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Chocolate Melties

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By Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Posted July 23rd, 2007

This article is reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book: From Chocolate Melties to Whoopie Pies, Chocolate Biscotti to Black and Whites, with Dozens of Chocolate Chip Cookies and Hundreds More, by Bruce Weinstein, (2004, William Morrow Cookbooks)

The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book: From Chocolate Melties to Whoopie Pies, Chocolate Biscotti to Black and Whites, with Dozens of Chocolate Chip Cookies and Hundreds More

Servings:	36
Author Notes:	Melt-aways are American classics: little crescents made with lots of cornstarch for a crunch that instantly melts in your mouth. The fat in the chocolate causes the cookies to spread a little -- but they still have that famous crunch. One tip: Handle the dough as little as possible; even the natural oils in your hands will toughen the cookies.
Ingredients:	1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more for dusting 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup cornstarch 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, grated (about 1 cup)
Instructions:	Makes a Little More than 3 Dozen Cookies 1. Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 1 more minute. beat in the vanilla. Turn off the beaters, add the cornstarch and flour, and beat at a very low speed until soft and light, about 30 seconds. The dough will not necessarily hold together. Remove the beaters and gently fold in the grated chocolate, using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, just until evenly distributed in the batter. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. 2. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 375° F. 3. dust a clean, dry work surface lightly with confectioner's sugar. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Knead 1 piece a few times, just to soften it a little - not too much or the chocolate will begin to melt. Roll into a log about 12 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter, then slice into 1-inch pieces. (if your knife sticks, dust it with confectioner's sugar.) Place these cut pieces on a large, ungreased baking sheet, preferably nonstick, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If desired, gently bend them into crescents. Repeat this process with the other pieces of dough, filling two baking sheets with the sliced pieces of dough. Refrigerate any remaining dough for a second baking. 4. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the sheets top to bottom and back to front. Bake for an additional 6 minutes, or until soft but dry. The cookies will give a little but not spring back of touched - be careful: they are fragile. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets for 10 minutes before baking additional melties. Once all the cookies are completely cooled, dust them with confectioner's sugar, if desired. Note: The best way to grate the chocolate for these cookies is with a vegetable peeler - run it quickly over the chocolate squares, creating thin shards, not long strips. You can also use the small holes of a box grater. Recommended Storage: 4 days at room temperature Not recommended for freezing Personalize It! Melt 6 ounces of semisweet, bittersweet or white chocolate; cool for 5 minutes. Lay a large sheet of wax paper under the rack holding the cooled cookies. Dip a fork into the melted chocolate and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, waggling the fork in all directions to create a spider-web design over the cookies.