For many the holidays mean cookie baking time – that is definitely the case in our house. Each year I make three or four batches of my signature cookie, Chocolate Chip-Pecan-Oatmeal Cookies, around Thanksgiving and freeze them. I then share them with family and friends throughout December.

We did a complete kitchen renovation earlier this year and as a result I have a brand new oven (replacing my oven that was 24 years old!). Before I set out to bake 24+ dozen cookies, I thought it was best to test out the oven first. Why not use this as an opportunity to test out a new recipe? Not only did I get to test out our new oven, I also tested out our new generator as our power went out (for no apparent reason) as I was mixing up the batter and came back on just as the last batch came out of the oven. Thankfully the oven worked great.

I was intrigued by this Milk Street recipe as the original bakers used sour cherries but the recipe testers at Milk Street adapted the recipe as sour cherries are often difficult to find (although I did see them at Trader Joe’s but resisted purchasing them). They added balsamic vinegar to sweet cherries to make them sour. It was just the right touch with no residual vinegar taste and worked so well with the chocolate.

You use two types of chocolate in this recipe – coarsely chopped dark chocolate (70%) and unsweetened cocoa powder. This cookie is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The addition of pecans gives it a bit of crunch. Speaking of Trader Joe’s, I love their Unsalted-Dry Roasted Pecan Pieces. I find them to be just the right size for cookies with no additional chopping needed. I used Deer Creek Malthouse’s small batch all-purpose flour so that I could taste a few before sharing with family and friends.

This recipe is from Sydney, Australia’s Bourke Street Bakery – they are on their menu year round. In 2019, they opened their first location in the United States in New York City.

You can see that Hedgie the Hedgehog, the official mascot of Riegl Palate, approves. He loves cookies like every good hedgehog should. Hedgie first appeared in the Autumn Fire Cocktail post.

Double Chocolate-Cherry-Pecan Cookies

 

Double Chocolate-Cherry-Pecan Cookies
5.0 from 4 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author:
Serves: 32 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 6 ounces (1 cup) dried sweet cherries, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Position rack in the middle of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
  3. In a small microwave safe bowl, stir together the cherries and vinegar. Microwave uncovered on high until the cherries absorb most of the vinegar, about 1-1/2 minutes. Set aside.
  4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add 1 ounce (1/4 cup) of the chopped chocolate and the cocoa and remove the pan from the heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool until barely warm to the touch. (Make sure to cool the melted chocolate until barely warm or it will cook the egg when added.)
  5. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat egg and both sugars on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. With the mixer running on low, add vanilla, then slowly pour in the chocolate-butter mixture. Beat on medium until blended well, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
  7. With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
  8. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the remaining chopped chocolate, pecans and cherries along with any remaining liquid until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  9. Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons and shape into a ball), place dough on prepared cookie sheets (8 per medium cookie sheet). Bake until slightly cracked on top and the edges feel firm, 14 to 16 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets about halfway through (if they’re not on the same rack).
  10. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes and transfer the cookies directly to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.
  11. Cookies keep stored in an airtight container for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
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Source:  Variation on a recipe from Milk Street, January – February, 2020