These Chocolate
Wafers have so much to offer. They are relatively low in fat, their texture is wonderfully crisp and crunchy, they
have an appealing chocolate
flavor, and they store very well. They will remind you of those very popular commercially made
chocolate wafers, only better. I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite books by Alice Medrich,
Cookies and Brownies. Although it is one of her smaller books, with just 50
recipes, every recipe I have tried is delicious.
Chocolate Wafers use the most basic of ingredients, butter, sugar,
eggs, flour, vanilla, and cocoa powder. What is so different about this
recipe is the reduction in fat. This chocolate wafer recipe has just three
tablespoons (45 grams) of butter along with three tablespoons (45 grams) of
either margarine or a soft buttery spread, like Smart Balance, that
contains oil but not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. But keep in mind
that if you use a soft buttery spread the batter needs a longer chilling
time to become firm. Also, instead of using the whole egg, only the egg white is
used which also keeps the fat content down. Another way to keep the fat
content to a minimum is to use cocoa powder instead of semi sweet
chocolate. Cocoa powder has a lot less fat in it than semi sweet chocolate
and this is because cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor that is
pressed to remove three quarters of its cocoa butter. You can use either
regular unsweetened or Dutch-Processed cocoa powder in this recipe.
Now, something to keep in mind when making these cookies, is that all
brands of cocoa powder are not alike. Each brand has its own distinct
flavor and that flavor will affect how these cookies will taste. Some of
my favorites that you might like to try are Droste, Valrhona, Equal
Exchange Organic Baking Cocoa, and Scharffen Berger.
Once the cookie batter is made it is formed into a log shape and
refrigerated until firm and this will take several hours or you can even
chill it overnight. (The unbaked log can also be frozen, so you can bake
the wafer cookies on demand. This makes them very well suited for
Christmas baking, as you can make the recipe up to a month in advance,
freeze it, and then the just slice and bake the Chocolate Wafers when you
need them.) Then slice the log into thin wafers and bake until they
are puffed with cracks (ripples). The longer you bake these cookies the
more crisp and crunchy they will be. So if you want a softer textured
cookie, bake them a little less than stated. These chocolate wafers will
keep for about 10 days in an airtight container. What I also like about
these Chocolate Wafers is that you can process them in your food processor
until finely ground and use the crumbs in recipes, like pie crusts, that call for finely
ground chocolate crumbs.
Chocolate
Wafers: In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and
salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer
(or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and margarine
until well blended. Add the sugars and vanilla extract and beat on high
speed for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg
white. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
Place the dough on
your counter and, using your hands, evenly form the dough into a log shape that is
about 9 inches (23 cm) long. Carefully wrap the dough in aluminum foil,
parchment paper or wax paper and fold or twist the ends. Try not to flatten the
log. Refrigerate until firm. This will take several hours or you can even chill
it overnight.
Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the
oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a sharp
knife, slice the log into about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick wafers. Place the wafers on the baking sheet spacing, about
1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake for approximately 10 - 12 minutes or until the
the cookies puff and the tops of the cookies have cracks (ripples). Remove from oven and let
the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about
5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Can be stored
in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about 10 days. They can also
be frozen.
References
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