Fresh Berry Gratin

INGREDIENTS

• Fruit Mixture  
• 4 cups berries e.g. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, (hulled and left whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kirsch, Cointreau, other fruit brandy
• pinch table salt
• Topping  
• 3 slices bread, torn into quarters
• 2+ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• pinch ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 400 degrees. Toss fruit gently with sugar, cointreau, and salt in medium nonreactive bowl and transfer to 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan.
2. 2. Pulse bread, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over fruit and bake until crumbs are deep golden brown and fruit is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and serve.

Chocolate chocolate cookies

AKA, the best cookies ever

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for coating
• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4-5 ounces Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips (1/2 a bag)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large  baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ½ cup granulated sugar in pie plate. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in small bowl.
2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bowl as needed. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl once. Give dough final stir to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly
   
3. Roll dough between hands into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Drop dough balls into baking dish with sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 10 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake.
4. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes
   
   Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated