Mast Brothers Chocolate, Brooklyn-based chocolatiers, just opened a shop in Williamsburg. I first came across their beautifully wrapped chocolate bars at the Coop, one design in particular with Tarot card imagery is especially apt in light of our current movie project. And because we keep talking about  trying to sell our cookies and maybe even opening a shop of our own, I made a half batch I think they'll like, of chocolate salty oat according to Stewart's recipe (course sea salt, lots of coconut and cacao nibs instead of chips or chunks). Tomorrow morning I am going to Williamsburg with five cookies in a yogurt container Stewart and I emptied in a breakfast or two on the island in Maine. I used Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate and raw sundried organic cacao beans (chopped), I hope the brothers aren't too particular.

UPDATE: I didn't have a succinct idea about how to play the moment so I came off as kind of odd.  They appreciated the cookies as much as one could appreciate a leftover container full of dark brown biscuits (Stewart was calling cookies "biscuits" after spending four weeks in Spain with an Englishwoman) from a stranger (a friend saw them eating them later, which is heartening).  It was good to see their operation, how they use the space, the kitchen and the minimal "store."  They encouraged me to start with wholesale and I explained that I was waiting for my partner to settle down and start the business with me.  I bought a bar, "Dark Chocolate [70% Cacao] Single Origin Hispaniola, Domincan Republic," but I'm saving it until I decide to eat it as is, or chop it up or melt it down for cookies.

Stewart's absence is a much-lamented fact at the movie apartment. Much of what we shoot is a documentary of our real lives in the space, but it seems wrong to record the cookie-making process without his contribution. The cookies are good though. On camera yesterday, I made the original recipe (the one of the bag of Tollhouse semisweet chocolate chips) side by side with their latest incarnation:

Original (Latest)
Unsalted Butter (Unsalted Butter)
Brown Sugar (White Cane Sugar + Molasses)
Egg (Applesauce)
Vanilla (Vanilla)
All-Purpose Flour (All-Purpose Flour + Oats)
Baking Powder
Salt
Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Chunked 72% Dark Chocolate + Coconut Flakes + Walnuts)

I was surprised how bland the half batch of originals tasted -- experimentation continues to be fruitful.

I can only post briefly because I am working on this movie. Stewart came by the set today and we made these cookies:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white cane sugar
1 overflowing tsp molasses
1 scoop of apple sauce (of 1 anjou pear, 1 fuji apple, 2 candycrisp, 2 pinklady)
1 capful homemade Stoli-based vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut
1/2 cup oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chunked 72% chocolate
1/2 cup walnuts

So soft, best cookies ever!