Bergers-Style Cookies
Soft vanilla cookies are topped with a rich fudge-like frosting that will take your breath away; a copycat recipe of the famous Bergers Cookies from Baltimore.
When I opened up my latest issue of Cook’s Country magazine, one recipe immediately jumped out at me – these Bergers-style cookies. I had never heard of them before, but after reading through the article, I 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, I couldn’t get the picture out of my mind! A soft vanilla cookie topped with a full HALF INCH of chocolate fudge frosting. This was definitely a cookie with my name written all over it, and I wasted no time in whipping up a batch.
These cookies are basically a chocolate lover’s dream come true.
The base cookie is a super 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 super easy to mix together and require no chill time.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
And then the frosting. OH, THE FROSTING.
It mixes up like brownie batter (I 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 I’ve never had actual Bergers cookies, I can’t tell you how close these come to the original, but they are seriously amazing. The next time I’m in the Baltimore area, I’m definitely going to seek them out.
If you’ve had Bergers cookies, I’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
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
Instructions
- 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 (my small cookie scoop was the perfect 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.
- I use the Thermapen instant digital thermometer.
- I used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
The original Berger cookie frosting had hydrogenated oil/shortening. The recipe changed when an FDA rule was issued in the 90s. The chocolate would coat and stick to your tongue and was twice as delicious. Many Baltimorons stopped buying them in protest of the recipe change. Just not as good as the original but my son who grew up with the new version, is a huge fan.
I want to make these for my daughter’s wedding but need to make them ahead of time. At what point is it best to freeze them? Before frosting then finish day of or after they are completely done?
Hi Mary, I would recommend freezing before frosting them. Once you thaw them, frost them a day or so before you want to serve them.
I will be making these cookies. I grew up near Baltimore and we would get these amazing cookies at the Lexington Market in the city. Nowadays they are available at Giant Grocery stores in Maryland. YUMMY!
I want to make these for my daughters wedding as part of the Pittsburgh cookie table
– I grew up in Pittsburgh and no wedding is complete without it! The wedding will be in South Carolina where we now live. Will these freeze well iced?
It looks yummy. I will try to make it ❤
I’ve made these twice! Everyone (including myself) always loves them. The first time I made them it was true to 24 cookies, and I had a lot of leftover icing! The most recent time I made them, which was just yesterday, I somehow ended up with 40 smaller cookies! With more cookies I ended up using all but a spoonful of the full icing recipe.
Thank you for posting this delicious cookie recipe! I can tell I’ll be making it for years to come.
These are delicious! But I learned several things from making them that I’ll know for next time.
The cookies didn’t brown much on the bottom. I used air-filled cookie sheets, which may be why, but baking them 11 1/2 minutes was too long, and they ended up harder than I like.
Cake flour is easy to make – don’t shy away. I put 2 c of flour in the bowl, removed 4 Tbsp, then replaced it with 4 Tbsp of cornstarch!
I used the bottom of a glass to press them flat from the ball.
I doubled the cookies but not the icing. I still had icing left in the end.
I wish I’d put the frosting in my mixer, and then reheated as necessary. I found it impossible to beat the lumps of 10x sugar and cocoa out. So they’re a bit lumpy. I also didn’t get a nice smooth shine on them, but the chocolate got hard in a couple of hours.
I made the copycat Berger Cookies because I had been craving them and I refused to pay to have them shipped. They may not have been the originals but they were close. They were good and like the original recipe so rich
Hi! How would I be able to make the ganache coffee flavored?
Hi Shelby, Sure! Just add some instant espresso powder to the heavy cream mixture that gets microwaved. Enjoy!
Hello I saw a movie about your business and I got to taste your cookies Do you send packages abroad to Israel for example thank you