Bergers-Style Cookies
Soft vanilla cookies are topped with a rich fudge-like frosting that will take your breath away; a at-home recipe of the famous Bergers Cookies from Baltimore.
When we opened up our latest issue of Cook’s Country magazine, one recipe immediately jumped out at us – these Bergers-style cookies. We had never heard of them before, but after reading through the article, we learned that they are famous in the Baltimore area, hailing from a Bakery that was opened in 1800’s by German immigrants.
Aside from their storied history, we couldn’t get the picture out of our mind! A soft vanilla cookie topped with a full HALF INCH of chocolate fudge frosting. This was definitely a cookie with our name written all over it, and we wasted no time in whipping up a batch.
These cookies are basically a chocolate lover’s dream come true.
The base cookie is a soft, yet sturdy, vanilla sugar cookie. But not like a cut-out sugar cookie, more like a bakery or store plain soft sugar cookie. The dough is straightforward to mix together and require no chill time.
And then the frosting. OH, THE FROSTING.
It mixes up like brownie batter (we double dare you not to swipe a few tastes!), then sets like fudge. The addition of Dutch cocoa powder gives the frosting such a fantastic flavor, versus using just milk chocolate alone.
Since we've never had actual Bergers cookies, we can’t tell you how close these come to the original, but they are seriously memorable. The next time we're in the Baltimore area, we're definitely going to seek them out.
If you’ve had Bergers cookies, we'd love to hear from you about how these stack up!
One year ago: Game Day Dip
Six years ago: Pumpkin Fudge
Bergers-Style Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies Soft vanilla sugar cookies topped with a rich fudge-like frosting; a at-home recipe of the famous Bergers Cookies from Baltimore.For the Cookies
- 2 cups (250 g) cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1½ tablespoons (1.5 tablespoons) heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 3 cups (540 g) milk chocolate chips
- 1¼ cups (297.5 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1⅔ cups (143.33 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- Make the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg white, heavy cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time (our small cookie scoop was the reliable size), roll into balls and space 2 inches a part on the prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet. Using moistened fingers, press dough balls to form disks about ¼-inch thick and 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Make the Frosting: Once the cookies have cooled, combine the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and salt in a large bowl. Microwave the chocolate mixture at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth. (The frosting should the texture of thick brownie batter and register about 95 degrees.)
- Turn the cookies over on the baking sheets. Spoon 2 tablespoons of frosting over the flat side of each cookie to form a mound. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the frosting is set, about 3 hours. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- The temperature and consistency of the frosting are important. It should register between 90 and 100 degrees and should resemble thick brownie batter when you spoon it onto the cookie. It should mound and slowly spread over the cookies. It's okay if some of the frosting drips down the sides of the cookies. If the frosting is too thick, that means it is too cool. To make it spreadable, microwave it in 5-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until it registers between 90 and 100 degrees. If it gets too hot, it will thin and run off the cookies; in this case, simply let it cool a bit.
- We use the Thermapen instant digital thermometer.
- We used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips.
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Prep: 45 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 4 hours
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 cups ( 250 g ) cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) salt
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup ( 150 g ) granulated sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1½ tablespoons ( 1.5 tablespoons ) heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 3 cups ( 540 g ) milk chocolate chips
- 1¼ cups ( 297.5 ml ) heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) salt
- 1⅔ cups ( 143.33 g ) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups ( 150 g ) powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) vanilla extract
Method
- Make the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg white, heavy cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time (our small cookie scoop was the reliable size), roll into balls and space 2 inches a part on the prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet. Using moistened fingers, press dough balls to form disks about ¼-inch thick and 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Make the Frosting: Once the cookies have cooled, combine the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and salt in a large bowl. Microwave the chocolate mixture at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth. (The frosting should the texture of thick brownie batter and register about 95 degrees.)
- Turn the cookies over on the baking sheets. Spoon 2 tablespoons of frosting over the flat side of each cookie to form a mound. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the frosting is set, about 3 hours. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
The temperature and consistency of the frosting are important. It should register between 90 and 100 degrees and should resemble thick brownie batter when you spoon it onto the cookie. It should mound and slowly spread over the cookies. It's okay if some of the frosting drips down the sides of the cookies. If the frosting is too thick, that means it is too cool. To make it spreadable, microwave it in 5-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until it registers between 90 and 100 degrees. If it gets too hot, it will thin and run off the cookies; in this case, simply let it cool a bit.
We use the Thermapen instant digital thermometer.
We used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips.
