So, in case you were wondering ... dropping the lid to your 6 3/4-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven on your toe is not a good idea. I learned this firsthand last Thursday night when I broke the tip of my toe after dropping the lid onto it from a height of about three feet. And how did this happen, you might ask? Well, perhaps I was pulling the (quite heavy) dish out of the corner of the pantry with just one hand, while my other hand was preoccupied with holding one of these cookies.
Long story short, let's just say it's a good thing it isn't flip-flop season. And, um, does anyone know if they make Lee press-on toenails? (Are Lee press-on nails even still a thing?) Also, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to talk about toenails (or the lack thereof) on a food blog. But sometimes I'm a maverick like that. Who doesn't love a little real talk now and again? I will, however, do you the favor of not showing you a photo of the aftermath. Because, let's face it, no one wants to see that. Not even me.
In the end, should I have put down that cookie and grabbed the dish with both hands? Umm, probably. But it was a really good cookie.
These cookies remind me of the boxes of cookies my New Yorker grandparents would bring from an Italian bakery in their Jackson Heights neighborhood when they would come to visit. You know, the kind that are packaged in a big white square box tied with red-and-white baker's twine?
I always went for the ones with chocolate or nuts or sprinkles first – okay, that's basically all of them. These rich butter cookies have a tender crunch and delicious nutty flavor. And a dip in chocolate and additional sprinkle of chopped walnuts takes these cookies (and your tastebuds) over the moon.
Chocolate-Dipped Walnut Butter Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes about 3 dozen
For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (1 stick melted, 1 stick softened)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
For the decoration:
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour mixture at low speed, then stir in walnuts.
3. Form 2 teaspoons of dough into an egglike shape, forming a ridge down the middle with your thumbs. Arrange the dough1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in batches in the middle of the oven until undersides are light brown, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
4. To decorate the cookies: Dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place on a piece of wax paper to set, about 15 minutes.
(lightly adapted from this Gourmet magazine recipe)
makes about 3 dozen
For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (1 stick melted, 1 stick softened)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
For the decoration:
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour mixture at low speed, then stir in walnuts.
3. Form 2 teaspoons of dough into an egglike shape, forming a ridge down the middle with your thumbs. Arrange the dough1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in batches in the middle of the oven until undersides are light brown, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
4. To decorate the cookies: Dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place on a piece of wax paper to set, about 15 minutes.
(lightly adapted from this Gourmet magazine recipe)
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