Murder by Mocha (40 page)

Step 1—Prep the oven and pan:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, extending the paper or foil beyond the pan to make handles (this will allow you to lift the brownies out of the pan while still warm). Lightly coat the paper or foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2—Make the chocolate mixture:
Place the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe container and heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each session, until the mixture has melted. (Or warm the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat. Be sure to stir continually to prevent scorching.) After the chocolate mixture is melted and smooth, stir in the cinnamon and espresso powder. Set aside.

Step 3—Create batter and bake:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk. Whisk in both of the sugars and the salt. Whisk in the chocolate mixture from Step 2. Switching to a spoon or spatula, stir in the flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips. Blend enough for a smooth batter, but do not overmix or you’ll produce gluten in the flour and toughen the brownies. Pour the batter into the pan and bake about 30 minutes. Underbaking is smarter than over-baking. The brownies are done when the top surface has become solid and displays small cracks. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan no more than 5 minutes. Using the parchment paper (or foil) handles that you made in Step 1, carefully lift the entire brownie cake out of the hot pan and allow to finish cooling on a rack. Cut into small or large squares and eat with joy!

Chocolate Zombie Clusters

When Clare Cosi isn’t dreaming of Mike, she’s dreaming up recipes. From the moment Detective Sue Ellen Bass mentioned zombies on Eighth Avenue, Clare couldn’t stop thinking about the challenge of creating a chocolate recipe that was so easy a zombie could make it (no-bake, natch!) and so delicious it would send the eater into a food- bliss trance. Maybe a cross between a cookie and a candy, hmm . . .

For inspiration, she did a little research into real zombies. Historically, the most famous “zombie” case was discovered in Haiti. A man was made into a zombie with a “zombie powder” that contained plants with spines and toxic resins, puffer fish, and ground bones.

Ground bones! she thought. That’s it! Her cookies needed to have a satisfying zombie bones crunch to them. Spying the Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread on her counter next to a container of nuts, she snapped her fingers, pulled out her saucepan, and Chocolate Zombie Clusters were born.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups coarsely chopped nuts, toasted (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, or any combination)

¾ cup Nutella
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole or low-fat milk
¼ cup cocoa powder

Step 1—Prep:
Later in this recipe, you will need to add the following ingredients very quickly, so get them ready now. Measure out the roughly chopped nuts (toast them first for better flavor; see how at the end of this recipe). Set the nuts aside. In a small bowl, mix the Nutella and vanilla and set aside. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. This is where you will drop the hot, no-bake cookie dough.

Step 2—Cook up the batter:
Place the butter, sugar, salt, milk, and cocoa powder in a nonstick saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil while frequently stirring to prevent scorching. Boil for 2 minutes. (Be sure to boil for the full 2 minutes to get the best result.)

Step 3—Remove from heat and finish:
Remove the pan from the heat. Wait 2 full minutes for the boiling to subside and the mixture to cool off a bit. Stir in the Nutella-vanilla mixture and the chopped nuts.

Step 4—Drop and cool:
Drop the cookies by the tablespoon onto the lined baking sheets. As they cool, they’ll harden. To speed up the hardening process, slip the pan into the refrigerator. Then pick one up, take a bite, and become a chocolate zombie!

How to Toast Nuts:
Toasting nuts brings incredible flavor out of them, and the process is so easy it’s truly worth that extra step. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in for 8–10 minutes. Stir once or twice to prevent scorching. You’ll know they’re done when your kitchen air become absolutely redolent with the flavor of warm nuts.

Frozen Mexican Choco-Latte

With Gudrun Voss on board as the Village Blend’s new chocolate supplier, Clare added a Mexican Choco-Latte to her coffeehouse menu. The drink proved so popular she tried to imagine some novel variations. The food muse was quiet for a while, and then Clare went to sleep. After she woke up in a cold sweat, she imagined this drink: there’s nothing like a nightmare about a homicidal ice sculpture to inspire the creation of a new recipe.

Makes two 6-ounce servings

½ cup brewed coffee or espresso (for 6 coffee ice cubes)
½ cup low-fat milk
½ cup vanilla ice cream
½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sweetened whipped cream, optional
Chocolate shavings (or sprinkling of cinnamon), for garnish

Method:
Fill an ice tray with the coffee and freeze. Place the coffee ice cubes in a blender. Add the milk, ice cream, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Pulse the blender to chop the coffee ice cubes into fine particles. You can either create a very icy drink (like a frozen margarita), or run the blender full speed until the mixture is liquefied and smooth. Pour the coffee mixture into two glasses. To finish with flare, crown each glass with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and top with chocolate shavings and/or a light sprinkling of cinnamon. Drink with joy!

Joy Allegro’s Milk Dud Thumbprint Cookies (for Sergeant Franco)

When Joy found Franco’s leather jacket pockets stuffed with Milk Duds, he finally came clean about flirting with the Milk Duds booth bunny at the Javits Convention Center. Joy didn’t get angry—she got busy, coming up with this recipe for a caramel-stuffed chocolate cookie. One bite of this Milk Dud–inspired treat with its chocolaty nest and chewy, sweet chocolate-caramel center made Franco decide to put chocolate bunnies behind him for good.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

For cookies:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup white granulated sugar plus ½ cup, for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

For caramel filling:

25 caramels (store-bought is fine)
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (or half-and-half)
5 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

Step 1—Create batter:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside. In a second bowl, combine the butter, ¾ cup sugar, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat until creamy. Add the egg and continue beating until well mixed. Add dry ingredients and continue beating on low until a smooth batter forms.

Step 2—Chill and prep:
Cover the bowl with plastic and chill the dough for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator (no more than 15 minutes). This will make the dough easier to roll. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (
Note:
Use the parchment paper not to prevent sticking but to ensure bottoms do not burn before cookies are finished baking.)

Step 3—Roll and sugarcoat:
Place ½ cup of white granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Using clean fingers, roll the dough into balls of about 1 inch in diameter. Drop the dough balls in the bowl of sugar and lightly coat. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for spreading. Gently press your thumb into each dough ball, making a nice-size indentation. (Take care not to tear the cookie ball or press all the way down to the baking sheet.)

Step 4—Bake and cool:
Bake for 15 minutes. Cookies will be fragile until they harden so wait a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. If using parchment paper, simply slide the entire sheet of paper to the rack; otherwise, use a spatula with care.

Step 5—Make caramel filling:
As cookies are cooling, melt your caramels, cream (or half-and-half), and chocolate chips in the microwave by heating in 1 minute increments (stirring between each heating session). Or heat the caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. When the caramels have melted, add the chocolcate chips and stir until smooth. Spoon into each cookie’s thumbprint. (Use two teaspoons—one to scoop up the mixture and the other to scrape it off and into the thumbprint.) If the mixture hardens during this process, simply reheat. Warning: Do not taste any of your cookies until the filling has cooled completely. If the caramel is still very hot, it will burn your mouth! Allow to set, and eat with joy (and Franco)!

Tip:
When making cookies, always allow your baking sheets to cool before putting more dough on them. A hot baking sheet will cause any cookie to spread immediately and alter its proper baking time. You can speed up the cooling process by running cool water over the back of your baking sheets. (Dry before continuing to use.)

Clare Cosi’s “Pure Ecstasy” Chocolate-Chip
Cookies with Beurre Noisette and
Homemade Brown Sugar

Beurre noisette
(brown butter), two kinds of chocolate chips, a bit of espresso powder, and a step where you essentially create your own brown sugar (using molasses), make Clare Cosi’s gourmet version of the chocolate-chip cookie one to die for. When Detective Mike Quinn first tasted them, he told her they nearly qualified as a drug. With toffee-like notes of buttery caramel, this mouthwatering cookie is in a class by itself. (And when Mike consumes them, he makes an extra-long “man-in-ecstasy” noise—sans little blue pill, too. Not bad!)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned
(see end of this recipe)
1¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
5 teaspoons molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap, such as
Grandma’s Original)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon espresso powder (to deepen chocolate flavor)
¾ cup good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup good-quality bittersweet chips
(such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)

Step 1—Make brown butter:
Create your melted and browned butter (see end of this recipe). Set aside to cool.

Step 2—Mix dry ingredients:
In a separate, small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

Step 3—Mix wet ingredients and make dough:
Into a large mixing bowl, measure out the granulated sugar. Add the molasses and stir well. (You have just made your own light brown sugar.) Add in the eggs, vanilla, espresso powder, and the brown butter that you made in Step 1. Mix with a whisk or fork until well blended. Switch to a spoon or spatula and stir in your dry ingredients from Step 2. Mix only enough until a smooth dough forms. (Do not overmix or you’ll create gluten in the dough, and your cookies will be tough instead of tender.) Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 4—Chill and roll:
Cover the mixing bowl of dough with plastic or foil and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will make the sticky dough easier to handle. (You can also wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill overnight.) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone sheets, or lightly coat with a nonstick cooking spray. Pinch off pieces of dough and lightly roll into Ping Pong ball–size rounds (about 1½ inches in diameter). Do not overhandle and feel free to use a cookie scoop (or small ice cream scoop) instead. Set the dough balls on a baking sheet, allowing room for spreading. You can either bake the cookies as dough balls or flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand. The flattened cookies will bake up slightly crisper (and flatter, of course!); the dough balls will bake up softer, chewier, and a bit thicker.

Step 5—Bake:
Bake for 9–11 minutes. You’re looking for the raw dough to cook completely but without the bottoms scorching. If you find your cookie bottoms browning too much or even burning, try lining your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets, which not only prevent sticking but help cookies bake more evenly. When cookies come out of the oven, use a spatula to carefully transfer them from the hot pan to a cooling rack. Before baking a new batch of cookies, make sure the pan has cooled off or the cookies may spread too much. These cookies are amazing—eat with joy!