Now that I have your attention...
The newest recipe in my kitchen is the chocolate wafer cookies from Smitten Kitchen's blog. You can very rarely find these in the cookie aisle from Nabisco, but most of the time if you want these, you have to make them yourself.
I remember the first time I had homemade chocolate wafer and ice cream sandwiches from my friends Jamie and Jennie from med school. They were probably the first people I had ever met who were foodies before the idea of being a foodie was cool.
Smitten Kitchen Chocolate Wafer Cookies
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.
Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed.
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less.) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.
Cookies cooling... this is the hardest part to wait for.
To take these already awesome cookies to the next level, I made ice cream sandwiches with some homemade blackberry-raspberry ice cream, a la Use Real Butter.
I figure this recipe is so good, it warrants a repeat picture of the ice cream sandwiches from HEAVEN.
Yes, ma'am!
Totally worth a killer workout at the gym.
