Chocolate Blackout Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sprinkles:
• Whisk egg white in a medium bowl just to loosen. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp. water and whisk until smooth. Mixture should be smooth, satiny, and very thick. If mixture is too thick or gloppy, whisk in another 1/2 tsp. water. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag and snip off end of bag (or use a resealable plastic bag and cut off 1 corner) to make a very small opening.
• Pipe icing in very thin, very straight lines across a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing close together (if icing does not squeeze out of bag easily, snip a slightly larger opening). Keep piping until you've covered the entire sheet of parchment (discard leftover icing or save for another use). Let sit at room temperature until hardened, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day (to speed up drying, you can also bake sprinkles in a 150°F oven for 2-2 1/2 hours). Lift ends of parchment to break sprinkles into various lengths, then gently roll your fingers over top to loosen from parchment paper.
• Cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let water touch bottom of bowl), stirring until melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until thick and light, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add chocolate mixture; mix just to combine. Turn off mixer. Add dry ingredients and pulse mixer on low until no dry spots remain. If dough is very soft, cover and chill until firm enough to scoop, 10-15 minutes.
• Using a 1 1/2 oz. scoop (or a scant 1/4 cup), portion out dough and roll into balls between your palms (if dough becomes very sticky while rolling, chill for a few minutes). Place balls on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart; flatten slightly. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets once, until centers are puffed and edges are just firm,13-18 minutes. Let cookies cool 20 minutes on baking sheets, then peel away parchment and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Icing and assembly:
• Heat chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let water touch bottom of bowl), stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool.
• Whisk powdered sugar and vanilla into chocolate mixture, then add butter 1 piece at a time, whisking to incorporate fully after each addition. Whisk until icing looks smooth and glossy.
• Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 Tbsp. icing over each cookie and top with sprinkles.
• Do Ahead
• Sprinkles can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
• While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
• Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.
• Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
• Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to smell fragrant and are lightly golden brown when you break one in half. Remove them from the oven and let cool. Roughly chop them and set aside.
• Chop 5 ounces of the bittersweet chocolate and 4 ounces of the unsweetened chocolate into large chunks and place them with the butter in a metal or heatproof glass bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until completely smooth. Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla, and let cool for about 20 minutes so it's not piping hot.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the sugar and eggs for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and thick and pale yellow. With the mixer on low, slowly add the chocolate-butter mixture and whisk for about 15 seconds. It will not be completely mixed at this point but that's okay, because you will finish combining all the ingredients by hand.
• Chop the remaining 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate into 1-inch chunks and shave the remaining 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate into fine shavings. In a medium bowl, stir together the rye flour, the chopped bittersweet chocolate, shaved unsweetened chocolate, baking powder, salt, and toasted walnuts. Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the rye flour mixture, and fold it in by hand until the dough is completely homogeneous.
• For best results, scrape the dough into an airtight container and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours or up to overnight before baking. (The unbaked dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drop the dough in ¼-cup scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the cookies are just starting to crack on the edges and the centers are soft but not liquidy when you press them.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to the rack and let cool completely.
• The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water;
• set aside to cool slightly.
• Combine eggs, sugar, oil and extracts in a large bowl; whisk to combine. Stir in the chocolate; set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Cover;
• refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread confectioners' sugar on a plate; set aside.
• Scoop walnut-size balls of dough; roll each in the sugar. Place on a greased or
• parchment-lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
• Bake until edges are firm, about 10
• minutes per batch.
• Remove cookies to a wire rack; cool.
• Note: Chocolate extract is available at shops such as The Spice House and Fox &
• Obel in Chicago.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make pudding mix as directed on box, using 1 1/2 cups milk. While pudding is hot, stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips until melted. Cover; refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
• Place remaining 2 cups chocolate chips in heatproof bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream to boiling. Pour over chocolate chips; let stand 1 minute. Stir with whisk until melted and smooth. Let ganache stand at room temperature 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Crumble 1 cupcake; set aside for topping. With end of wooden spoon handle, make deep, 3/4-inch-wide indentation in center of top of remaining 23 cupcakes, not quite to bottom. Spoon pudding into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 1/2-inch tip off corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening. Frost cupcakes with ganache; sprinkle with cupcake crumbs. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, combine espresso powder and water, stirring to dissolve.
• To same bowl add half of cake mix along with butter and egg.
• Mix on medium high speed 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.
• Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chunks.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2" apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake 9-12 minutes or until edges are set at center when lightly touched.
• Cool one minute on sheets.
• Transfer to cooling racks using thin, flexible spatula.