To my chocolate loving friends out there, hold on to your hats for this one!
I have been making chocolate mousse with Chambord since I can remember. I think the original NY Times recipe I came across as a kid listed Grand Marnier as an option and that just didn't sit right with me. I wanted a raspberry kick to go into the chocolate, so Chambord it was. And so began my love affair with that oh-so-delectable liquor!
A little over a week ago, I made a last minute decision to head to NYC with my little chef Samantha to attend annual Bloggers Without Borders 2nd annual Cookie Swap fundraiser at Hill Country Barbecue to benefit Why Hunger.
My 8 year old daughter thinks NYC is one of the coolest places, so I figured we could do a good deed, see some familiar faces, then head off into the city for a day of fun.
I wanted to come up with something different for my cookie contribution so the day before an idea popped in my head to see if I could make a Chocolate Chambord Cookie, I tinkered and tinkered and came up with what I thought were pretty tasty cookies. My son and his friend couldn't get enough of them that Saturday. However as good as they were Saturday...Sunday, they just didn't meet my expectations. Between something needing adjustment, a boiling hot train car, and the bang up journey to the event. They began to soften and break. 🙁
I am usually a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to making food for others...but oh well what could I do at that point. We had a blast, some great BBQ (the corn pudding was my favorite taste of the day) and tasted a number of delicious cookies.
The following week, I got down to business fixing the recipe to meet my standards...and I am happy to report...I did! My girlfriend Susie...who is the truest chocoholic I know, texted me the following after I dropped some of these of at her house for taste testing:
"Those cookies where one of the most delicious things I have eaten in my chocolate career!"
-Susie, Chocolate lover extraordinaire and one heck of a great person
If Susie says it...it must be true, lol!
So, here is a gift from me to you this holiday season...a new cookie that just may become a part of your holidays to come! Enjoy!!
Chocolate Chambord Cookies
Yields 2 dozen decadent cookies
1 cup flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 TBS Chambord liquor
Chocolate Chambord Drizzle
1 cup powdered sugar
4 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ TBS Chambord
For the cookies. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk until fully incorporated, set aside. In your mixer, combine your butter and sugar, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in your egg and mix for another minute. Add in your flour mixture, then your Chambord and continue mixing until all is incorporated. Cover and chill for at least an hour (or overnight) allowing the flavors to deepen.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The dough will be thick and fudge-like. Use a spoon your or your hands to grab a walnut-sized portion of dough and roll into a ball. Place on sheet and press down just a little. Bake for 9 minutes or until cookies are cracked a bit on top and cooked through. Allow cookies to cool for a bit on your baking sheet, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once your cookies are completely cooled, prepare the drizzle by combining the powdered sugar, cocoa and Chambord. If you need to add a bit more Chambord to get it to mix well you can add up to an additional ½ TBS more. Just don't make it to loose, since you want the drizzle to firm up just right. Scrape your drizzle in a plastic baggie , snip of just a tiny bit of one corner of the bag and drizzle away! Allow the drizzle to firm up before storing the cookies (to speed it up, chill them a bit).
These knocked my socks off! Seriously! I tasted one when I got home and could not believe how lovely the flavor was. I'm so glad you brought them (and so glad you posted the recipe. I might make these for my office potluck next week 🙂
Yes, I'm convinced that chocolate and Chambord were made for each other. Please tell me how to adjust this recipe for elevation 6035 ft. None of what I usually do at this elevation worked. I ended up with very flat cookies. Had to make a chocolate raspberry with chocolate mascapone layered dessert out of it.
It was. Since Chambord isn't inexpensive I couldn't bear the thought of throwing away the "cookies" so, with them being as flat as they were I layered them into a 9x13 with mascarpone cheese (mixed with cocoa powder) and fresh raspberries. Sprinkled bittersweet chocolate chips on top and served it w/ chocolate truffle coffee.
I concur with anonymous, someone should consider that not everybody lives at sea level. These cookies are way too good NOT to have them turn out right. Hmmm, a lasagna style dessert using the flat cookies. I might have to mess up a batch on purpose. 🙂 )karenscookies2@gmail.com
These knocked my socks off! Seriously! I tasted one when I got home and could not believe how lovely the flavor was. I'm so glad you brought them (and so glad you posted the recipe. I might make these for my office potluck next week 🙂
I need CHAMBORD stat!!! Anything with booze 🙂
Mmmm...these sound yummy! I may have to put these on my "to bake" list!
I'd like permission to repost this recipe with proper links and so forth on my blog, it looks just to swoon for.
Waving from Houston .
Aunty Pol
This recipe looks amazing. I may have to wow the family with these this year. (And I love that you shared the endorsement from Susie!)
Do you think you could add some kind of a chocolate chunk? These sound so good...but I have a love affair with chocolate chunks 🙂
Yes, I'm convinced that chocolate and Chambord were made for each other. Please tell me how to adjust this recipe for elevation 6035 ft. None of what I usually do at this elevation worked. I ended up with very flat cookies. Had to make a chocolate raspberry with chocolate mascapone layered dessert out of it.
It was. Since Chambord isn't inexpensive I couldn't bear the thought of throwing away the "cookies" so, with them being as flat as they were I layered them into a 9x13 with mascarpone cheese (mixed with cocoa powder) and fresh raspberries. Sprinkled bittersweet chocolate chips on top and served it w/ chocolate truffle coffee.
I concur with anonymous, someone should consider that not everybody lives at sea level. These cookies are way too good NOT to have them turn out right. Hmmm, a lasagna style dessert using the flat cookies. I might have to mess up a batch on purpose. 🙂 )karenscookies2@gmail.com