May 31, 2010

Chocolate Ginger Cookies For Brave Kids

When it comes to hot and spicy food, I easily fall prey to the prejudice that is held towards my ethnic group. I don’t like hot food. I mean, some black pepper or a whole chili never really bother me, and in some cases are quite essential, but I never really eat spicy food which is so hot that it numbs your mouth. What’s the point to blur all the tastes in a dish for the sake of one? With that being said let me tell you that I absolutely adore very hot flavors that disappear after a second or two - like wasabi, mustard or ginger. I can eat those for breakfast.

I got the idea to make Chocolate ginger cookies from a cocoa mix Anna gave me on her stay here. Chocolate goes really well with hot flavors, and I thought that I never really tasted a chocolate cookie that had ginger in it.

I went to the “Organic Market” with my boy to buy some sugared ginger. Those little cubes were so beautiful that he immediately grabbed a big one and put it in his mouth, expecting a sweet marmalade like candy... “Oh, take it out! - it’s going to be spicy...” I told him right away with panic. And then, with the ginger cube still in his mouth, I kneeled down to meet his height, and said with a more relaxed sorry-I-acted-mommy-crazy-on-you kind of tone: ”Sweetie, this is ginger; it’s coated with sugar, but soon you will feel very hot in your mouth, so please take it out and try a smaller bite...” He spitted the chewed on cube, and then, after two seconds, the tears came rushing in. I think he never imagined that his taste buds are capable of feeling this way.

After making a batch of these chocolate ginger cookies, I filled our cookie jar, pleased with the outcome, but feeling a bit guilty because little “y” won’t be able to enjoy them. I thought to myself - O.K., these are adult cookies... but when my husband came home he didn’t get them at all. “Well, I guess there’s probably a good reason why you have never tasted a chocolate ginger cookie till this day”, he said. “The ginger just doesn’t work”. I disagreed with him, and just when I was about to taste another cookie to prove to myself I was right, little “y” stepped into the kitchen demanding to taste the cookie. I let him taste it after a long lecture about ginger and the way it made him feel in the market. He took one little bite and started crying again. I felt even guiltier: I was now making cookies which make my child cry, and not for the good reasons. I was sure he will spit out the cookie and throw it away, but surprisingly he took another bite, and finally finished it without making a sound.

This incident could lead me to one of the following conclusions: ginger and such flavors are acquired tastes, or a kid will put up with anything for the experience of chocolate...

Make these cookies for the right crowd, or choose to omit the ginger for great regular cocoa chocolate chips cookies. Either way, enjoy!

Chocolate Ginger Cookies
make 4 dozens cookies

135 gr. white flour
15 gr. dutch -process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
115 gr. butter, softened
200 gr. cane sugar
1 large organic egg
150 gr. dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids, coarsely chopped
60 gr. sugar coated ginger cubes, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 175℃ and line 2-3 baking trays with baking sheets.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder to a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, until light and fluffy in texture and in color (scrape the bowl with a spatula occasionally).

Add the egg, and beat until combined. On low speed add the flour, a 1/3 at a time, until fully cooperated. Stop the mixer and fold in the chopped chocolate and sliced ginger, until combined.

With two teaspoons scoop the batter onto the trays to make little 1.5 cm round domes, spacing them about 5 cm apart.

Bake for 15-20 min, or until the cookies are set, but still soft. Take the trays out of the oven, and leave the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the tray. Transfer the cookies to cool completely on a rack or a plate. serve with milk or hot cocoa.

1 comment:

  1. Well you're a brave blogger, for writing about cookies that make children cry...
    I believe in you're cookies! I love spicy, I love ginger, I love chocolate... What can go wrong??

    M.

    ReplyDelete