We like Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies, so I've been trying to reverse engineer them. This is my current best effort:
Makes 36 cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter (@room temperature)
3/8 tsp salt
1 1/8 cups white sugar
1 Tbs molasses
1 1/2 cup white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Cream the butter salt and sugar together, then add the molasses. You may have to scrape the mixer bowl a couple of time to get an even mixture. Carefully, with the mixer speed turned down, add the flour and baking powder, if you cover the kitchen with flour because the speed too high it will mess up the proportions.
Portion them onto 3 half sheet pans with silpats, about 2 tsp per cookie, I use a rounded teaspoon measure. After you make a few batches you'll be able to exactly hit 36 cookies without editing them. Flatten each cookie with a couple of fingers so they're about 3/8 in thick, that helps them bake thin and even.
Bake at 350F for about 12-13 minutes, watching evenness. I bake them for 6 minutes, swap the pans around, then bake for another 6. They should be light brown, definitely a bit brown, not just pale tan and very thin. The degree of doneness is a matter of taste, but is critical to get them the way you like them. Note that they are a bit puffed up in the oven but will thin down significantly when taken out.
Take them out and let sit for a few minutes so you can handle them. In the meantime, get your oven down to 250F. Once they've cooled enough to handle, put them on cooling racks, I use a thin spatula, and back into the 250F oven for about 45 min to crisp them up.
After that let them cool completely before putting into the cookie tin. Keep an eye on your wife during this step to avoid shrinkage.
Best served with cognac.
Makes 36 cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter (@room temperature)
3/8 tsp salt
1 1/8 cups white sugar
1 Tbs molasses
1 1/2 cup white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Cream the butter salt and sugar together, then add the molasses. You may have to scrape the mixer bowl a couple of time to get an even mixture. Carefully, with the mixer speed turned down, add the flour and baking powder, if you cover the kitchen with flour because the speed too high it will mess up the proportions.
Portion them onto 3 half sheet pans with silpats, about 2 tsp per cookie, I use a rounded teaspoon measure. After you make a few batches you'll be able to exactly hit 36 cookies without editing them. Flatten each cookie with a couple of fingers so they're about 3/8 in thick, that helps them bake thin and even.
Bake at 350F for about 12-13 minutes, watching evenness. I bake them for 6 minutes, swap the pans around, then bake for another 6. They should be light brown, definitely a bit brown, not just pale tan and very thin. The degree of doneness is a matter of taste, but is critical to get them the way you like them. Note that they are a bit puffed up in the oven but will thin down significantly when taken out.
Take them out and let sit for a few minutes so you can handle them. In the meantime, get your oven down to 250F. Once they've cooled enough to handle, put them on cooling racks, I use a thin spatula, and back into the 250F oven for about 45 min to crisp them up.
After that let them cool completely before putting into the cookie tin. Keep an eye on your wife during this step to avoid shrinkage.
Best served with cognac.
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