Chocolate Snowquakes Food

CHOCOLATE WALNUT SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Finely chop 1/2 cup of the walnuts and set aside. Process the remaining 3/4 cup walnuts with 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the butter and vanilla and process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and process until most of the dough forms a ball and is completely combined. Scrape the dough into a bowl with a rubber spatula and fold in the chocolate chips and reserved chopped walnuts.
• Roll mounded teaspoons of the dough into 1-inch balls and space evenly apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until cracked on top and mostly firm but still slightly springy when pressed, about 18 minutes (they will firm up out of the oven). Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; you want them to be slightly warm for the first tossing in sugar.
• Meanwhile, put the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Toss the warm cookies very gently in the sugar until evenly coated. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes, then toss again in the sugar so they are very white. The cookies will keep in a little bit of extra sugar in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SNOWQUAKES

Steps:

• Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• Cream butter until fluffy.
• Add brown sugar and white sugar to creamed butter, beating well; beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
• Stir in chocolate chips; cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
• Shape 1 T dough into ball and roll in powdered sugar, repeating with each cookie.
• Bake cookies (on pan lined with parchment paper) at 350° for 10 minutes, and remove to rack to cool.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SNOWQUAKES

Steps:

• Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter until it's smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer, on medium speed(sometimes I'm just too lazy to get out my mixer and do this by hand).
• Add the brown and white sugars and beat until well mixed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well . Reduce speed to medium low, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix until a soft dough forms(again, I usually do this by hand).
• Add chocolates and mix well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350* F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside(Sometimes I just spray generously with cooking spray when I don't have parchment paper).
• Place the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Keeping dough well chilled, form 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar to coat generously(don't shake off excess sugar).
• Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until they have puffed up and cracked and are slightly firm to the touch.
• Move the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE SNOWQUAKES

Steps:

• 1. Make the dough: Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Add the sugars and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Reduce mixer speed to medium low, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix until a soft dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix to incorporate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. 2. Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and set aside. Keeping dough well chilled, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar to coat generously -- do not shake off excess sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking pans. Bake until cookies have puffed and cracked and are slightly firm to the touch -- 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.