best slice and bake cookies ever

Slice-and-bake cookies, to some people, are shorthand for lazy cooking and a Sandra Lee-esque approach to the kitchen. But these cookies, officially Mocha Latte bars, are head and shoulders above anything in the refrigerator aisle. I first made these during school last year, as an accompaniment to our creme brulees in a plated dessert unit. Their dense chocolate and slightly bitter mocha edge was a perfect foil for the silky cream of the brulee, but when I've made them since I've discovered that they stand very nicely on their own or with a cup of coffee or tea.

There is a little bit of work required before you get to the "slice and bake" part, but the recipe makes a lot of dough, which can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for several months. If you're planning to freeze it, I might slice it before freezing, but refrigerated dough can be cut and thrown straight into the oven. A log of refrigerated dough can travel well - I brought it on the subway to a friend's house and was feted as a hero when we enjoyed straight-out-of-the- oven cookies for dessert. It could also make a nice hostess or holiday gift for someone who loves baked goods but doesn't love the prep work.

I've made a few small changes to the original recipe - substituting a variety of chocolates for the gianduja, using Medaglia d'Oro powder - so my version appears below. enjoy!

Mocha Latte Bars (original recipe Vicki Wells, distributed at FCI)

250 grams butter (room temperature)

300 grams granulated sugar

1 egg and 1 yolk

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla

325 grams all-purpose flour

115 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Dutch processed here)

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. Medaglio d'Oro espresso powder

4 1/2 c. chopped chocolate (I like a mix of white, milk and semisweet or bittersweet)

Sift the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and airy. Add the egg, then the yolk, mixing well to incorporate after each. Add the vanilla, slowly. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients, mix only until almost incorporated, then add chocolate in two or three batches. Separate the dough into two or three logs - these can be round, square, rectangular, or any other shape you like. Chill at least until firm (two or three hours), or up to a week.

When you're ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice your logs - I like these cookies between 1/4 and a 1/2 inch thick, and think a serrated or very sharp chef's knife works best - and arrange on parchment paper or a silpat on a cookie sheet.

Bake 10-15 minutes, or until cookies look firm and matte.

Let cool (or not - they're great warm!) and enjoy. Great with a glass of milk.