Chocolate-Cherry Bar Cookies with Hazelnuts
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
1½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes about 50 cookies
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)1 cup dried chopped cherries ¼ teaspoon table salt 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces/255 grams)1 ½ cups hazelnuts (7 ounces/198 grams), toasted, skinned, and choppedBefore You Begin
If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds.
Instructions
- In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, cherries, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
- Press dough in even layer into parchment-lined 17 1/2 by 12-inch baking sheet. Bake cookies on lower-middle rack in 375-degree oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Immediately after removing baking sheet from oven, sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips; let stand to melt, about 3 minutes.
- Using offset icing spatula, spread chocolate into even layer, then sprinkle evenly with chopped hazelnuts. Cool on wire rack until just warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using pizza wheel, cut into 1 1/2-inch diamonds. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
Time
1½ hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Makes about 50 cookiesIngredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
1 cup dried chopped cherries
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces/255 grams)
1 ½ cups hazelnuts (7 ounces/198 grams), toasted, skinned, and chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
1 cup dried chopped cherries
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces/255 grams)
1 ½ cups hazelnuts (7 ounces/198 grams), toasted, skinned, and chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
1 cup dried chopped cherries
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces/255 grams)
1 ½ cups hazelnuts (7 ounces/198 grams), toasted, skinned, and chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In our search for a holiday cookie recipe that would yield cookies sturdy enough to decorate yet tender enough to eat, we started with the fat and found the right amount of butter to give the cookies great flavor without making them greasy. We used all-purpose flour in our holiday cookie dough recipe because it gave the dough enough gluten to provide structure. Superfine sugar gave our cookies a fine, even crumb. A surprise ingredient—cream cheese—added flavor and richness to our Chocolate-Cherry Bar Cookies with Hazelnuts without altering the texture of the cookies.
Before You Begin
If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds.
Instructions
- In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, cherries, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
- Press dough in even layer into parchment-lined 17 1/2 by 12-inch baking sheet. Bake cookies on lower-middle rack in 375-degree oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Immediately after removing baking sheet from oven, sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips; let stand to melt, about 3 minutes.
- Using offset icing spatula, spread chocolate into even layer, then sprinkle evenly with chopped hazelnuts. Cool on wire rack until just warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using pizza wheel, cut into 1 1/2-inch diamonds. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
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