never quite learnt to appreciate the fudgy texture that the chewy cookie lovers so swoon over. I like my biscuits/cookies light and crisp...as exemplified by the sables featured here and here.
Having said that, I do wish to pay tribute to Bourke Street Bakery's Chocolate Sour Cherry Cookies. These are super-rich chocolate biscuits that when baked to perfection, is crisp on the outside and fudge-like in the the center - a clever recipe that not only addresses the needs of both sections of the fraternity but hold all chocolate lovers captive as well.
An easy recipe to follow, this has been tried by many. Ellie of Almost Bourdain/ Gourmand Recipe had first strongly recommended me to try this when I was gripped by the Bourke Street Bakery fever a while ago.
A great basic recipe, the flavours can be tweaked by modifying the level of bitterness in the dark chocolate, injecting more tartness with tangy fruits or imparting textural crunch with nuts. Absolutely delicious eaten on its own, I was equally besotted when I dunked it in milk. A cookie and a glass of milk - I get enough energy pow for the whole morning!
Recipe : (Adapted from here )
235g Dark Chocolate
150g Plain flour
40g Unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
100g Unsalted butter softened
240g Soft brown sugar
2 Eggs
85g Dried sour cherries
Method:
1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Melt chocolate over a ban marie.
2. Set oven to 165C.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and creamy.
4. Add in eggs one at a time until well mixed.
5. Add in (1) in 3 additions, mixing well after every addition.
6. Add in melted chocolate.
7. Fold in sour cherries.
8. The batter will be quite sticky. Refrigerate for 10mins and shape the batter with ice-cream scoop or spoon onto a cookie baking sheet - ensuring enough spacing between cookie for spreading.
9. Bake at 165C for 15-20 mins until risen and quite cracked on top. Cool on the trays and eat. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
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18 comments:
I'm also a crispy cookie person :) That's probably because almost all the cookies I've eaten are cripsy- chewy cookies sound sorta strange...
But I had my first Subway cookie a few weeks ago, which are like these ones- crispy and chewy- and they are so good!! These look so good I might just have to try them too ;) I saw these in the book, but I wasn't too sure about the sour cherries- what do they taste like??
Btw, guess what I just baked?? Soft buns from your recipe! They're very soft ;)
@Von - Can't wait to see your soft buns! Quite a few people have tried it and liked it. I am quite pleased that so many have affirmed it.
I've baked this from the Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook in the past. They are amazing aren't they? If you love these, you will love the Dark Chocolate Berry Muffins from their cookbook too!
Thanks, Sneh - will definitely try the muffins too...!
I bought the cookbook too! So many ideas so little time! I'm so glad you tried this one as I wondered how this one will turned out. I'm a crispy cookie person as well but never hurt to try something new! ;)
Love how the cookies have this crumply exterior. For they are sure to promise a fudgy centre :) I used to be a crispy cookie person, because of my boys, I'm doing lots of chewy ones these days & now I'm bought over. I'm a fence sitter now :) Can't decide which I like better!
YUM! These look fudgy and chewy just like I like 'em!
These look like just the perfect cookies. I too am a crispy cookie lover but agree that these cookies look wonderfuulll and im definitely hoping to try them! Gorgeous :)
Such a unique choco cookies. The bitterness makes it perfect for darky choco tasting tongue.
Shirley, oh gosh, look at those intense dark chocolate. My favourite! Going to KIV and bake these with my kiddos.
Hi Shirley, do u know where to get the dried sour cherries in SG? Thx. Steph
Oh no. Now I have to make these. : )
indeed... nothing beats dunking cookies into milk. looks like we've been well-conditioned by the oreo advertisement long ago.
Are the dried sour cherries from Bob's Red Mill?
@Anonymous/ Alan : I got some dried sour Bing Cherries when I was in Hong Kong a couple weeks back. However, I do notice that Fairprice Finest and Cold Storage also has a version of Dried Cherries. They may not be as tart but I think they will do just fine.
Ermmm...where in HK can I find them? Baking ingredients shop?
@Anonymous: I got it at the super market. City Super. If you are residing in Singapore, you can get it easily at Cold Storage where they have the dried blueberries and cranberry section.
I've heard such good things about bourke street bakery and these cookies are proving that they were all right! Chocolate chewy heaven.
Yes, I, too, have saved this recipe a while ago. Seeing it on your blog encourages me again to finally try it. :)
About the chewy/crispy issue. I have always been a fan of the crispy ones. In fact, as these cookies (read: American style biscuits :P ) are not rooted in my countries 'typical' cuisine, all there was were the crispy ones. I think that only over the last 10 years, the chewy ones became broadly available/popular. When I took my first bite, naturally expecting it to be crunchy, I thought they were simply old and stale. haha
Now, I DO appreciate cookies with a crisp outside and a fudgy inside. ;)
Cheers,
Tobias
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