Friday, July 23, 2010

Cran-Raspberry Cookie Sticks with Dark Chocolate Chunks

The name is lame. I need a better one to describe this chewy black raspberry perfumed treat loaded with raspberry flavored cranberries and dark chocolate chips. I’m out of ideas today and sadly out of cookies.

This cookie came to be because I’d left out my Chambord after making watermelon pops. It feels like I make a lot of cookies with this favorite black raspberry liqueur. I can't help it. I love the way it perfumes dough and works as a beautiful extract.

After college I worked in a bar for awhile and began my crash course in the different alcohols and how they worked together in cocktails. Recipes really. At some point I realized if they work in drinks why not in food? In baking? In ice cream? In popsicles? Alcohol and liquors add a dimension to all of these things and it doesn’t take much.

Speaking of recipes, I collected an armful of Redroot Pigweed from the organic farm yesterday. We were hoeing it out of a field to plant the last batch of carrots when Professor Jodi told me pigweed is edible. (That's my shadow on the left taking pictures and Jodi's on the right filling my brain with pigweed facts.)

Jodi said pigweed comes from the Amaranth family so I’m figuring it has to be safe. It has a slightly bitter scent that reminds me of red leaf lettuce, but I have no idea what I’m going to do with it.

Do you have any recipe suggestions for pigweed? I’d like to do something creative and fun with it. I might not get another chance at organic pigweed plants. Although I bet my neighbors and friends would gladly share their heavily sprayed ones!


Cran-Raspberry Cookie Sticks with Dark Chocolate Chunks
The Chambord perfumes the dough but you can skip it if you prefer, they won’t be quite the same but should still be good.

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup cran-raspberries (found in the bulk section)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon Chambord liqueur (black raspberry liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8”x 8” baking pan with foil.

2. Toss together 1 tablespoon flour, chocolate chips and cran-raspberries. Set aside.

3. In a mixer beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, Chambord, vanilla extract and salt until well mixed. Mix in the baking soda then add 1 cup of flour and beat until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and cran-raspberries.

4. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool in the pan.

5. For easy cutting: Freeze bars in the pan for 25 to 30 minutes. Lift cookies out by the foil and gently peel off foil. Place cookies on a cutting board. With a large sharp knife cut the square in half, and then cut each half into 8 strips.

Makes 16 cookie sticks.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.


16 comments:

Designs on 47th Street said...

Well now ~~ even though the pigweed sounds very interesting and my husband and I are always up for something new in the garden, I think I'll try the cran raspberry, dark chocolate cookie sticks! :) They almost look like biscoti. Are they that crunchy? They look divine. I love cran/choc combo. Have never tried the liqueur, but I know it would be good. Thanks!

Donna

Sue said...

Laura,
These "sticks" would be perfect for dipping:) I love their density!

I have never even heard of pigweed, so I have no idea what to do with it!
A future blog post for you?

Happy weekend to you,
Sue

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Donna,

They're chewy not crunchy, but they do look like biscotti!

Laura

Jess @ Sugar High said...

Oh, they're CHEWY? Well, now I REALLY want to try them! Alcohol can really do wonderful things to baked goods. Love this one!

Carol said...

I've never heard of pigweed-it sure sounds interesting. Wish I could help you out with a recipe to use it.....sorry-I can't.

Oh Laura, those cookies......YUM. I love Chambord. My Mom puts it in the cream filling she makes for chocolate cupcakes. She's done that for years (she also uses creme de menthe in cupcake filling)...she's 91-and STILL doing it. SOOOOO good!

Cyndy said...

Love Chambord and use it in my Cosmo Pops. Liqueurs are fantastic subsitutes in baking. I use Grand Marnier in my choc chip cookies too. Love these cookies they look so scrumptious. As always, beautiful photos! Never hear of pigweed either but googling came up with a plethora of sites that do.

Monet said...

Laura,
I've been wanting to try to incorporate different alcohols into my baking, but I'm completely unversed in this department so your post has already helped me! I'm going to give this a try once we get settled in Austin. I want to make a cupcake with wine too...but I don't even know where to begin!

Veronica said...

YUM! Raspberry and chocolate is a fave combo of mine. Esp dark chocolate with raspberry. mmmmm.

Vrinda said...

lovely combo n gorgeous pics....

notyet100 said...

looks delicious

Unknown said...

Saw this recipe and your pics and knew I had to make them immediately. Alas, I did not have Cran-raspberries or Chambord. So instead I substituted dried cherries and some Cherrycello that my friend had made. They were fabulous! Thank you!

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Ellen,

Homemade cherrycello sounds fantastic!!! I need a friend like that.

I'm glad you liked this cookie, I bet your take was super tasty.

Laura

Kruzon said...

Love cookies. Soon we'll expand our BKK bBakery to include some.

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

Love this recipe... Those cookies look incredible. I might have to run out and buy some Chambord so that I can make them!

Anonymous said...

I would like to exchange links with your site www.blogger.com
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bridget {bake at 350} said...

No suggestions for pigweed :), but these cookies sound incredible!

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