Chocolate

Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

March 15, 2010 by Charles 2 Comments

For me, chocolate is a lot like Ben Affleck – it’s best in a supporting role.

Chocolate-chip cookies, chocolate croissants, and chocolate-chip blondies are definite draws. Think Good Will Hunting, School Ties, and Mallrats. But put chocolate in a starring role – chocolate cake, chocolate truffles, or chocolate pudding – and you have a Gigli or Daredevil in the making.

By my standards, these pancakes are well cast. The chocolate chips meld into the oatmeal-buttermilk batter, giving a subtle performance, but one that adds to the overall production. They don’t steal the scene, but rather, focus it.

We all know chocolate as a dessert, but it’s a role it often plays, and usually overplays. But after making these pancakes, …

White Chocolate- and Chocolate-Chip Blondies

June 9, 2009 by Charles 9 Comments

A little while back, Caitlin and I were invited for a trivia night. The invitation was somewhat last minute, so we needed to find a dessert we could make quickly. These blondies were prepped and done in a flash. And naturally, they were great. That is, the blondies were a much bigger success than we were that evening. (People definitely had more blondies than questions we answered correctly).

The next time you need a travel treat,…

Thin Mint Cookie Cookies

April 2, 2009 by Charles 2 Comments

In algebra, the equation f(x) = x² describes a parabolic function that never dips below the x-axis. For any number you can think of, be it negative or positive, be it an integer or a fraction, the graph will never give you a negative value. With the exception of zero, squaring the unknown will only produce a positive outcome.

Which is what I thought would happen when I decided to square my Girl Scout cookies: there could only be a positive outcome. Or so I tried to tell myself.

Taking a mallet and smashing perfectly good Thin Mint Cookies …

White Chocolate Soufflé with Pistachios and Raspberry Purée

December 2, 2008 by Charles 4 Comments

To create the perfect soufflé, it helps to understand the science behind it.

Egg whites are made entirely of protein, while egg yolks contain a mixture of both protein and fat. When you beat egg whites, you are mixing air into the mixture, and the protein from the egg whites forms a skin around the air bubbles. As the soufflé bakes, the heat causes the air captured in the egg whites to expand, creating the puff. When the soufflé comes out of the oven and begins to cool, the air contracts and the soufflé begins to deflate.

Simply put, the rise and fall of your soufflé comes down to the egg whites.

With this in mind,…

White Chocolate-, Chocolate-, and Toffee-Chip Cookies

November 19, 2008 by Charles 3 Comments

Making the perfect cookie is not a two-hour affair. It’s not even a twelve- or twenty-four hour event. According to a collection of New York City’s top bakers, the best chocolate chip cookie doesn’t emerge until thirty-six hours after its ingredients have been carefully assembled. The long hydration period allows the slow-moving eggs to work themselves into the dough for the perfect flavor. These top chefs also recommended using a chocolate chip with a high cocoa percent (at least 60%), a healthy dose of sea salt (at least a teaspoon), and a good chunk of dough (to get a six-inch cookie).

On top of these suggestions, I like …