The Incredible, Incredible Berger Cookie



The Original Berger cookie

 If you are from Baltimore, or maybe the surrounding region, you have hopefully heard and tried the Berger Cookie.  Produced by the DeBaufre Bakeries in downtown Baltimore, these treats have been around since the early 1800's...yes that is an 18.  Originally founded by one of the Berger brothers, Henry (from Germany) and his three sons George, Henry and Otto, they started selling their baked products in open air markets around town. Eventually they combined their efforts into one bakery, thus Bergers emerged.

The bakery was eventually sold, but continued selling the Berger cookie under its original name.  In 1969, Charles and Benjamin DeBaufre, former employees who started their own bakery, acquired the company and continue to run it today.  They still maintain virtually the same recipe for the acclaimed Berger Cookie that made it famous.

On a recent visit to Baltimore (where I grew up) I stopped into Eddie's Market to get a box of these treats.  That's where it dawned on me, "Why can't I try to make these?" 

 The Berger Cookie is a soft sugar cookie with a dollop of chocolate fudge (not icing) spread on one side.  The fudge is as thick as the cookie itself and has a darker, semi-sweet flavor.  On some of the cookies the fudge has overflowed down the side, which makes the feel even more homemade.  They are extraordinarily rich and, in spite of the fact that you should probably eat only one, you cannot stop.  Some people have compared these to New York's famous Black and Whites, but honestly they are quite different...and, in my opinion, way better.  Try for yourself to see.
To make these, I had to look around for recipes.  I found many online, most of which are from people who are not from Baltimore and are OK with just putting chocolate icing instead of the fudge which is unacceptable.  This recipe came from the King Arthur Flour site, however it was not their recipe, but a response from someone who did not believe theirs had cut the mustard.   I'll admit that my recipe could use some fine tuning, but it was close.



My first shot at the Berger..

 Also, I learned several things from this...  I have never made fudge before and when it says use a candy thermometer...use one.  I thought my instant read thermometer would work, but once it was cooking and needed a temperature of 234°, I found my instant read capped out at 220°... not good.  Then I started using my infra red laser thermometer, which I did not trust, because in spite of boiling and boiling, I could not get the temperature higher.  Thus, the fudge had a much more sugary texture, which was unacceptable.  Second thing is when it says things like boil covered, I should follow the instructions...not be so interested in getting pictures that I neglect to basic things.  Fudge, like candy, is a complete chemistry experiment...everything must be done perfectly, or else.



 
Bergers Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

·         ½ cup butter (=1 stick) at room temperature

·         ¾ teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (next time I will try pure cane sugar...not sure why they used light brown)

·         1 egg

·         2 cups flour

·         ½ cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2.  For this recipe do not cream the butter and sugar, just mix it to combine.

 Ok, from this point on, my camera went into "yellow" stage.  I think because this recipe is so old, and the camera decided that the pictures should look sepia-like.  It contributes to the nostalgia effect, if you use your imagination...really hard.
 

 3.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine being careful not to over work the dough.

I keep some salt in an old baking powder can, so that it is easy to measure...

 4. Drop level scoops of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. (I admit that in my first batch, the scoops were too large. )

This is too big of a scoop...

  5. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown.

 

6. After cooled, turn the cookies upside down on the baking sheet in preparation for the addition of the topping.

Chocolate Fudge Topping

Disclaimer- My recipe did not have the semi-sweet "bite" that the Berger Cookies have.  I am not sure how to modify at this point, but I wonder if the chocolate chip / sugar ratio can be changed, and/or less vanilla.  Any fudge experts out there?

Ingredients

1.  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup.

·         2 3/4 cups sugar

·         4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips 60% cacao

·         3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan

·         1 cup half-and-half

·         1 tablespoon corn syrup

·         1 tablespoon vanilla extract (next time, I might try 1/2 of this)

 2.  Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes.

3.  Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F.  (As you can see here, the photos temporarily cease...that is because I was in panic mode and forgot all about the camera...)

4.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir.

5.  Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F.

6.  Add vanilla, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte.

Finishing touch

1.  Once the fudge begins to thicken, dribble (more like plop) a layer of fudge onto the flat bottom side of each cookie. 

At this point in my experiment, it was 10:30 pm and I was waiting for the fudge to thicken.  I rushed this part and you can see that the fudge is not as thick as the originals.

In spite of my errors, these went over well with the testers.  Now, I must admit that none of the testers were from Baltimore and were instantly intoxicated from the sugar rush.  I will try these again after purchasing a candy thermometer and finding how to modify the fudge recipe.  Let me know what you think...

Try to ensure the fudge layer is the same thickness as the cookie. If the fudge is too thin and oozes off the cookie, give it a minute or two to thicken and try again. Work fast or the fudge will solidify before all the cookies have topping.

Mimi's Hot Milk Cake (with Caramel Icing)

Revised 7/4/14

My mom used to make me a special cake for my birthday each year, called Hot Milk Cake...from scratch. She made it with a Caramel Icing that was so rich that it tasted more like caramel fudge (or brown sugar fudge)... It was a beautiful and delicious cake that got surprisingly better after a few days of resting.  Ironically, I have never seen someone else make (or serve, or even talk about) hot milk cake...and I wonder why. It is such a good cake and perfectly designed to pair with vanilla ice cream.

