April 29: Chocolate Tiffins

Chocolate Tiffins

Ingredients:
Bottom and Top Layers
3 tablespoons (1.5 oz) unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Middle Layer
5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 oz) unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon golden syrup or light corn syrup
16 graham cracker squares, broken into pieces, or a heaping cup of bear grahams
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried sour cherries or cherry-flavored cranberries

1. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick foil, or line it with regular foil and spray the foil with flour-added baking spray.
2. Make the first layer: In a small, microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high for 30 seconds, or until melted. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted as much as it can. It probably won't melt all the way, so return it to the microwave and heat on 50% power for another 30 seconds to 1 minute and stir until fully melted. Spoon half of this melted chocolate over the bottom of the prepared pan to make an even layer of chocolate. Chill the pan to set the chocolate. Set the bowl of the remaining melted chocolate aside.
3. Make the middle layer: In a second microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high for 30 seconds, or until melted. Add the chocolate and stir until fully or partially melted. If necessary, return to the microwave and heat on 50% power for 30-60 seconds. Stir until completely melted. Stir in the golden syrup, broken graham crackers, nuts, and cherries. Carefully spoon this mixture over the thin layer of set chocolate in the pan. Press down as evenly as possible. Return the pan to the refrigerator and start on layer three.
4. Make the top layer: Soften the remaining chocolate mixture in the first bowl in the microwave by heating at 50% power for about 30 seconds. Spread it over the cookie mixture to make a flat top. Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill for about 3 hours, or until set. Grasp the foil, lift from the pan, and cut into squares.

Bottom layer

Melting chocolate...again

Addition of the corn syrup

Addition of the graham crackers

Addition of cranberries and pecans

Middle layer

Top layer

Thoughts: If I had to make this recipe over again, the only thing I would do differently is make more of the top and bottom layers. After splitting them evenly, I felt like there wasn't enough to make the smooth layer. The other thing I'm not crazy about is melting chocolate. Sometimes it comes out and sometimes it comes out with this weird chunky consistency that can't be fixed and has to be tossed. Luckily it didn't happen this time because I didn't have any more chocolate. I was told this was a bit rich, but it was just right to me! The taste is overwhelmingly chocolaty.

March 27: Sour Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Sour Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 pound dried sour cherries or cherry-flavored cranberries

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-size bowl; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream; scrape the sides of the bowl. Stir in the orange and lemon zest.
3. Stir the flour mixture and oats into the creamed mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the cherries. Cover and chill for 2 hours up to overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of chilled dough about 2 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the cookies appear browned around the edges and set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dry Ingredients

Addition of eggs

Addition of sour cream and vanilla

Addition of lemon and orange zest

Addition of oats

Addition of dry ingredients

Addition of craisins

Thoughts: Another pretty straightforward cookie although I hate recipes that use zest...only because I'm not crazy about grating the orange and lemon. I couldn't find dried sour cherries so I found Ocean Spray cherry flavored cranberries. I made one slight substitution in that I used light sour cream instead of regular because I had it on hand already. I baked the first batch at 10 minutes and I thought they came out a little dark so I changed the baking time to 9 minutes and it seemed to make the difference. The last couple cookies came out very runny so I tossed those.