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Make Mom a Treat You'll Both Love

My mother always loved to watch me eat. Moms everywhere are like that: No matter how hungry they might be, they always want to feed their children before they feed themselves. So it's important, I believe, that anything children, whatever their age, cook for Mother's Day this coming Sunday should be something both mother and child would enjoy.

To me, that means chocolate. After all, who doesn't love chocolate, especially as a holiday treat?

So I'm happy to share with you an easy-to-bake goodie that any child (or husband) can make as a gift for Mom: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, a recipe originally created years ago at Spago.

No, I didn't accidentally repeat the word "chocolate." This recipe includes a double dose of that delicious ingredient, combining chocolate-flavored dough with semisweet chocolate chips.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

To make the cookies as chocolate-y as possible, look for good-quality chocolate, one where the label says it contains a high percentage of cocoa butter, at least 70 percent, which provides not only richness but also the luscious melting quality everyone loves. I like imported brands such as Valrhona from France or Callebaut from Belgium; but there are also outstanding American brands like Scharffen Berger from Berkeley, California, as well as chocolates from small artisanal makers too numerous to mention. Have fun trying different products before you settle on one you like.

Speaking of personal likes, I prefer my cookies well done. I know there is a custom in America of undercooking cookies, and lots of people are fans of soft or very chewy ones. But I really don't enjoy the floury taste of cookie dough, whether it's on a serving plate or mixed into a bowl of ice cream. By contrast, there is a wonderful richness to the flavor of pastry dough that has been fully cooked, and I believe that once you've tried a cookie baked the right way, you won't want to go back to half-baked, half-raw cookies.

Of course, that doesn't mean that these will be hard and too crunchy. The high percentage of dairy butter and cocoa butter will ensure results that are still perfectly pleasant to bite into.

And you and Mom will find them pleasant at any time of day on Mother's Day. You could make the dough the night before and bake a batch in the morning to surprise her with her first cup of coffee. Or offer a plate of them to her with her Sunday afternoon tea. Of course, they are also great after dinner. In fact, I love to dip them in espresso, like the Italians do with biscotti.

However you serve them, though, please remember something very important. You must let Mom watch you eat at least one!

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes about 4-1/2 dozen

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large cage-free eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted over a hot water bath or in the microwave oven

1/2 pound coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts or toasted and cooled unsalted peanuts (optional)

1-3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment or beaters (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held electric mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat them in; raise the speed to high and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl and under the beaters.

Reduce the speed to medium and, one at a time, beat in the eggs; then, beat in the vanilla. Stop beating and, with a rubber spatula, scrape in the melted chocolate; beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add and beat in the flour mixture just until combined. Add nuts, if using, and the chocolate chips, again beating just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon, divide the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each, rolling them between the palms of your hands. Arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking trays.

Bake the cookies until they feel slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes, rotating the trays 180 degrees from front to back after 7 to 8 minutes. With a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. If reusing a baking sheet to make another batch, let it cool slightly before arranging more balls of dough on it.

Once the cookies have cooled, store in an airtight container at cool room temperature.

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - Wolfgang Puck Recipes

(c) 2010 Wolfgang Puck