Truffle Shuffle, Thin Mints and (Holiday) Treats
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That is a thin mint wrapper. Not a condom.
Which says so much about my social life.
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You know you are in your midwinter weight slump when you step out of the shower, drop your towel and accidentally truffle shuffle yourself in the mirror. There is no Mikey or Data to let you in the super cool Goonie house on the hill. It's just you and the truffle shuffle in the basement bathroom of the SoMpls rental you call home.
Let's talk about cookies.
Over Superbowl weekend the roommate sent a covert text telling me he could get his hands on some black market Girl Scout Cookies while out in the nether regions of Minnesota. My love the GSC comes and goes annually. Some years I long for them like a kid at fat camp longs for the Entenmann's Variety Pack. Other years I don't give them two glances. This is a fat camp year. Due to some stressful pantie situations at work I turned to the one vice I have left. Sugar. Breakfast last Wednesday was three Samoas and a cup of coffee. Dinner last Wednesday was the balance of the Samoas and something I am sure I convinced myself was healthy. Dessert last Wednesday was a sleeve of Thin Mints. True GSC connoisseurs know that one half of the Thin Mint box is really one serving. Not whatever propaganda they print on the side of the box.
The next day as the pantie problem escalated I found myself physically exhausted from going all Lord Of The Rings on my email and woke Friday morning to find the empty shell of the remaining sleeve of Thin Mints nestled on the bed side table next to a La Croix, bottle of lotion and a dog eared copy of Nigella's Domestic Goddess.
After seeking solace with a fellow GSC Lover who told me her stash was hidden under her driver's side seat I decided that I cannot be trusted to buy any more this year.
If you read this blog at all you know that I am obsessed with my chocolate chip cookies. It takes a real special cookie to make me ask for a copy of the recipe. Not long ago at the office a fellow cube dweller brought in some cookies her mother had recently made. After devouring about 6 I finally asked for the damn recipe.
I've altered the recipe to honor the holiest of chocolate devouring holidays. Happy President's Day.
Cappuccino Flats
Based on recipe found on Star Tribune dot com Dec 2013
Makes about 4 dozen.
For Cookies:
2 C Flour
1 t Ground Cinnamon
1/4 t Salt
2 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate
1 T Instant Espresso
1 t Water
1 C Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Egg
For Icing:
1 1/2 C Dark Chocolate Chips
3 T Shortening
Directions:
To prepare cookies: In large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a double broiler over gently simmering water, melt unsweetened chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a small bowl, combine instant espresso and 1 teaspoon water, and stir until dissolved.
In a bowl of an electric stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and brown sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add melted chocolate, coffee mixture and egg, and beat until thoroughly combined.
Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
When dough is easy to handle, divide in half and flatten out into disks. Wrap dough disks in plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface, unwrap dough and roll first disk to about 1/4" thickness. Cut out desired shapes and place cookies 1" apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are firm and lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with second disk of dough.
To prepare icing: In a double boiler over gently simmering water, melt dark chocolate chips and shortening, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and let mixture cool for a few minutes. Dip one half of each cookie into chocolate mixture, sliding the back of the cookie on the edge of the pan to remove excess chocolate. Place cookies on wax paper until chocolate sets.