There are two conditions under which I, an avid Steeler fan, can cheer for the Baltimore Ravens: any time they play the New England Patriots, and when they play any team other than the Steelers in the playoffs. You may wonder how a Steeler fan could ever cheer for the Ravens, even one who attended college and lived for some time in the Great State of Maryland. There is a single driving force behind my ability to support our arch nemesis, and his name is Robb Mowery.
Robb is my cousin by marriage; he and my cousin Barb are parents to the adorable Maureen, my goddaughter (who, for her first Halloween, dressed as a Ravens cheerleader). Robb is one of my favorite people ever, even if he has sketchy taste in sports teams. He’s genuine, has a great sense of humor, and would do anything for his family. We enjoy taunting one another throughout football season, and today, I’m happy for him because the Ravens have made it to the Super Bowl for the second time. Robb is an extraordinarily devoted fan, so I hope that, for his sake, they win tonight.
The recipe below is an adaptation of the classic Berger cookie, a Baltimore favorite.
Ingredients
Rich Chocolate Icing
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Cookies
- 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup milk
Preparation
Begin by making the icing, so it can cool to a warm room temperature as the cookies bake.
Place sifted powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, corn syrup, vanilla, and heavy cream.
Heat until very hot and the cream begins to bubble; remove from heat and stir until smooth.
Pour mixture over powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cookies.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, salt, vanilla, and baking powder.
Beat in sugar, followed by the egg.
Add flour and milk alternatively, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over-mix; the lowest mixer setting or a spoon work well.
Using a one-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between each cookie. Lightly wet your fingers and press the cookies into circles.
Bake for 11 minutes, until bottoms are just brown. The tops should not have any color; these cookies are cake-like and should not be over-baked.
Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
When cookies are cool, gently beat the icing to restore a smooth, even texture. Dip the flat bottom of each cookie into the icing, swirling to generously coat. I admit that I dipped half of the cookies on the wrong side, but I’m sure they’ll taste just fine. Once dipped, top the cookies with the remainder of the icing – while it seems like a lot, that’s the point!
Allow icing to set and store cookies in a single layer.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 