The Eli Cookie: Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Anyone watch the Bachelorette?  I cringe with embarrassment to admit that I occasionally catch an episode, but I do.  Usually, I think the show is utterly ridiculous, and I laugh the whole way through, but this last episode, Emily totally stole one of my dating techniques!  Cookie making!  I make killer chocolate chip cookies. So, once a guy has tried them and gotten hooked, I (if interested) casually invite him to make cookies with me if he wants the recipe.  Then, I can evaluate if he is kitchen-competent, able to follow instruction, and simply if he's fun to be with.  It's a perfect scenario.  Except then a certain boy came along, experienced my chocolate chip cookies, and instead of deciding they were the greatest cookie ever and wanting the recipe, he brought up these cookies his mom used to make.  And what did I do?  Get offended  I made those cookies for him.  ALL BY MYSELF.  I now coin them "The Eli Cookie", because never before have I baked a boy one of his family recipes.  I knew there was something different about this boy.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Cookie" and "Chocolate"are two of my most frequently used labels... I clearly enjoy both.  The combination of the two is even better, especially if you use four varieties of chocolate chips, in ridiculous quantities.

I made the mistake of using a recipe that yields 60 to make only 30 or so, so each one of my cookies was a meal--an intoxicatingly chocolate, decadent, rich, delicious meal, best accompanied by a glass of [almond] milk.   

Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies

Girl Scout cookies have a dear place in my heart.  No commercial cookie even comes close to competing with the sheer deliciousness of a Tag-a-long, Samoa, or Thin Mint.  Seriously though.  Maybe it's the exclusivity that make them taste so divine, or the dynamic crunchy/chewy/sweet combination that enables them to supersede every other cookie in existence.  Either way, they are basically the greatest cookies ever.***

Pepperidge Farms' Mint Milano cookies do however follow as a close second in the commercial cookie championship. (I like alliteration.)  These super simple cookie sandwiches are loosely inspired by Milanos, only better, because I made them.  No, I'm kidding.  They're better because the group of business students I fed them to said they were better.  And folks, that measure right there is as good as science.

Raspberry Truffles in White Chocolate

These rich, decadent, melt-in-your mouth truffles are a delightful fix when the usual animal crackers dipped in Nutella simply aren't cutting it.  The luscious dark chocolate mingles perfectly with the subtle tartness of raspberry, all mellowed flawlessly by the creamy, sweet white chocolate.  The combination of flavors is refined, and irresistible.  (and one of these days I am going to get a real camera and stop using my iPhone...)

Ganache:

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (seedless recommended)
1/3 cup butter
16 oz dark chocolate*, chopped

To Coat:

8 oz white chocolate

Place whipping cream, butter and raspberry jam in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter and jam are melted (3 to 5 minutes). Continue cooking until mixture begins to bubble around edges (1 to 2 minutes).  Add chopped chocolate and stir until incorporated.

Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 5-6 hours.

In a double boiler melt the white chocolate.  Using a melon baller scoop small balls and coat in white chocolate.  Alternatively you may roll them in cocoa powder- but I like the sweet white chocolate to offset the bitterness and tang of the dark chocolate and raspberry.

Notes:

• The higher quality ingredients the better result- I recommend using nice chocolate.
• I actually use chocolate molds.  I create a chocolate shell, fill with warm ganache, and finish with more white chocolate.  They set up very quickly in the fridge, and I find the appearance more appealing than when I try to roll my truffles by hand (which always ends up super messy and melty)

Yields 30 truffles.