I attempted these Homemade Fudge Stripes at the request of my husband. He has had a love affair with these Keebler classics since he was a kid. But we're trying to be more mindful of what we eat nowadays, so he asked me to try making them from scratch. Wow, these are good! The shortbread cookie base is perfectly buttery and crumbly, and it's well balanced by the smooth, creamy chocolate. These are far better than their store-bought counterparts!
As a bonus, this base cookie recipe might just be my new go-to cut-out cookie recipe. It is easy to work with, tastes delicious, has a fantastic crunchy texture, and it doesn't require me to remember to soften butter beforehand. It's perfect!
TIP: The chocolate is a prominent feature of these cookies, so the quality of the chocolate you use is going to dramatically affect them. (FYI, I used half bittersweet and half 70% dark Ghirardelli baking bars.) Just choose a good chocolate that you enjoy eating, and it will take them from tasty to phenomenal!
TIP: The original recipe didn't call for the cut-out cookies to be chilled before the putting them in oven, but I liked the results better when I did, so I've added that step.
Homemade Fudge Stripes Cookies
(Original recipe: Cookies and Cups)
1 C butter, cold and cubed
1 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
10 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cold butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla, salt, and baking powder and continue mixing for 1 minute until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
Divide the dough in half, putting one half in the fridge to keep it cold.
Roll out the other half on a lightly floured counter to 1/3- inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out the dough. Re-roll the scraps, so all the dough is used.
Using a smaller, round cutter or the back of a large piping tip, cut out the center of each circle. Place on the baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before baking.
Bake for 6-9 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow them to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat this process until all the dough has been used. Once all the baked cookies have cooled, make the chocolate base/drizzle.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate until smooth. Prepare a piping tip fitted with a small round tip (or a sandwich bag with the corner cut off). Fill the bag with 1/3 of the melted chocolate. Drizzle the chocolate in stripes on top of each cookie. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate stripes to set.
If necessary, reheat the chocolate, and dip the bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate, tapping off the excess. Place the cookies back on the wire rack upside-down, then back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate bottoms to set.
These cookies need to be stored in an airtight container in a cool place, like the fridge, otherwise the chocolate could melt and smudge. I also place wax paper between the cookies to keep things neat.
TIP: I only striped and dipped half the shortbread cookies. The other half went into the freezer for the next time we get a hankering for these treats, at which point all I'll have to do is melt some chocolate over a double boiler, drizzle, and dip!
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