Mudslide Cookies Lightened Up Food

MUDSLIDE COOKIES

Steps:

• Start by creating a double-boiler to melt the chopped chocolate: heat about 2 inches of water in a saucepan. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium low and add a heat-proof mixing bowl on top (placing it carefully so that the base is not touching the water). Add the chopped chocolate, stirring regularly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside the bowl so that the melted chocolate can cool down.
• Next, sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl (we do this so that there are no clumps in the flour or cocoa powder) and give it a good whisk so that all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Beat the sugar, butter and melted chocolate together (using a hand-held mixer) until light and fluffy. Now add in the egg and beat again.
• Next, mix in the vanilla extract and coffee.
• Fold in the dry ingredients in batches ; don't over-mix!
• Finally , fold in the chocolate chips - reserving a few to press on top of the cookie dough balls later.
• Put the cookie dough in the fridge to chill for a few hours.
• Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and set the oven to preheat to 180°C. Also prepare your baking tray, by lining it with parchment paper. Grease well. Alternatively, use a silicone baking mat.
• Now, scoop out the dough using a cookie scoop (or even an ice cream scoop) rolling it into large-ish balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, around 3 inches apart.
• As a final step, press the remaining chocolate chips on to the top of each cookie dough ball.
• Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes until the tops are evenly cracked but the centre is barely set and the cookies are not yet firm to touch.
• Wait 5-10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack (or else they'll crumble); then let the cookies cool down before reaching for your first one!

JACQUES' CHOCOLATE MUDSLIDE COOKIE

Steps:

• Melt the unsweetened and bittersweet chocolates together and set aside
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix just until combined. Add the melted chocolate. Stir in the walnuts and chopped chocolate pieces.
• Spoon small mounds of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you want to make giant cookies, use an ice cream scoop instead. Space the dough mounds evenly and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F convection oven for 16 minutes.

MUDSLIDE PIE

Steps:

• For the mudslide cocktail blend: Whisk together the coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur and vodka. Set aside.
• For the chocolate cookie crumb crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate generously with cooking spray.
• Pulse the espresso beans and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the chocolate wafers and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Bake until set, about 8 minutes (if the crust puffs up at all, it can be pushed down with the back of a spoon). Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the mudslide fudge and filling: Warm the fudge sauce in the microwave on high until pourable, about 1 minute. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the mudslide cocktail blend; set aside.
• Set the ice cream out at room temperature for 5 minutes. Quarter the ice cream pints with a large serrated knife, peel off the packaging and place the ice cream in a blender. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the mudslide cocktail blend and process until it forms a very thick milkshake. Immediately pour it over the cooled crust and transfer the pie to the freezer for 15 minutes.
• Cover the top of the pie with the mudslide fudge using an offset spatula. Cover the pie with plastic, return it to the freezer and freeze until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For the whipped cream: Beat the corn syrup, cocoa and the remaining 3 tablespoons mudslide cocktail blend in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium until smooth. Add the heavy cream, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe it onto the pie to decorate and return the pie to the freezer until ready to serve.

MUDSLIDE

Steps:

• Put two small tumblers in the fridge to chill overnight. Put 30g of the chocolate in a shallow bowl and melt in the microwave in short bursts. Dip the rim of the chilled glasses in the melted chocolate, then stand them upright so it gradually drips down the sides. Return to the fridge until you're ready to serve.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the coffee-flavoured liqueur, vodka, Irish cream liqueur and double cream. Shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
• Put a few ice cubes in the prepared glasses, then strain in the cocktail. Finely grate over the remaining chocolate and serve with a paper straw.

MUDSLIDE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pot of simmering water, melt together the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates and the butter; set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add cooled, melted chocolate mixture, and combine on low speed.
• Add flour mixture, and continue to beat on low speed until almost combined, about 1 minute.
• Remove bowl from mixer; stir in milk chocolate by hand.
• Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
• Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets.

MUDSLIDE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a heatproof bowl, or in the top of a double boiler, set over a pot of simmering water, melt together unsweetened and semisweet chocolates and butter; set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cooled, melted chocolate mixture, and combine on low speed. Add flour mixture, and continue to beat on low speed until almost combined, about 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer; stir in milk chocolate by hand.
• Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets.

CHOCOLATE MUDSLIDES (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt the unsweetened chocolate and 4 cups of the bittersweet chocolate over a double-boiler (a simple double boiler can be set up by putting a metal bowl over a simmering pot), stirring periodically.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy and add the eggs one at a time, blending until mixed.
• Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined and stir in the nuts and remaining chocolate pieces.
• Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.
• Put the mixture into a refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly, but not completely, hardened.
• Reverse the sheet or tray onto another piece of parchment paper on a hard surface.
• Use a knife to divide the mixture into 20 squares.
• With your hands, roll each of the squares into a ball and evenly space them on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets (leave room for them to spread).
• Bake the cookies for 15 to 25 minutes, until crusty on the outside (they should still be gooey on the inside).
• Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before eating.
• Yield: 20 large cookies.

CHOCOLATE MUDSLIDE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the nuts in a single layer on the sheet; bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter; set aside to cool while you make the cookie dough.
• Melt the unsweetened chocolate with half of the chopped dark chocolate in a microwave oven or in a bowl over hot water on the stove. Use 15 second bursts on the microwave & stir well between pulses. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
• Add the eggs one at a time, then stop to add the flour, baking powder and salt; beat until well combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Coarsely chop the cooled and buttered nuts, then add them to the mixing bowl along with the melted chocolate and the remaining chopped dark chocolate; stir by hand to combine. The dough will be quite stiff.
• Place a new sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Spoon small mounds (a generous 1 1/2 tablespoons) of the dough onto the sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes; the cookie tops will crack; that's okay. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.