SKINNY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

I like cookies that are the size of a saucer.

A good oatmeal cookie in my books is crispy, slightly chewy, and full of oat-ey-licious goodness. Oh yeah…and wafer-thin! Ha! you didn’t think it would actually be low in calories from the title, did you?

No, today, it’s all about the butter and sugar, lovey. Head over to one of my low carb recipes instead for inspiration if you feel mislead. No, these cookies are full fat! and chock full of dark chocolate chunks! A Skinny Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookie from my kitchen is the size of a saucer, fooling your brain into thinking you’re eating a behemoth. But wait. There’s a sliver of health in this delicate biscuit. It’s full of fibre and though it looks really big, it’s still the same amount of cookie dough per cookie, but it’s smooshed flat prior to baking so that the resulting cookie is super thin, crispy all around and ever so slightly chewy from the large old-fashioned rolled oats. It’s all smoke and mirrors, people.

In order to achieve these super thin oatmeal cookies, which are approximately 4 to 5 inches in diameter, I rolled the cookie dough into a neat ball and pressed them flat on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Because they were a tad sticky, I used plastic wrap over the dough balls to make my life a lot easier and my hands much cleaner. The biggest cookie I made was about 5 inches and it was a thing of beauty. My 6 year old eyed that one first. It was particularly thin and it was almost more like a chip than a cookie in appearance.

Though the original recipe called for flattening the dough to 3/4 inch in thickness, I didn’t find that the resulting cookie was thin enough for my liking. I actually ended up flattening them down to 3/8 inch (about 1cm) and was extremely happy with the crunchy results. You need to watch the first batch carefully and adjust the time in the oven to ensure you don’t burn them. I ended up baking them for 13 minutes at 350 degrees F.

You can only make a cookie happier if you toss in quality dark chocolate chunks. I would hazard a guess that healthier folk may like to add chopped dried fruit or craisins; dried cherries and the like. I like oatmeal cookies that are super thin and enjoy them even more so when they are baked until golden brown. Maybe even a tad darker.

These were so good that I think I’ll be making them again very soon. Because I’m a mommy, and fibre is good, I added an extra shot of fibre in the form of inulin (Fibre Sure), which is a natural vegetable fibre derived from chicory root. You can only relate to the necessity of this extra shot of insurance if you have kids. Sometimes I add extra flax seed, but the inulin was totally undetectable. Let’s just say, better safe than sorry. Ahem. Trust me.

SKINNY CRISPY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

(adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, “The Best of America’s Test Kitchen: Best Recipes and Reviews 2009”)

makes 24

• 1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons ( 1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed ( 1 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• [cakebrain’s additions: 1 cup dark chocolate chunks & 2 tablespoons Fibre Sure]

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 large (18- by 13-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium0low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again. With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth, 10 seconds. With the mixer still running on low, gradually add the oats and mix until well incorporated, 20 seconds. [cakebrain’s note: add Fibre Sure, if you need it and toss in the chocolate chunks] Give the dough a final stir with the rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons, then roll between the palms of your hands into balls. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8 dough balls per sheet. Using your fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4-inch thickness [cakebrain’s note: I used plastic wrap to assist and flattened them down to 3/8-inch thickness]
4. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are deep golden brown, the edges are crisp, and the centres yield to slight pressure when pressed, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. [cakebrain’s note: I baked mine for 13 minutes since they cook more quickly when they’re uber- thin]. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack; let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

A BIRTHDAY TREAT FROM NOTTE’S BON TON

Vancouverites familiar with the legendary Diplomat Cake from Notte’s Bon Ton Pastry and Confectionery likely enjoyed their first bite of this multi-layered, rum-soaked sponge and puff pastry cake at a birthday party.

A birthday feels so much more special when you have a Diplomat Cake. The recipe is a well-guarded secret but as you can see, the components are clearly apparent: layers of shatteringly crisp puff pastry, heavenly smooth French buttercream, rum-soaked sponge layers and yet more buttercream. The maraschino cherry on top and the nubbly nutty sprinkles on the side of the cake are signature as is the whisper of ground pistachio sprinkled like fairy dust on the surface of the Diplomat.


It is pure buttercream bliss. The textural contrasts are wonderful and suitably memorable for birthdays. I care not to try to replicate this particular cake because the bakery has obviously honed the recipe over the many years they have been in operation. It has been an institution since 1926. My 7 inch cake was $14 and change.

My birthday isn’t until Monday, but I didn’t think there was any point in having my birthday cake on a work day when I was way too busy shuttling Bebe to karate class after school. I wanted to put my feet up and savour every bite. Bebe wanted to surprise me, but knew how particular I was about purchased cakes. She asked me what I wanted. I said, “Either chocolate layered with marshmallow frosting or a Diplomat”.
We headed over to the bakery after having Dim Sum at Sun Sui Wah and Bebe promised that instead, she’d surprise me on my actual birthday with something else…I can’t wait!
In the bakery’s window front display, there are a multitude of trays of petit fours. You can find a mini version of the Diplomat among a bevy of multi-coloured, nut-encrusted, maraschino-bejewelled pastries. There are so many to choose from that it is quite overwhelming—almost. The bakery keeps a supply of Diplomat Cakes as well as other cakes on hand and we didn’t have to pre-order one. I imagine though that if you had an important party, you’d want to pre-order just in case they ran out on a busy day.
I wanted to try the Chocolate Diplomat but didn’t want to be disappointed so I got the mini version instead to try out. Also interesting was the Mexican, so I bought a mini version of it as well. The rest were as usual, chosen for their chocolatey-come-thither-appeal.

Above is the Mexican. It’s so cute.

This one is like a trifle. It has chopped up maraschino cherries, which Bebe loves. That, and the cherry on top sure helps.

This is called a Chocolate Progressive. I think there’s ground almonds inside.

The above petit four is a slice of Chocolate Diplomat. I didn’t think it would look like that and instead thought there would be puff pastry layers. That looks like some sort of raspberry filling.

All in all, it was a successful outing. As you know, I love chocolate and I love cake. I got both. What a day!
Notte’s Bon Ton
3150 W. Broadway
Vancouver
604-681-3058
Directions

CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE FROM T ROOM BAKERY!

Seeing as I was battling the H1N1 at home with the two girls…both came down with it early in the week…and they’ve been cooped up at home, I thought it prudent to fight the virus with chocolate. Okay, they’re both on Tamiflu, but the chocolate is for me. I mean, I needed some chocolate as a pick-me-up because I was hoping it would cheer me up and help my body resist the icky germs that must be flying in my face every day from the girls.

You know me: I always have to overdo it. I carry sanitizing gel with me in my pocket, I wipe and spray surfaces and I wear gloves. I wash my hands after every contact with the girls, and at night after helping Bib get back to sleep, I keep the gel next to my bedside if I’m too tired to go wash my hands. I even bought one of these toothbrush sanitizers, the Zapi, with the ultraviolet technology to get rid of potential germs flying around my bathroom. I’ve been taking Red Reishii capsules, probiotics and been drinking green tea daily. I’m doing everything short of putting out cut onions around the house, which I don’t think does much other than make your house smell of raw onions…and that’s a waste of onion in my opinion, when you can be making it into something nice like a caramelized onion dip. mmm.


Silly me. With all this, I still have a feeling I’m going to get it. What’s a mommy to do? I’m not eligible for the flu shot yet because they’re still only immunizing all the at-risk people and now schoolchildren are eligible today. Oh well, too late for us. But, don’t you think chocolate ought to help? The doc said to get plenty of rest so I don’t get run down caring for the girls. I took it to mean to also treat myself to something indulgent. Any excuse.

I headed off to T Room Bakery and Kitchenware. I hadn’t visited in a while, but I know I wouldn’t be disappointed by perusing all the neat kitchenware and goodies on display. Looking at kitchenware and little French cakes always cheers me up. One side of the shop is dedicated to kitchenware and the other side is the tea room/cafe. They also have other rooms tucked away in the back and facing a little courtyard garden. In the centre of it all is the pastry display where the resident bakers get to make whatever strikes their fancy. On one visit, I noticed macarons! Today, they brought out a freshly baked rum cake. There was so much rum dripping off of the warm cake and pooling onto the platter that the cashier was overwhelmed by the fumes. That’s gotta be good.

Today I felt like chocolate and I really couldn’t decide, so I chose a Sacher, a Marjolaine and another chocolate layered cake with chocolate mousse, feuillitine and enrobed in ganache (I forgot the name) but you can see the pic I took below. And yes, in sticking with my over-the-top attitude, I overdid it again by buying 3 sinfully chocolate cakes instead of just one.


T Room Bakery & Kitchenware
4445 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC
(604) 677-2579‎
Check out my previous post on T Room here

BAKED CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

I just love new cookbooks.  A recent acquisition was Baked:  New Frontiers in Baking.  I kept flipping through the pages but didn’t really have an event that called for some of the amazing looking cakes in the book.

You may be shocked to hear that I actually need an event to bake at all.  I generally like to bake layer cakes for special events like birthdays but find it kind of over-the-top for everyday eating pleasure. 

Lo and behold the simple and straight-forward Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I found in the book!

I had an ample stock of Callebaut chocolate chunks on hand and who doesn’t like Chocolate Chunk Cookies any day? 

Before long, I had a nice hot batch of cookies, straight from the oven.  I kept the rest of the dough in the refrigerator to bake off during the rest of the week so that we could get that “freshly baked” feeling each time. 

Though I never met a Chocolate Chip Cookie I didn’t like, this one is very good.  It’s up there for making again.  I would say I like my cookies under-baked because I like the gooey innards characteristic it creates.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(from Baked:  New Frontiers in Baking)

makes approx. 24 cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups (16 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips [I used Callebaut Dark chocolate chunks]

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds
3. Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated
4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Use your hands to shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely (although they are delicious warm).
9. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.