The ULTIMATE slice and bake cookies with a boozy sawce like none other.
These French cookies go by many names: elephant ears, pig ear cookies, heart cookies, butterfly cookies, and palm cookies. It's made through a process of layering sugar between folded puff pastry to create a swirl effect. You could easily buy the puff pastry from the store and make this process about 20 minutes in total, but if you're extra like me, then you can make your own.
I'm using a ruff puff pastry which is different than a full puff pastry. I like to think of a rough puff pastry as a lazy girl puff pastry. With a full puff, you take a big ass brick of butter, flatten it out and roll it in to the pastry dough, and folding and rolling and folding some more. A rough puff pastry has all the same roll and folding involved as a full puff pastry, but the way the butter is incorporated is different. Essentially, large chunks of butter are rubbed into the butter and then it's rolled out to begin the process of rolling and folding. The rolling and folding are important because you will develop layers of butter (lamination) in your dough. The butter releases steam in the oven and as the steam leaves it kind of inflates the layers and gives you that puff effect. Based off how the butter is incorporated in the full puff pastry, you tend to get puffier layers.
The most important thing you need to know to be successful with puff pastry of any kind is to keep. shit. cold. The butter can't melt because you'll lose those flaky layers. There are a few ways that I try to keep the butter cold. First, chill all the utensils and ingredients. Second, work fast: the warmth from your hands can melt the butter if you take too long. Third, switch baking trays because if you put the dough on a hot sheet, the butter will start to melt before it even hits the oven. So in this recipe, you'll notice that I have you use a different sheet than the one that just came out of the pan to give it a chance to cool off while the next batch bakes. Lastly, whenever you're not using the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to keep it cold.
Why are we using tequila in the dough? Okay, so when water and flour hook up, the illegitimate baby is gluten. Gluten is responsible for that chew in bread and gives things structure. With pastry, you don't want too much gluten development because you want to keep things light and flaky. One thing people often do is to add a touch of vinegar or vodka to a dough to keep things flaky because there's less water. I felt lemon wouldn't work here and while vodka is my usual go to, I though the light sweetness from tequila could be good. Plus, it's on theme with the whole Mexican vibe and it'll tie the flavors between the cookie and the sauce.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
rolling pin
cooling rack
food scale
shot glass or small cup
light colored baking sheet.
INGREDIENTS:
For the cookies
93 g (about 1/4 cup) ice cold water, plus 4 ice cubes
1 tsp white tequila (I used Jose Cuervo)
300 g AP flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted very cold butter,
about 2 tbsp sugar
about 1 tbsp Spice Sisters churro seasoning
1 tsp cinnamon
about 1 tbsp turbinado cane sugar
For the chocolate sauce
100 g (about 1/2 c plus 1/4 c) dark chocolate chips
28 g (about 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
27 g (about 2 tbsp) coconut oil
1 oz tequila
1/4 tsp Spice Sisters churro seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
(optional) dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp vanilla
To make the rough puff pastry:
Pour water and ice cubes into a measuring cup and place in the fridge. Pour tequila in a shot glass and place in freezer. Place a mixing bowl and rolling pin rolling pin in the freezer or fridge for at least 10 minutes to chill. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Add salt and stir to distribute into the flour. Remove butter from fridge, slice into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the flour. Using hands and fingers, rub the butter into the flour. Add water (not the ice) and tequila and continue to bring to together. Dough should be loose and shaggy. Turn over onto the countertop and shape into the square. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least 20 min to let the butter set.
Using your chilled rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle. Visually, divide the dough into thirds and fold the bottom third over the middle third so it just touches the line that divides the middle and the top so you have two layers. Then fold the top third over the bottom three layers. Wrap in plastic wrap again and chill at least 20 min. While dough is chilling, place rolling pin back in the freezer. Repeat the process of rolling, folding, and chilling 2 more times.
(*Start here if using store bought puff pastry*) Shaping the dough:
Roll the pastry out into a square shape. Sprinkle the pastry with some sugar, churro seasoning, and cinnamon to cover the surface. Visually, divide the pastry into 4 parts. Fold the two outside parts over the two inside parts so that the outermost layers meet in the middle. Now you'll have pastry on top that is plain. Cover it with sugar, churro seasoning, and cinnamon ass before. Fold the outer most parts to meet in the middle again. Cover the top with the sugar, churro seasoning, and cane sugar again. Fold the pastry in half so that the outside parts meet together, and the pastry shape resembles that of a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and let set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with a sheet of foil or silpat. When the oven comes to temperature, remove dough from the fridge and slice into 1/4-inch slices and place on the baking tray about 2-3 inches apart. Working quickly, sprinkle the dough with some sugar, churro seasoning, cinnamon, and turbinado cane sugar. Place in middle rack and bake for 14-15 minutes. Place the remaining dough log in the fridge during baking. When cookies are done, place them on a cooling rack. Slices more cookies and bake them on the cooled baking tray. Continue to bake the cookies on the coolest of the two racks, making sure to keep the dough in the fridge during baking.
Making the sauce
Fill a sauce pot with about 2 inches of water. Place a glass or stainless-steel bowl over the pot. Place the chocolate, butter, coconut oil, salt, churro seasoning, vanilla, tequila, and cayenne in the bowl. Bring to medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and incorporated.
xoxo
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