lifeinflux

Day 12 – Garam Masala Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

// January 18th, 2011 // A State of Yum

If ever a cookie demanded you take a bite with an open mind, this would be the cookie. Aarti Sequeira is the Season Six winner of The Next Food Network Star and is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I pilfer her recipes frequently on FoodNetwork.com. This past December when Food Network released their annual Best Cookie recipes, I found this one. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate, gingerbread AND garam masala but it took me a few weeks to decide if I could stomach the three together. I made the cookies, decorated them (I recommend the Royal Icing over the Chocolate Glaze), and immediately sunk my teeth into one. Yummy, yummy, yum, yum, yum! If you enjoy Indian food, you have to make these cookies. And if you’re not a fan of Indian food, you should STILL make these cookies. Besides being absolutely delicious with a touch of heat (spice heat, not hot heat), they are gorgeous cookies and perfect to give to friends for any occasion. Helpful hint: Shop Sur La Table for the fennel seed, dried rose petals and gold or silver dragees if you’re in a hurry. If you got a week or two, order them online for a LOT less. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour, plus for dusting
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows
Royal Icing, recipe follows
Toasted fennel seed, dried rose petals and gold or silver dragees, for garnish

Directions
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and garam masala in a large bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and ginger; continue to beat over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the molasses and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour in 2 batches and mix on low until combined and forms a sticky dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and pat into 2 (1/2-inch thick) rectangles. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to the bottom and top half of the oven. Line 3 to 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.

Roll each portion of the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (Important Note: If the dough becomes soft, chill for a bit in the refrigerator). Cut the dough with 3-inch cookie cutters, lay on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart, and chill for 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Decorate, as desired, with Chocolate Glaze or Royal Icing. Garnish with toasted fennel seeds, dried rose petals, or silver dragees.

Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cook until the chocolate melts, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to smooth out and combine.

Royal Icing
1 and 1/2 tablespoons egg white powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer over medium-high speed until it forms thick and glossy peaks, about 6 minutes.

Be sure to use this Royal Icing recipe for this particular cookie and not the Royal Icing recipe (thinned) featured elsewhere on Lifeinflux.  This Royal Icing needs to be STIFF in order to properly decorate the cookie.

Day 11 – Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread