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| Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (114 grams) bleached all-purpose flour 1 cup (120 grams) cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (57 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract Topping: 3/4 cup (85 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar 2 (3-ounce bars) (170 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Do not overmix. Scrape the dough into a bowl, cover and refrigerate it for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Divide the dough into ten portions. Taking one piece at a time, knead the dough between lightly floured hands until malleable. On a lightly floured counter roll each dough portion back and forth, stretching to form ropes 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut the ropes into 4 – 2 1/2 inch lengths and place them on the cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart, curving them slightly into crescent shapes. Knead any leftover pieces of dough into the next portion. Bake for 10 minutes or until just beginning to brown around the bottom edges. For even baking, rotate the baking sheet from front to back halfway through the baking period. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Use a small, angled spatula to transfer the cookies to the powdered sugar and gently roll them in powdered sugar. The cookies are very fragile, when warm. Transfer the cookies to wire racks, and when cool, dip them a second time in the sugar. To Dip Cookies in Chocolate: Break the chocolate into pieces and place in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until the chocolate begins to melt. When almost melted remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Lay sheets of aluminum foil or wax paper on the counter. Lightly brush away the powdered sugar from one end of each crescent. Tilt the top part of the double boiler so that the chocolate collects in one corner. Gently dip the crescent into the chocolate. Gently tap the chocolate-dipped end to remove any excess chocolate. Set the cookies onto the foil or wax paper. When the chocolate sets, it will dull and harden. Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper, at room temperature for one month |
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