German's Chocolate Lace Cookies & October's Give-Away Apron

Lace cookies have always been a favorite of mine--I love the crunchy chewiness--and German's Chocolate Cake was a favorite of both my mother and Kelly.  On this fall-like day, it was a good recipe to come up with to honor their memory.

German's sweet chocolate was developed by an American chocolate maker, Sam German of Dallas, Texas.  However, on June 3, 1957, it was the "Recipe of the Day" in the Dallas Morning Star created by Mrs. George Clay. The cake is made with German's chocolate, with a filling and topping of a caramel made with egg yolks and evaporated milk, then coconut and pecans are stirred in.  Just typing these ingredients make my mouth water!

These cookies have that caramel-like taste with the addition of brown sugar and the rest of the ingredients added; coconut, pecans and melted German's chocolate.  It has a small amount of flour with the addition of Old-Fashioned Oats giving them their lacy affect.  All-in-all, a pretty good replica of that famous cake from the 50s.

German's Chocolate Lace Cookies
1- 4oz pkg. German's sweet chocolate
2 T milk

In a small bowl, rough chop the chocolate and pour the milk over it.  Microwave on high for 40 seconds. Stir and microwave another 20 seconds.  Stir until smooth.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3T firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
Scant 1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups Old-Fashioned Oats
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the vanilla and melted chocolate mixture and beat again.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until combined.

Scoop 1 tsp. of the dough onto the prepare sheet, leaving plenty of room for the cookie to expand.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring them to a rack, or if you like a rolled effect, over a rolling pin covered with wax paper.

 The cookies are nice and crunchy and if you're needing a chocolate fix, these will provide that. Enjoy!

As promised, here is October's Give-Away Apron, full of the colors of Fall with a little bit of Halloween thrown in:-D  Just make a comment on any of the posts this month, and this apron could find it's way to your home.
  

German's Chocolate Cookies

More and more I see trends in desserts going to "hand-held" for convenience as well as portability.   Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of desserts go miniature and in jars; in fact, I've done miniature pumpkin cheesecakes and cupcakes in a jar on my blog.  However, these cookies are a horse of a different color.

German's Chocolate Cake was my mother's favorite and yes, I've even made that on my blog too.  So, when I thought about making up these dessert cookies, I turned to one I was familiar with and loved.  The name is in honor of an American, Sam German who, in 1852, developed a sweet chocolate for baking and not because it was a German creation.  It's typically topped with a yolk based caramel that has coconut and chopped pecans added at the end and that's exactly what I made to fill these cookies.

German's Chocolate Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 pkg. (4 oz.) German's Sweet Chocolate Bar, chopped and melted

2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 T buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, or as I did, in the microwave.   Add to the sugar/butter mixture and beat well.

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together and add to the batter.  Add the buttermilk and mix on low to combine. 

Scoop the dough with a 1/4-cup sized scoop, then flatten slightly with you hands.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, rotating pans half way through the time to ensure even baking.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Make the filling while the cookies are cooling.

Coconut~Pecan Filling
4 large egg yolks
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg. (7oz) sweetened shredded coconut

Beat the eggs yolks, milk, and vanilla in a large saucepan.  Continuing to use a whisk, blend in the sugar and butter and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add the coconut and pecans.  I transferred the mixture to a glass bowl to cool more quickly.

  Apply a big dollop of filling to the underside of one of the cookies, then top with another.

Slicing the cookie in half, gives the appearance of a miniature German's Chocolate Cake, but this cookie is fancy enough to stand alone for dessert or travel in a lunch box.

Creating a surprise with dessert is a fun way to keep your family on their toes and to add a little smile after a long day. Enjoy!