Chocolate Chubbies and A Giveaway
So yea, I’m on a Sarabeth kick. But I wasn’t kidding when I told you her baked goods were all sorts of delicious. Take these cookies for instance. I made them before these muffins from Sarabeth’s cookbook after trying them at her booking signing and falling in love. And this is coming from the self-proclaimed “I’m Not a Chocolate Girl.”
Yes – I’m not into chocolate but I AM into these cookies. As were a few of my girlfriends after they tried them at my recent ladies brunch. My sister couldn’t even wait until food was served and sneaked a couple when I turned my back.
They aren’t for the faint of heart as they are FULL of chocolate flavor. But the pecans and walnut give them a nice contrast. If you only try one recipe from this book, it has to be this one. Make sure to add it to your holiday baking roster and try not to eat them all before giving them away to your friends and family.
I love this recipe and this cookbook so much that after publishing my interview with Sarabeth this week, I reached out Rizzoli, the book’s publisher, and asked if they would be willing to give away a copy of Sarabeth’s cookbook to one of my readers. They happily said yes. So here we go -
To Enter:
Check out my interview with Sarabeth Levine and leave a comment ON THIS POST letting me know what you think about the tips she gave for home bakers. Would you add any others?
For ONE additional entry do the following:
Follow (me) @AChicaBakes AND (Sarabeth Levine) @GoddessOBakedom on Twitter AND tweet the following: I just entered to win a copy of Sarabeth’s Bakery cookbook via @AChicaBakes. Enter here: http://wp.me/p1cogS-g7.
Then come back to this post and leave me a comment letting me know you did so. If you are already a follower on Twitter, it still counts.
It’s a quick turnaround for this one. You have until 11pm Eastern Tuesday, December 14th to enter. This giveaway is also only open to US residents. The winner will be contacted via email. Make sure to include your email address in the contact form when leaving your comment.
Good Luck 
Chocolate Chubbies
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (no more than 62% cacao), finely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups (5 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
1 ¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped walnutsDirections:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a wide, heatproof bowl, and melt the butter over the hot water in the saucepan. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, stirring often, until melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly but still warm, about 5 minutes.
Whip the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are foamy and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, then the vanilla. Whip until the eggs are very thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the tepid chocolate/butter mixture until fully incorporated. Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts, making sure the chunky ingredients are evenly distributed at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be somewhat soft.
Using a small ice cream scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake the cookies immediately—if you wait, they won’t be shiny after baking. Bake, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are set around the edges (if you lift a cookie from the pan, the edges should release easily, even if the center of the cookie seems underdone), 17 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on the baking pans. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, with the layers separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 days.)
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Ryan @ Ryan's Baking Blog — December 12, 2010 @ 7:18 pm
I learned my lesson about not reading an entire recipe once before…now I always read it multiple times through before starting.
Also mise en place is super important, I agree.
JoVonn — December 12, 2010 @ 7:23 pm
Reading the recipe in its entirety-I’m guilt of not always doing that and something always goes wrong.
Amy — December 12, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
As I said previously, her tips were dead on. Setting up all your ingredients before you begin is key (in baking and cooking) and it’s amazing how it can make for a smooth ride, cutting your overall time in half. Would love to take this off my wish list and place it on my have list.
Katie — December 12, 2010 @ 7:57 pm
She reminds me of my mom. She always used to tell me to set out ALL my ingredients first. Something always goes wrong when I don’t listen and get lazy!
Rebecca — December 12, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
I’m not trying to beat a dead horse here, but the tip about reading the entire recipe through is so very important. I’ve scuttled myself more than once by just skimming the recipe.
Rebecca — December 12, 2010 @ 8:23 pm
I’m now following both of you and tweeted about the giveaway. Thanks for putting together such a good one!
Jessica Nelson — December 12, 2010 @ 8:30 pm
I agree on reading ENTIRE recipe and following it! Thanks for giveaway oppurtunity!
Jessica Nelson — December 12, 2010 @ 8:31 pm
email subscriber and love a chica bakes!
Megan — December 12, 2010 @ 8:38 pm
Her tip about reading the recipe over and over again is right on. You can’t possibly come out with perfect results if you don’t know exactly what you’re getting yourself into first.
A Plum By Any Other Name — December 12, 2010 @ 8:49 pm
Is it wrong to call a cookie beautiful? They look exquisite. Just the right amount of crackle.
I’d also include that it helps to have a candy thermometer. I’ve recently gotten into baking and my life would be so much easier if I just break down and buy one already!
Jennifurla — December 12, 2010 @ 9:15 pm
Read the WHOLE recipe! Man I cant tell you how many times I thought I had something quick and it turned into a whole afternoon.
Enter me please
My tip – You dont need anything fancy to make most desserts…they survived back in the day!
stephanie — December 12, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
Sigh…I feel like I have “learned” the lesson of reading an entire recipe through many times over…maybe after reading it here, it will finally sink in. I would say a good tip for beginners is to make sure all ingredients are room temp (in most cases).
Gloria — December 13, 2010 @ 12:04 am
Eliana your cookies look amazing! I am a chocolate girl and these look right up my alley. I actually put Sarabeth’s book my holiday wish list after I saw one of the recipes on your site. Great interview! The tip I need to embrace is reading the whole recipe through (more than once). I have gotten into trouble because I just skimmed it!
I do have my own tip too…I recently learned to roll out cut out cookie dough between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment paper. Then refrigerate it on a baking sheet for at least 20 minutes and the cookies are a cinch to cut out and place on your backing sheet. Parchment is my best friend in the kitchen and now I have another use for it!
Mariko — December 13, 2010 @ 1:17 am
I can’t believe you don’t like chocolate! I subscribed to your site the first time I happened upon it, and I just thought it was delicious.. Never noticed that it was mostly chocolate free. I guess you’re still alright.
I definitely want this book. Your endorsement alone is enough for me. The cover was definitely sweet too.
Rosa — December 13, 2010 @ 3:13 am
A pity this giveaway is only open to US residents…
Those cookies look fantastic!
Cheers,
Rosa
donna — December 13, 2010 @ 6:30 am
I loved her tips, especially important about the creaming.. I often wonder if I do that right..
donna — December 13, 2010 @ 6:30 am
Already a follower… fantastic giveaway!
Katrina — December 13, 2010 @ 7:29 am
Mmmm yummy cookies!! Great recipe.
dani — December 13, 2010 @ 8:57 am
those cookies sound great
(boo for only being open to the states
)
Monique — December 13, 2010 @ 11:30 am
I now follow both you and the goddess. I also just tweeted the giveaway
THis is a GREAT cookbook (apparently) and I want it. pretty pretty please
Hannah C — December 13, 2010 @ 11:58 am
I love her tips! I am no baking expert and need all the help I can get. Her book looks fantastic. I would love to get my hands on it.
Thanks for the fun giveaway!!
Jackie — December 13, 2010 @ 12:05 pm
As always, your desserts leave my mouth watering.. These look great and I love the gold fingernails..Yum!!
Capability — December 13, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
love these cookies – and I am a chocolate person – just tweeted, commented and followed!
Blog is the New Black — December 13, 2010 @ 12:29 pm
Not into chocolate?1 You broke my heart! These look wonderful.
Challise — December 13, 2010 @ 2:29 pm
I like the tip where she says to set out all the ingredients before you start. I hate when you think you have enough of something and then you don’t! Great interview, she sounds really sweet, I’d love to have her book!
Connie — December 13, 2010 @ 3:41 pm
I practice one of her tips – to measure and set out ingredients before you start. Good tip!
Julia — December 13, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
I like that in her book she really wants home bakers to actually learn how to bake, not just memorize recipes.
fooddreamer — December 13, 2010 @ 5:09 pm
Those really do look like amazing, chocolatey cookies. I don’t have time to read your interview right now (screaming child in background) but I will be back!
5 Star Foodie — December 13, 2010 @ 11:13 pm
Those look so chocolatey and super delicious, yum!
ingrid — December 14, 2010 @ 10:09 am
I tell you the one thing she said and that I’ve been told over and over and STILL I struggle with is to read the recipe before starting to bake. I may also forget to get everything mise en place.
~ingrid
Nancy — December 14, 2010 @ 4:46 pm
love this recipe. it is complex but delicious
Julie — December 14, 2010 @ 7:57 pm
I love her tips. I would add to weigh ingredients rather than measure.
Thanks for the chance!
Evelyn — December 14, 2010 @ 9:11 pm
Those chocolate cookies look delicioso!! Love the tip about creaming the butter/sugar.
Brian @ A Thought For Food — December 15, 2010 @ 7:46 am
Love Sarahbeth’s and I LOVE YOU! Of course I follow you and now I follow her as well.
Great giveaway! Can’t wait to give those cookies a try!
Liz — December 15, 2010 @ 8:24 am
Thanks for doing this giveaway! Those cookies look awesome.
Bonnie — December 15, 2010 @ 9:37 am
I think I can handle the chocolate! At least I am willing to risk it. I’m trying to cut down on baking this year since our children will be with the inlaws. So far, I’m failing miserably but plan to spend the rest of the winter eating carrot sticks and exercising = ) !!
Best,
Bonnie
Joanne — December 15, 2010 @ 7:21 pm
Well…I obviously missed this giveaway because I am a SLOWPOKE. But those cookies still look amazing. And I’m not a chocolate person either.
steph (whisk/spoon) — December 30, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
oh my goodness! i am totally in the mood for a cookie like that! happy new year!!
Chaya — January 23, 2011 @ 1:58 am
I can see why these are so good. They are filled with deliciousness. I must try them.