NON-ALLITERATIVE TUESDAY: BLACK SNOWBALLS

Non-Alliterative Tuesday: no obligations, no rhyme, reason or methodology other than that it's something relevant to food and goings-on in Kitchen Toro. No promises other than that like the other features on Kitchen Toro, Non-Alliterative Tuesday will be posted regularly!

We have extra time in the pastry kitchen of Level 3 at the French Culinary Insitute before dessert service in the school's restaurant so our pastry chef suggested that in our extra time we try recipes not in our school-issue books. He pulled some plastic folders out of a drawer and tossed them on the table for us to peruse. We leafed through them and one night did a refreshing Lemon-Basil sorbet. There were several recipes which seemed interesting and one I decided to try at home (above left, before baking).

From a book of recipes supposedly used in Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurants, this recipe (below, as in the book) for "Black Snowballs," caught my eye as much for the sense of humor with which it was written as for what it might taste like (left, up close, before baking).

BLACK SNOWBALLS (Spago)

In the pastry kitchen, we have a special name for these cookies, but it is unprintable. In spite of our pet name, the cookies are deliciously soft and chewy.

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2) stick unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons flavored liqueur (Amaretto, Chambord, or creme de menthe) or strong coffee
About 1/3 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

1. In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl placed over simmering water, heat the chocolate and butter until almost melted. Turn off heat and let stand over warm water until completely melted, stirring occasionally.
3. While the chocolate and butter are melting, in large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir in the flavoring of your choice. Whisk the melted chocolate into the egg micture, then fold in the reserved flour mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours, up to overnight.
4. Roll into small balls, about 1/2 ounce eachand 1 inch in diameter. Arrange on one or two parchment-paper-lined baking trays. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. When ready to bake, position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar onto one large plate and about 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar, then in the confectioner's sugar. Return to baking trays, placing about 2 inches apart. Bake until slightly firm to the touch and the tops of the cookies start to crack, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove cookies from trays with wide metal spatula and cool on rack. If reusing baking trays, let them cool slightly between use.

I didn't have Amaretto so I used a coffee liqueur. The cookies came out lightly powdered and slightly crisp with cracked outer shells which hid a surprisingly soft, light and airy inside, and after slightly cooling was almost like an airy ganache. The cookies were fairly attractive in the end despite a fairly disgusting rolling stage. I'd make them again, especially with Amaretto and perhaps as an accompaniment to another dessert. A few of the chefs at school assumed I bought them at a bakery.