25 December 2008

Not Enough Time For Martha

When I received my Holiday edition of Martha in the mail, I saw this glorious dessert that I definitely wanted to serve for Christmas: the Chocolate-Coconut Charlotte. It was everything I'd ever wanted in a holiday dessert - a combination of flavors and custards with crispy, homemade chocolate ladyfingers encircling the delicious layers, and just too much work on top of my French Onion soup and Prime Rib Roast. My usual reaction is to take on the stress until I've gone so insane that I could not possibly enjoy either the creation or the demolition of the masterpiece. I didn't make the damn thing.

Oh, the glory


The Holiday edition of Cooking Light came next in the mail, and lo and behold, there was my simplified Christmas dessert. The recipe calls for ten 4-ounce individual ramekins; we had six, so we improvised. For some reason, I didn't even think of how this would affect the bake time, which resulted in the cakes being much less gooey on the inside than desired.

Mmmm, gooey


But we prevailed, and everyone managed to eat just about half of their little cake. It was then that everyone wanted to know how they would take it home without stealing my ramekins. And I was at a loss. I think we popped them out of the container and wrapped them in saran wrap or something. Anyway, these were quick and easy. When cooked properly, they are a little bit crispy on top and hot and gooey on the inside. The sprinkling of powdered sugar makes them look elegant and simple. Just be sure to assemble them at least four hours ahead, as they need to sit in the refrigerator for that long.

My grandparents were confused as to why I was taking pictures


Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
Makes 10 individual servings, somehow (we only had 6, which greatly affected the cook time)

3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (2.6-ounce) bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer), finely chopped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar; serve immediately.

23 December 2008

A Baker that Doesn't Bake

My no-bake cookies are pretty awesome. I owe this mostly to the use of peanut butter and old-fashioned oats, as opposed to just cocoa and quick-cooking oats. The PB adds some depth and variety to the flavor and the old-fashioned oats help with thickening the mixture up.

Post apocalyptic


I made these for my cookie boxes for Christmas, and they were well-received. This is a good throwdown cookie recipe, as they only take a few minutes to make and a couple of hours to harden.

There's one missing


Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 2/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla exttract

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder. Bright to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla until completely combined. Add more oats if cookies seem runny.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool until hardened.

Fudge Again, with Stuff on Top

My usual recipe for fudge contains half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate, so this was sort of an experiment. I was very lucky because this occurred as part of the Cookie Box Baking Extravaganza, and it turned out great! I actually prefer this recipe to my regular one now because the marshmallow swirl is very attractive and it seems to stay moister (and thus, fresher) longer.

IT'S A TABLE, A DRESSER, A PIECE OF WOOD


I made one batch for my cookie boxes and another for a cookie exchange at my mom's office. After making the first batch, I noticed that the marshmallow swirl was mostly on the top, so I tried to marbelize a little deeper for the second batch and it turned out a little better. My only advice would be to not be afraid of swirling the marshmallow in; it helps in the long run.

IT'S FUDGE


Marshmallow Swirl Fudge
Makes 64 squares

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt chips with milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and stir in nuts before spreading evenly into prepared pan.

Meanwhile, melt marshmallows with 2 tablespoons butter in microwave. Spread marshmallow mixture on top of fudge and marbelized with a butter knife.

Chill for at least two hours, until firm. When ready to cut, turn fudge onto cutting board and peel off foil. Using a sharp, moist knife makes the cutting process easier.

Cookie Crisp with Caffeine

These first caught my eye in Cookies by Jill Snider because they were called Mocha Java Shortbread logs, and I thought that sounded...well, entirely unappetizing. The idea kind of grew on me, though, and I ended up making them for my cookie boxes.

Little logs of poop and coffee


I feel as though I can't give an honest review on these because I didn't actually try one. Before I got a chance, I had them all packed up to give away. I did get some pictures of them and responses from other people, though. One person told me that they reminded them of Cookie Crisp. When I realized that I hadn't had Cookie Crisp since I was seven or eight years old, I knew I couldn't honestly explain the relevance of this comment. I was also told that without the chocolate drizzle to add to the "mocha"
flavor, the coffee was overpowering. All I could recommend is to add the chocolate drizzle. Or, if you're stuck for time like I was, maybe try dipping half of the cookie in chocolate.

Cookie Crisp


Mocha Java Shortbread Logs
Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Semisweet chocolate, melted for decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cornstarch, coffee powder, and chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture, mixing until thoroughly blended. Using your hands, knead to form a smooth dough.

Shape into small logs, each about 2- by 1/2-inch; place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Cool for 5 minutes on a sheet, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.

If drizzling or dipping in chocolate, do so after completely cooled.

In Russia, Minstrels Eat You

Around early November each year, I start to develop these really great ideas for the holidays: I'm going to serve a prime rib roast for dinner, I'm going to make cookie boxes for all of my friends, I'm going to finally make world peace happen. But by the time that finals have chewed me up and spat me out, I am either a) working or b) sleeping.

These look floppy


On the eve of Christmas Eve, I worked the closing shift, and I had the bright idea to bake all of the cookies I had promised everyone. So, I woke up (late, of course), scoured my recipes, and went to the store to get some supplies.

Powdery and yum


The baking went by with nary a hitch; I only had one incident with marshmallows in the microwave when I made the fudge. The best part of the day was the discovery of these Russian Tea Cakes. They were easy and optionally nut-free; buttery and sweet. They are also quite possibly one of Andrew's new favorite cookies.

