Chocolate Mandelbrot
Based on the recipe Liz tweaked for mandelbrot.
Use parchment paper (2 sheets is helpful).
Use slivered or half almonds instead of whole almonds: much easier to chop!
Dough needs to be refrigerated overnight.
Baking the cookie logs is NOT as persnickety as the recipe makes it seem.
INGREDIENTS
Make 3 dozen with small logs of dough.
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, prepped ahead of time
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 tsp almond extract (in case some spills; better to err on less almond, more vanilla extract)
OPTIONAL: 1 cup semi-sweet choc chips
PREPARING THE DOUGH
1. Chop the almonds and toast on medium heat in an ungreased skillet until fragrant, just a few min. Remove from pan, spread on a plate to cool quickly, and set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. It will have a consistency like a thin sort of porridge.
4. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. The dough will be very sticky.
5. Stir in the toasted almonds and any choc chips you are using.
6. Cover the top surface of the dough itself with plastic wrap, then cover the bowl with foil and refrigerate overnight.
THE NEXT DAY
7. Preheat oven to 350; racks on BOTH the top third and bottom third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Divide the dough into two portions. (A short, wide offset spatula helps!) On a lightly floured, heat-resistant cutting board, shape each piece of dough into logs about 2" shorter than the length of the baking sheet. Each log should be fairly narrow, 2-3 inches wide. They will spread a bit as they cook.
9. Place the two logs on the parchment-lined baking sheet on the LOWER rack and set timer for 12 minutes.
10. After 12 minutes, move the sheet to upper rack and rotate it from front to back. Set timer for 13 minutes. The tops of the logs should be firm to the touch.
11. Keep the oven on and bring out the baking sheet. Slide the parchment paper onto the cutting board. Cool for 1-3 min (OPTIONAL: line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper).
12. Using a serrated-edge knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. (NOTE: I typically cut the logs on the original parchment paper, then slide the sheet back onto the cookie sheet.)
13. Place the sliced cookies with cut side down back onto the baking sheet.
14. Bake for 10 min and then turn the cookies over onto their unbaked side.
15. Return cookies to oven, turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in the cooling oven for about 20 min.
16. Remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the baking sheets on wire racks. The extended cooling period helps the cookies dry out and get very crunchy.
Use parchment paper (2 sheets is helpful).
Use slivered or half almonds instead of whole almonds: much easier to chop!
Dough needs to be refrigerated overnight.
Baking the cookie logs is NOT as persnickety as the recipe makes it seem.
INGREDIENTS
Make 3 dozen with small logs of dough.
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, prepped ahead of time
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 tsp almond extract (in case some spills; better to err on less almond, more vanilla extract)
OPTIONAL: 1 cup semi-sweet choc chips
PREPARING THE DOUGH
1. Chop the almonds and toast on medium heat in an ungreased skillet until fragrant, just a few min. Remove from pan, spread on a plate to cool quickly, and set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. It will have a consistency like a thin sort of porridge.
4. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. The dough will be very sticky.
5. Stir in the toasted almonds and any choc chips you are using.
6. Cover the top surface of the dough itself with plastic wrap, then cover the bowl with foil and refrigerate overnight.
THE NEXT DAY
7. Preheat oven to 350; racks on BOTH the top third and bottom third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Divide the dough into two portions. (A short, wide offset spatula helps!) On a lightly floured, heat-resistant cutting board, shape each piece of dough into logs about 2" shorter than the length of the baking sheet. Each log should be fairly narrow, 2-3 inches wide. They will spread a bit as they cook.
9. Place the two logs on the parchment-lined baking sheet on the LOWER rack and set timer for 12 minutes.
10. After 12 minutes, move the sheet to upper rack and rotate it from front to back. Set timer for 13 minutes. The tops of the logs should be firm to the touch.
11. Keep the oven on and bring out the baking sheet. Slide the parchment paper onto the cutting board. Cool for 1-3 min (OPTIONAL: line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper).
12. Using a serrated-edge knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. (NOTE: I typically cut the logs on the original parchment paper, then slide the sheet back onto the cookie sheet.)
13. Place the sliced cookies with cut side down back onto the baking sheet.
14. Bake for 10 min and then turn the cookies over onto their unbaked side.
15. Return cookies to oven, turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in the cooling oven for about 20 min.
16. Remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the baking sheets on wire racks. The extended cooling period helps the cookies dry out and get very crunchy.
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