TWD—Chocolate Raspberry Ice Box Cookies Recipe

The recipe for Tuesdays With Dorie today is called Chocolate Spice Quickies, which are a chocolate cookie with allspice or cloves in them.  One—I have decided I don’t really like certain spices with chocolate.  Two—I don’t consider cookies where the dough has to chill for four hours to be quickies.  But never fear—for the most part, I made Dorie’s cookies (without the spices) and with my own twist and they are really good!

Dorie’s recipe has a little vanilla in it and when I was reaching for the vanilla, I saw that I have some raspberry extract and since I knew I was leaving out the spices, it hit me that it would be fun (and yummy!) to make a different kind of cookie and I think chocolate and raspberry are GREAT together.

I used some almond flour that I already have instead of grinding up some blanched almonds in the food processor.  And I used Bestlife buttery baking sticks in place of butter.  So really, I followed the recipe except for omitting the spices and using raspberry extract instead of vanilla.

After making the dough, in the food processor, which I only made half a recipe of, I put it in plastic and rolled it into a log as directed.  After the big chill in the fridge, I sliced the cookies.

Took turns baking 24 cookies from the one log (half recipe).  After seeing them baked, I wasn’t really thrilled with how they looked.

Dorie mentioned that the cookies could be half dipped in chocolate, so of course that’s what I did.  But instead of dipping half, I dipped the top of the cookies in melted dark chocolate.  Then I had an idea to sprinkle the cookies with some crushed freeze dried raspberries that I have.

I think they added the perfect touch to the cookies.

The sprinkling of raspberries were the perfect touch and really add to the raspberry flavor—until Taylor, my seven year old walked up and said, “that looks like bacon bits”.  SIGH  He’s kind of right.  Except that these taste like raspberry and are great little cookies.

Chocolate Raspberry Ice Box Cookies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours-Chocolate Spice Quickies, page 140

3/4 cup all purpose flour (90 grams)

1/4 cup almond meal flour

1  1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup Bestlife butter (2 ounces), (regular butter is fine)

1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract

1/2 an egg (measure in grams if possible and divide in half)

1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled

Put the flour, almond flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk together.  Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process for a minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and process again until smooth.  Add the egg and raspberry extract and process for 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and process again for 30 seconds.  Add the melted chocolate and pulse to blend together.  Add the dry ingredients and pulse until fully incorporated.  Scrape the dough onto some plastic wrap.  Covering the dough with the wrap, roll it into a log about 8 inches long and one inch in diameter.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unwrap the cookie dough log and slice into 1/4 inch-thick rounds and place them on the cookie sheets.  Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time for 7-9 minutes (I did 9).  Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies sit on the sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate glaze and sprinkles--

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup crushed freeze dried raspberries (optional)

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each time until completely melted and smooth, about 1 minute.  Let cool slightly.

Dip the top of each cookie in the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.  Once they are all dipped in chocolate, sprinkle each cookie with the crushed raspberries.  Let chocolate set or refrigerate cookies until chocolate is hardened.   Makes 24 cookies.

This week’s recipe for the Chocolate Spice Quickies was chosen by Jessica of My Baking Heart.  She’ll have the recipe.