Winter is here, and all we can think about lately is comforting and warming food.

We admit that we even considered temporary residence in a cup of hot chocolate, but things didn't work out.

So what do we do with all this winter?

Make fudgy and soft chocolate cookies that you can't stop nibbling on.

Along with a cup of hot chocolate of course. 

More in the section: 

Adikosh's classic puffs

Butter cookies in ten minutes

Alon Shabo lemon pie

Winter also brings with it some fatigue, and we didn't feel like choosing a complicated recipe that requires too many steps and whipping creams.

The recipe we chose in the end is that of confectioner Mital Michaeli from Ashdod, who, in addition to selling pastries and desserts, occasionally publishes decadent recipes that always attract our attention, and this time she published a recipe for the coveted cookies.

Let's get going. 

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What did we think?

As Michaeli promises, these are perfect cookies.

They are soft, soft in the mouth, not too sweet, and do exactly the job.

We sprinkled coarse salt on top of the cookies according to her recommendation, and we were actually less attached to this twist.

We are indeed in favor of a balance of flavors, but we like our cookies sweet. 

Soft chocolate fudge cookies, photo: Adva Giladi

Difficulty

The difficulty level is easy.

The process of making the cookies is not particularly difficult, and if you follow the steps carefully, there shouldn't be any particular problem.

Those who get into trouble with piping bags, can use two spoons or an ice cream scoop, and place mounds of material on the baking paper, we also tried this method, and they flattened out during baking without any particular problems. 

What should be taken into account?

It is highly recommended to use high-quality dark chocolate, with enough cocoa solids.

The quality of the chocolate is critical to the success of the cookie, and we chose dark chocolate with 62% cocoa solids, which was just right - not too bitter, and not too light.

Don't panic, the paste comes out very thick, photo: Adva Giladi

In addition, in recipes that include mixing hot liquid with eggs, we recommend waiting for it to cool down a bit, unless otherwise specified in the recipe.

The fear is that too hot a mass will turn the eggs into an omelette, and we will have to start all over.

In this case - melt the chocolate with the butter a few minutes before you start whipping the eggs.

Mix the batter when it reaches the melting point for a uniform texture, and set the chocolate aside for ten minutes.

At this time you can collect the ingredients and whip the eggs.  

Our experience 

This is a simple and not very complicated recipe, the preparation of which takes about 15-20 minutes - including the sprinkling.

Our recommendation - pay attention to the different whipping speeds, and don't panic after adding the dry ingredients - the dough comes out very solid, and that's how it should be. 

When sprinkling the cookies, pay attention - since it is a very heavy mass, even if you sprinkle relatively small cookies, they will spread during baking, and the cookie will be of a respectable size.

Be sure to leave spaces, and if you wanted to make small cookies, be very careful to sprinkle a small amount of material. 

Soft and comforting cookies, photo: Adeva Giladi

As we mentioned above, we were less attached to the addition of coarse salt, but this is a matter of taste.

If you want to make the cookies more decadent than they are, we recommend adding toppings on top of the cookies before or after baking.

If you want to add nuts - you can scatter them before baking.

If you want to add white or dark chocolate coins, or other melting products such as peanut butter drops, marshmallows, and any creative addition you want - we recommend adding them carefully right after baking, while the cookie is still warm, so that they don't get browned in the oven which will damage their texture. 

We recommend a double amount, photo: Adeva Giladi

In our opinion, the hardest part of the recipe is the need to wait after the cookies have spread their fragrance throughout the house and come out of the oven, to allow them to harden.

If you try to pick them up while they are hot - you will probably end up with a burnt hand and a broken cookie. 

In conclusion

These are delicious and fun cookies, which were very enjoyable to nibble on, and were eliminated in a moment.

From the quantity shown in the recipe, we got 16 relatively large cookies, and if you want to double the quantities - we recommend making each quantity separately.

From past experience, doubling quantities in cookies is not always successful.

The cookies themselves come out soft, moderately chocolatey, and not too sweet.

This is a soft cookie, which may crumble in your hand, so you should be careful with it.

It is recommended to keep the cookies for up to three days in a dry place, because after that they lose the crispness that adds to their texture.

For inquiries and to suggest recipes that you would like us to try for you in the following sections - advag@israelhayom.co.il

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