They are a motley crew, these chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. So irregular and bumpy, with chunks of chocolate and walnuts popping out all over the place. There was not one that looked like it matched the other, nor one that looked as though it was made in the same batch. After I stopped fussing (because I like certain precision in my cooking), I realised that was their beauty. And sandwiched together with the most luscious of ganaches they actually looked quite magnificent in the very unruliest of ways (if I do say so myself).
The cookies fall easily into the category of an excellent chocolate chip cookie – crisp on the outside and slightly soft and chewy in the middle. I love walnuts in baked chocolate goods and this case is no exception. And the ganache is so good you could quite easily eat it by the spoonful.
Now these are best eaten in the afternoon, with a chaser of milk. Although I am certain Mr Man will wake with chocolate smears across his face after sleepwalking his way to the pantry throughout the course of the night.
1 cup walnuts
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Ganache
113 grams/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup or glucose
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast for 8 minutes; let cool, then chop.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle (or using a handheld mixer), cream the butter with the sugars and vanilla at medium speed, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Beat in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 15 minutes so dough is firmer and easy to work with.
Form balls of the dough (around 1″ in diametre) onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until golden; let cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Ganache
Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil; pour over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Refrigerate the ganache, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable, 1 hour.
Sandwich the chocolate-chip cookies with the ganache and serve.
Notes: My (new) oven is quite hot so I actually baked these at 350.
Source: adapted from Food & Wine
© 2010 – 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.
wow love these will make them…yum