Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Taste of Home: Berger Cookies

Every region has something unique, an item that only the locals know about. In central Maryland that secret, aside from Old Bay, is Berger Cookies. I remember going to The Farm Store as a little girl with my grandparents and getting a fountain soda and a pack of these delicious cookies coated in a thick layer of ganache. And although their recipe is a secret, I think I have concocted something pretty darn close to the original.

Without further ado:

 

Berger Cookies

Yield: 16 cookies

Ganache

3/4 pound Milk Chocolate

1/4 pound Dark Chocolate

1/2 pound Butter

1 cup Heavy Cream




Cookies

1/2 pound Butter, softened

4 oz Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

10oz All Purpose Flour

For the Ganache:

  • In a small sauce pot combine the butter and the cream over low heat.
  • Cut up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat safe bowl.
  • Once the cream and butter boil, pour over the chopped chocolate. Do not stir the mixture for 7 minutes.
  • After the 7 minutes has passed, stir the chocolate and cream mixture, with a spatula, until silky and smooth.
  • Pour into a shallow baking dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Do not stir during this process, it will make the chocolate lose its shine a smooth texture.
For the Cookies

  • Cream the sugar and the butter together.
  • Once light and fluffy, add the egg and vanilla.
  • Slowly stir in the flour until the dough comes together in a ball.
  • On a greased cookie sheet, place rounded tablespoons of the dough.
  • Press the centers of the balls down, creating a button shape.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until slightly brown. These cookies are very light in color, naturally.
  • Once baked, allow to cool on the cookie sheet until room temperature.
Assembly

  • Flip the cookies upside down.
  • With an offset spatula or a spoon, spread the ganache on the under side.
  • Refrigerate for another hour before serving.
  • Enjoy!
 

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