my sweet tooth

I know... all my entries recently have been baked goods... cakes, tarts, cookies, muffins, etc. My sweet tooth seems to be calling to me ;0)

This week is no different. I actually have gone on a cookie binge... I searched all my favourite blogs: 101 Cookbooks, Use Real Butter, and Sugarlaws for cookie recipes that tempted me. I found some really good ones - including a new favourite blog. For the next 5 days you will be getting to share in these recipes too (including one of my personal childhood favourites).

The first recipe comes from my newest blog discovery, Smitten Kitchen - and is based on her Korova Cookies (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's world peace cookies). The claim to fame on this one is that it is the best cookie ever. Pure and simple. Who can resist such a challenge, not me! So here it is. Are you up for the challenge?

Korova Cookies
ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick + 3 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla salt
1 tsp vanilla
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (mini mini mini chips)

Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Beat the butter with your hand mixer until it gets really creamy. Add in both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat for a few more minutes to combine. I've been learning that beating the batter at this point is really important, since you hardly want to mix the batter once you add the flour - so get your "wet" batter as creamy as you can.

Now, add the flour and, using your hand mixer on LOW speed just combine everything. The dough is very crumbly. If you over beat at this point the cookies will end up being tough after you bake them. Add in the chocolate chips and just distribute with a wooden spoon.

Turn the dough onto your counter and press it together into a ball. Divide that in half and with each half create a log (about 1 1/2 inch in diameter). Cover in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Allow to chill for at least 1 hour, but it will keep for 1 month. I chilled mine overnight.

Preheat your oven to 325 F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper (I rotated 3 cookie sheets). Take out the logs and allow them to soften up a little - since I had frozen my logs overnight, I allowed them to sit on the counter for about an hour. Then, using a large knife, slice the logs into about 1/2 inch thick disks. If they crack or shatter as you cut, don't worry... just press them back together - you won't be able to tell once they're baked.

Place the cookies on the sheets with about an inch between them - but don't worry, they don't really expand while baking - what you cut is what you'll get. Bake one sheet at a time, on your highest rack in the oven for 12 minutes. They won't look done - that's ok. Let them cool on wire racks.

*Note- seriously the best cookie dough I have EVER eaten. EVER. This is the type of dough they should put in "cookie dough ice cream".

You should get about 3 dozen cookies.

All of the recipes you'll see this week as part of this "challenge" were actually baked in 1 afternoon/evening... dozens of cookies going in and out of my oven all day :0) I hope you enjoy these recipes (and try them too). I know I'll be making them again... especially this one. Smitten Kitchen is right - this is the world's best cookie.