Momofuku-Werthers Cookies

 

I have never been to Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City but I have made many cookies from their recipes and really like them. They are creative in using different ingredients. Here is a variation on another one of theirs I made over the holidays. Don’t be intimidated by having to make up the cornflake crunch ahead of time. It is not that big a deal and makes the cookies really fun.

 

You will see this recipe has you form 1/3 cup balls, flatten them then put them in the refrigerator for an hour before baking at 375 degrees for 18 minutes! I have cooked them this way and that is way too high a temperature or too long a time for my oven, even when made in such large balls and refrigerated ahead of time. I have tried various approaches to cooking them and fall back to my usual method. I use a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scooper and bake them on convection at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. I cook two sheets at a time, one in the top, the other in the bottom of the oven. I rotate each sheet 180 degrees and switch oven positions after 5 minutes. They flatten more and cook faster if not refrigerated beforehand. Try them both ways and see which way you like them best.

Source:

I first got this recipe from the Mercury News. It is available online and in a cook book: “Momofuku Milk Bar”

Yield:

Makes 48 cookies when you use the 2 tablespoon scooper like I do.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼  teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼  teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups cornflake crunch (See recipe below. I use one whole batch per batch of cookies.)

1 cup mini-chocolate chips

40 Werther’s Original candies

1 ½  cups mini-marshmallows

Directions:

1. Combine butter and sugars in an electric mixer. Cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides and mix again. Add egg and vanilla. Beat for 7-8 minutes more.

2. While butter mixture is beating, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Scrape down sides and mix again.

4. Still on low, mix in the cornflake crunch and mini-chips, just until incorporated, no more than 30-45 seconds.

5. Unwrap the candies and transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag. With the end of a rolling pin, break the candy up into medium to small pieces — but no smaller than a Nerd. Do not make candy powder.* Mix the candy and marshmallows into the dough, just until incorporated.

6. Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure, portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie domes flat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies at room temperature as they will not hold their shape.

7. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange dough at least 4 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. They should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the center.

7. Cool completely on pans before transferring to an airtight container for storage.

 

 Note:

*I put them in a quart-sized Ziploc bag, press the air out and put them on a metal anvil I have in the garage. I then hit each starlight mint one time with a hammer and they shatter very nicely.

 

The original recipe has 40 starlight mints in place of the Werther’s. The peppermints are very interesting, especially for the holidays but I am not really nuts about peppermint.

Sorry this is too late for you to use to add holiday cheer to your lives but don’t wait until next year to give them a try.

Cornflake Crunch

Yield:

About 4 cups

Ingredients:

5 cups cornflakes

½ cup instant milk powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

9 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Pour the cornflakes into a large bowl and crush them with your hands to a quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar and salt and toss to mix. Add butter and toss to coat. The butter will act as glue, binding dry ingredients to cereal and creating clusters.

2. Spread the clusters on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until they look toasted, smell buttery and crunch gently when cooled slightly. Cool the cornflake crunch completely before using. The crunch will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature, or a month in the fridge or freezer.