My mom eventually passed on the recipe to me, so that now my wife can make it each year for my birthday, which she does. My wife would prepare it exactly according to the instructions that my mom left us (my mom has since passed away) and for some reason the cake would turn out denser than I remember. It was good, but I began to wonder if we were missing something. So I turned to google and discovered 2 things: 1- that hot milk cake is not confined to my household and 2- that others struggled with the denseness of the cake and were looking for answers too.

So this year (against every fiber of morality and rightness) my wife agreed to let me make my own hot milk cake for my birthday. (I know, I know...you don't even need to say anything...). I really wanted to research and troublshoot this recipe, and it was time.

I will admit that this recipe, in my mind is still under construction. (Not any more) Honestly, my whole cakemaking process is (was) under construction. I have this thing in my mind that you should be able to make a cake from scratch that is better than a box, but I have never been able to do it...and believe me, I have tried. Even though that is probably a separate story altogether, it is still part of this story. I have read about it and tried some changes, and here is what I found out:

1. My recipe started with 2 tablespoons of butter.  Comparing with any other recipe shows that this is waaay too little.  10 tablespoons was the norm.
2. It is better to start cakes with all ingredients at room temperature. 
3. Second, use cake flour. Cake flour is made from soft winter wheat and has less protein than all purpose, which combines differently and has less gluten, which translates to a softer, more tender crumb.  
4. When beating eggs, beat them for a long time...5 minutes on my KitchenAid, which makes them thick and "ribbony". 
5. Use 2- 8 inch pans versus 2- 9 inch pans.
6. Cook at a lower temperature and cook on the middle rack (it makes a difference.)  Otherwise it cooks too quickly, the center rises and breaks at the top.  It is a balance between cooking too fast and too hot, versus too slow where the rise does not function correctly.
7. Do not open the oven during the baking process! (Even if you forgot tot take a picture of cake for your blog.) The quick rush of cold air allows all of the perfectly expanded air bubbles to collapse.

My newly discovered techniques made all the difference.

OK... revision (1/22/19).  I took this recipe to a pro (Jacqui Renager) and had her diagnose my problem.  We made the cake together with some suggestions and here is how she modified:

1.  Add some more flour.  We started with 2 cups and she added almost another full cup.  I wrote 7/8 to get your attention.
2.  Separate the eggs and beat the YOLKS ONLY with the sugar.  Finish by folding the beaten whites in last.
3.  Alternate adding the hot milk mixture and the dry ingredients mixture to the yolk mixture.  Let them have time to incorporate before switching back.  End with the flour mixture.
4.  Remember, even if cakes does not appear completely done with the toothpick test, it will cook for several more minutes outside of the oven

This is an unbelievable cake and will take you back to simpler times. Try it, and make sure that you have good quality vanilla ice cream to accompany it. Make sure that you do not eat the whole cake in one day so that you can witness how the icing on the cake improves with time.

Hot Milk Cake
Ingredients (makes 2- 8" thin rounds)  Consider doubling for bigger cakes.

·         2 7/8 cups cake flour (sifted)

·         2 tsp baking powder

·         1/2 tsp salt

·         1 cup whole milk

·         10 Tbs butter 

·         4 eggs (room temperature and separated)

·         2 cups sugar (run in food processor for 2 minutes to get it superfine)

·         2 tsp pure vanilla

1. Move oven rack to middle!  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Lightly butter and flour 2- 8 inch square baking pans; set aside. (I am now using parchment paper in pans too.)

 

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, and SALT; set aside.

 

 

 

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix EGG YOLKS on high until blended.   Gradually add SUGAR while continuing to mix. Beat until very thick and the batter falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon. (You cannot overbeat, I have read.)

 

 

 

5. Beat in VANILLA.

6. Heat MILK and BUTTER until simmering in a small saucepan.

7. Alternate adding HOT MILK mixture to the EGG YOLK mixture and DRY INGREDIENTS to the EGG YOLK as you continue beating until combined.  Be sure not to cook eggs by adding too much of the HOT MILK mixture at one time.

 

 

 

  

 

9.  Beat EGG WHITES until fluffy, but not stiff.

10.  Slowly fold EGG WHITES into BATTER.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

10. Bake side-by-side until golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 30 minutes. Use the toothpick method to confirm doneness.

 

 

 

11. Cool in pan 10 minutes on rack, then remove from pan and cool on wire rack until room temperature. Resist the urge to frost before completely cooled.

Hot Milk Caramel Icing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 3 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (sifted)

1. Melt butter in small saucepan.

2. Add brown sugar to butter and bring to low boil.

 

 

 

3. Stir 1 minute.

4. Cool for 15 minutes.

5. In a different saucepan, heat milk until steaming.

6. Transfer sugar/butter mixture to mixer bowl, add hot milk, and and beat until smooth.

7. Keeping beater running, slowly add confectioners sugar until thoroughly mixed, and no lumps are present.

8. Frost cake right away. If the frosting becomes hardened, add a spoonful or two of additional milk. Stir well, scraping down sides - until icing softens enough to a spreading consistency. It’s helpful to dip your knife in very hot water if you want to soften and smooth out uneven edges in the icing.