I have to admit that I've been on a bit of months-long shopping spree at King Arthur Flour's online store. Among my recent purchases have been a Chocolate Butter Cookie Set, huge 16 oz. container of vanilla extract, biscuit cutter set, and a pasta flour blend.
What prompted this rash of (impulsive) purchases? The absolutely delightful geometric cookie stamps that have perhaps transformed me into an actual cookie baking enthusiastic. The first time that I used these stamps to fashion homemade cookies convinced me that I may be starting a new phase in my baking life.
My first use of these tools were on an almost equally awesome KAF recipe, Chocolate Dreams. Chocolate Dreams is a simple chocolate shortbread recipe that produces a slightly crisp and dense cookie. I think their rich chocolate flavor makes them particularly good for adults, though my five-year old niece ate several in succession one afternoon!
I made just a few modifications to this recipe - I made the cookies slightly larger, resulting in 38 cookies instead of 48, and reduced the baking time to 16 minutes to get slightly softer cookies.
Out of the oven, they were slightly soft (yet firm) and crumbled a bit. The next day, they were certainly more crispy and flaky. And thankfully, both days, they were rich with chocolate flavor and delicious!