a snow day

I don’t know where you live, but here in the Northeast, where I am visiting for the holidays, is in the process of getting WHACKED by a Blizzard.  Usually, I would be quite excited by the prospect of feet rather than mere inches of snow, but it forced us to postpone a Boxing Day Party, and cancel a trip to Boston for the Revels Show at Harvard.   Now we are just having a lazy day around the house.  And in my opinion, the best thing to do on a lazy day is bake up a batch of cookies.

I can’t think of a more properly named cookie to bake on a snowy day than Chocolate Expresso Snowcaps.  I have spoken about these cookies before, but I made them countless times including for our cookie party a couple of weeks ago and I can’t help but sing their praises again.

(The cake stand is from High Street Market and a Christmas present from my parents.)

They come together quickly but then need a little time in the freezer (or on your balcony/porch in the winter). They also are a bit magical in the oven. You put in powdered sugar dusted cookie balls into the oven and out come intensely dark, chewy, snow covered crackled cookies. Perfect for a Snow Day like today.

Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps
From Martha Stewart via The Kitchen Sink

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons instant espresso
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, for coating

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients; beat in milk just until combined. Shape dough into balls using a cookie scoop. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar twice.

Place balls on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12 to 14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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