We have been systematically clearing out odds and ends from our refrigerators and freezers in anticipation of an upcoming trip. The last time we did this (involuntarily) was during the super typhoon that struck Manila late last year, when everything in our freezers and refrigerators either had to be cooked, given away or was lost forever. This time around, I have refrained from any serious grocery shopping for the past three weeks and there are still things in the freezer! But sometimes “leftovers†can yield stunning results…as with these chocolate cookies that are simply way off the high calorie charts but really quite delicious. I noticed that we had a lot of Toblerone chocolate in the fridge, a huge 3-4 pound block of Callebaut cooking chocolate still in the pantry and lots of different types of cocoa, my favorite Valrhona amongst them. Hiding in the freezer was over half a kilo of whole macadamias and so I decided to make some cookies…
To make, I used a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe from the back of a package of chocolate chips or your favorite cookie cookbook, but instead of chips I added 
two cups of finely chopped Callebaut chocolate. In addition, I chopped up an entire medium sized bar of Toblerone that I stuck back in the freezer to freeze it before additing to the dough just before making the cookies. To the dough I also added several tablespoons of Valrhona cocoa powder. Toasted macadamias were chopped and also added to the dough. Chill the dough for at least 20-30 minutes before spooning out the cookies and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. The result? A light brown cookie that was a bit crisp at the base and chewy on top. It was misleadingly chocolately, but not overly so… It had little bits of melted Callebaut, sections with chewy nougat from the Toblerone and the rich chopped macadamias as well. They kept for several days and were perfect with a cup of coffee or tea… it pays to experiment with odds and ends in your pantry/refrigerator…
15 Responses
Using the three powerful chocolates in the world is really delectable! What you have are the Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz and Ferrari of chocolates and the princess of all macadamia nuts. Just a hindsight Plugra butter is one of the players in your superb cookies? Nothing could go wrong with these big league cookies even the crumb is tasty. Absolutely a winner Cookies a la Marketman!
Maria Clara, I only get plugra when my sister visits from New York and she brings me several pounds… it is really good…
wow. . .choco overload. . . this will taste really really good. . . my gf will like this, choco addict. . . I just remembered last night and again this time i did an order and a guest payed almost 500 USD for a big platter of chocolate and pecan brownie. . . i was laughing at the back of my mind because they also serve this same brownie in our employees cafe and the guest has to pay that much to have it. . .
Not to worry about chocolate going bad on you. As long as they are in tightly sealable containers such as tupperware or some such and are in the fridge, they seem to go on forever. I am just using up the last of a whole stash of 250 gram bars of Valrhona Noir Gastronomie that I picked up for next to nothing in a Chicago close-out ten years ago. Replacing it now at current retail will probably bankrupt me.
Anyway, chocolate cookies is one surefire way of slaking your chocolate craving although I perceive that it is no longer compatible with my age and wished for shape. I recently found a way of feeding my habit without adding butter, eggs and flour, dealing with chocolate’s temperamental exigencies or taking an expensive trip to any of M’sieur Linxe’s shrines. Really easy to do, even in the tropics.
Can’t keep our Toblerone as leftovers, sayang. My husband eats them as dessert ( the black chocolates) while I have mine of good ol’ Choc Nuts. We have to cross the huge Batangas Bay just to get to buy good chocolates. But then we also stock up on the local kakao here which they make into balls. Forgot the name—sounds like Tobleron too. Our special delight is making cocoa toddy with them plus coconut milk (especially during rainy days)…and perhaps paired with your recipe of chocolate cookies—wow! the angels simply sing!
oh my.. all these chocolates are making me drool… am now having seconds thoughts if i’d be baking some brownies or cookies instead this afternoon… this blog can really give you tons of great ideas that’s why i make it a point to visit this early in the day to get my psyche going.. hahaha!!
Those chocolate cookies sure look divine….I’ve used Ghirardelli cocoa on brownies as I am more of a brownie person and they’re quite good na rin. Valrhona and Callebaut are way too much for me…never splurged more than 20US bucks on baking chocolates!! (White) Toblerones never last that long either much less the macadamia nuts…as these are quite difficult to source here. Lucky you MM, to have those wickedly elegantyet sinfully delicious chocolates…what a way with left-overs!
those cookies look seriously sinful. everything i love is in those cookies! the way they look also reminds me of the cookies my sister’s boyfriend gave to us last xmas. it was a choc chip with huge chunks of chocolate and pistachios. they were bite-sized so it’s so hard not to snarf down the entire box. hee.
reminds me to use that bag of valhrona cocoa powder sitting in the pantry… cookies or a flourless choc cake maybe?
Hi Marketman!Thanks for another mouthwatering post!Makes me want a cookie right now but where can i get one at midnight?! :)
I’ll be visiting my family in the US later this year,and I was just wondering how does your sister bring home butter without it melting? i’d also like to bring home some good beef for the holidays,—is that possible and how would i pack and carry it?
cindy, the hold of a jumbo jet is somewhere around 40-45 degrees F, so it is the perfect temperature to store butter in your maletas. The risk is only at our end when you get to Manila, it needs to be transferred to a fridge as soon as possible! Or if you leave a U.S. state in summer or hot weather that is a problem too. And yes, folks have brought back meat to the Philippines in their luggage as well. Whole veal or beef roasts, veal chops, etc. also in her luggage. If you want to separate it, get a large cooler and stick it in there with some blue ice then put the cooler in a box and check it in. I have to say, however, that bringing in raw meat is technically frowned upon but the customs officers here seem to be rather lenient…
MM,
one of my favourite combination, chocolate cookies and macademia nuts. whenever i make choco chips/chunks cookies at home, i always make 2 diff batch, one without the macademia as i find it that my younger cousins tend to pick out the macademias on their cookies, and ofcourse the other batch is a macademia overload for the young at hearts! :)
adding toblerone in your chocolate cookies is a great idea, specially during the christmas season where we find ourselves receiving diff varieties of chocolates!
thanks!
Holy Chocolate Overload, MarketMan.
These cookies are too much. :)
Lucky you that chocolate lasts long enough in your freezer to be considered leftovers. Chocolate in my household barely makes it through the door.
Cheers!
Marketman,
You’re killing me softly with this one. It must be sinfully delicious. Chocolate is my weakness. Often times it’s better than *** :>)
Right on Kaye, these chocolates are making me drool too. And I am happy to note that Apicio shares the same thing about storing chocolates. Most people go “YUCK” with food stored a long time but believe it or not, with proper storage, some foods do last a loooooooooonnngg time. And what are these modern technologies (e.g. refs and freezers) for?
I can’t identify with all the high-falutin brands and it’s not because I don’t like them. I love them. I just can’t afford them. But I like the way you MM sometimes make something out of nothing or from scraps. I think I’ve mentioned it before, it is not impossible to create/make delicious, nutritious recipes/meals with meager budget. And meager budget is all I have so I supplement that with a lot of creativity and imagination. Such a challenge! And thus far, I (my son and husband especially) are quite happy with the outcome. They’re quite healthy, too!
So cheers to you and continue to share your ideas. More power!
WOW! is all i can say.
I use Callebaut a lot in goodies i bake at home. They’re a bit expensive but the chocolaty goodness is at a palatably acceptable level!!!
Just a question: Where could I buy it cheaper? At the mall stalls, it costs P400.00 per block.
I haven’t really used Valrhona cocoa powder but, just in case, where could I also find this? I’m thrilled to try using this after having read your post:)