Nothing witty to say about the Russians


Russian Tea Cakes
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspooon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend powdered sugar with softened butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Stir in salt, flour, and nuts.

Form dough into 1-inch balls (or flattened cookies) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes.

While the cookies are still hot, roll them in powdered sugar, coating completely. Let cool and roll in powdered sugar again.

16 December 2008

Melts in Your Mouth and Your Hand

Eating my grandmother's homemade fudge until I got a stomachache was practically a holiday tradition for me when I was a child. I can still vividly remember sneaking the little chocolate pieces out of their cookie tins, where they were neatly stacked between layers of wax paper. Although I'm older, I could probably still take on an entire tin of fudge and have a hard time stopping until my stomach cries "Uncle".

Two pans in two days


My grandma doesn't really make fudge anymore, but last year she gave me the recipe that she got off of a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk decades ago. It's exceedingly simple and the results are amazing; the fudge is creamy, chewy, and succulent. Variations are endless, and you can even adjust how milk chocolate-y you want it to taste; for more, use more milk chocolate chips and for less, use more semisweet chocolate chips.

And the sliced piece is always gone in the morning


Foolproof Chocolate Fudge
Makes 81 one-inch cubes

1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts, toffee bits, miniature M&M's, etc.)

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Stir often; remove from heat and stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 9-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

15 December 2008

But the Fire is so Delightful!

I have about a dozen different recipes for gingerbread cookies, all from sources that are either reputable or as yet, completley unexplored. Last year, I broke our food processor with a recipe that called for way too much flour.

I decided to make some little gingerbread men for work to add a little bit of holiday spirit to our baked goods, but when I remembered the incident with the food processor, and believe me, it was a sight to be seen, I became skeptical of all my gingerbread recipes.

Our gingerbread MAN cutter was too small to sell for profit


It was then that I realized the molasses jar would surely have a tried and true gingerbread cookie recipe on the back; when I checked, I found I was right. My hesitation was completely gone and I made some delicious gingerbread angels and Christmas trees. Because I was selling them to customers, I didn't want to use anything to decorate them that people could dislike/be allergic to. So, I just sprinkled all of the shapes with some sugar before I baked the cookies, and the result was subtle, festive, and successful.

And she turned out to be an angel


Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 1 dozen

1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (or allspice)

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg completely. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix well. Chill in freezer for 1 hour or in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Be sure to keep dough you are not working with cold. Cut with cookie cutters and place on greased baking sheets. If decorating with raisins or sugar, add them at this time.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Pipe on royal icing and add candy pieces, if desired.

Baby, Ginger, Sporty, Scary, and Posh

I found a recipe for a Starbucks-inspired Chocolate Cinnamon Bread a long time ago and saved it to my computer. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of the original website, so I can't properly give credit; however, I did find a number of sites with the exact same recipe as the one I received, and I think this one is the most likely candidate for being the source.

Crunch


I tend to add at least a little bit of cinnamon to just about everything I bake, so the idea of chocolate and cinnamon combined into a dense, moist quickbread with a crispy sugar-spice topping is pretty exciting to me.

Chew


As I said before, I've had this recipe for almost a year and have hesitated to use it; possibly because it takes so much butter and butter is getting more expensive each week. The point is, my finals today were postponed until Thursday and I baked all day long, eventually getting around to this recipe.

Awesome


I am so happy we had frigid weather; otherwise, it might've taken me another year to taste the thick, warm, chocolate deliciousness that is involved with eating this bread. The bread is soft and moist while the crust is sweet and crunchy; the loaves don't rise as much as my other quick breads, but the actual texture is dense and compact, and you definitely get as much bang for your buck as you would with, say, banana bread. I cannot honestly recommend any quick bread more than this one. Bake this!


Chocolate Cinnamon Bread
Makes 2 nine-inch loaves

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Make the chocolate batter: in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans; shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.

Make the cocoa-spice sugar crust: In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger, and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool complete, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads, and remove the loaves from the pans. This is the hardest part: half of your crispy sugar topping will fall off. I don't yet know how to remedy this.

11 December 2008

Spectacular Contraption

On top of being allergic to milk, which excludes a lot of extraneous ingredients from cookies, my boyfriend tends to like only certain types of cookies. A few days ago, I was really getting the urge to bake, so I asked him what he would want that would be new and different. He suggested a combination of peanut butter cookies and snickerdoodles.

I ate half of the dough


Now, if you read faithfully (ha), you'll remember the last time I made peanut butter cookies, I didn't really like them, but the recipient said they were good and I decided I just didn't like peanut butter cookies. After making a different recipe from a book that has yet to steer me wrong, I realized that I do actually like peanut butter cookies, just not Martha's.

The shadows play off the yumminess


The most important aspect of this recipe is timing; you want to pull the cookies out a little bit before they actually look ready, but not too early because then they'll be extra crumbly and fall apart.


Peanutdoodles
Makes 2 dozen if you don't eat half of the dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (preferably superfine)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (preferably unrefined)
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or chewy
Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Sift the flour and baking soda together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars until soft and creamy. Combine the egg, flour mixture, peanut butter, and salt. Add the butter and sugar mixture until smooth.

Wrap the dough in foil or parchment and refrigerate for at least two hours. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon-sugar topping; combine ground cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl with a fork. If you run out, make more in the same ratio. Remove from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and roll completely in cinnamon sugar mixture before placing at least two inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a fork and use fork to make classic criss-cross patter. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.