Chocolate Sparkle Cookies

Submitted by glynn117

"This recipe is from the executive pastry chef, Thomas Haas, of the Senses Bakery in Vancouver. The Vancouver Sun proclaimed it "the best cookie in the world." I just baked it this morning and had it with my morning coffee...it's like heaven...tastes like a baked truffle! Cooking time is chilling time."

 

• Ready In: 9hrs
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 36 cookies

ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb semisweet chocolate or 1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate (I used Valrhona 70% cocoa)
• 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
• 3⁄4 cup ground almonds or 3/4 cup almond meal
• powdered sugar, for garnish

directions

1. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over, but not touching, simmering water.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Cut the butter into a few pieces and mix into the chocolate until melted.
4. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar until ribbons form (about 4 minutes on medium-high).
5. Fold in the chocolate-butter mixture.
6. Gently add the ground almonds.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Use a cookie scoop to form the dough into 1-inch balls.
11. Roll the balls in granulated sugar, place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and immediately place in the oven.
12. Bake until the center of the cookies is no longer wet, 9 to 12 minutes.
13. When slightly cool, lightly dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

Reviews

[davidmackay705]

This is not the original Thomas Haas receipe (source: I stayed at the hotel where he worked and was given the recipe directly, back in 2003). The original has cocoa powder and honey (blackberry recommended).

 

[swissms]

I found another recipe for Chocolate Sparkle cookies from Thomas Haas which called for 1 T honey to be added at the same time as the 1/3 c. sugar. It also called for 2 t. cocoa powder and a pinch of salt to be added to the ground almonds. All other ingredients and measurements are the same. It did state that 325F was for a convection oven; bake at 375F if using a conventional oven.

 

[Bibliobethica]

I made these and the other one that the other reviewer liked better. I prefer this recipe because of the sugar on the outside. I made some with white sparkling sugar sprinkles and some with just granulated sugar. The sugar gives them a unique texture that I think makes this cookie different from other chocolate cookies. Be sure to break any lumps in the almond meal before folding it into the chocolate. Freezes well.

 

[Lani Kai]

nice texture on the inside, but did not like the sugar on the outside, next time i will try without i would have preferred a crisper outside, but the flavour was very good, will make again

 

[skunk galloway]

Was good, but we liked recipe # 81280 better, (same genre of cookie). I prefer the other recipe, so won't be making this one again. Difference is, the other recipe had a more crispier outside texture with a definite truffle interior. This recipe didn't capture the truffle taste closely enough for us. Plus they didn't crisp enough of the outside to feel like it really was a cookie, were much softer overall. Just a preference I guess. Cheers.