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Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches

I wasn’t one of those kids who wanted a PBJ sandwich in my lunchbox every day — I was more of a bologna and Kraft cheese kind of gal. (Don’t judge, people change.) And yet, there is still something innately comforting to me about the combination of peanut butter and jelly. These cookies are my attempt to combine that sense of comfort and familiarity with a set of ingredients that better match my grown-up palate.

It doesn’t take long to figure out I’m a little bit of an almond fanatic, so it was an easy leap for me to substitute almond butter in my cookie sandwiches. With apologies to George Washington Carver and the state of Georgia, I much prefer the sweet, cherry-like nuttiness of almonds to their legume counterparts.

For the filling, I chose two options: triple berry conserve, and chocolate ganache. (For traditional ganache, try this recipe, or go a little more high-falutin’ with a creme fraiche ganache here.) Both were great partners for the slightly savory notes of these tender shortbread rounds.

I love these because they are special without being complicated, small without feeling too precious. And let’s face it: no one can resist a tiny little cookie sandwich. There will always be a place on my table for the kind of food that brings out the kid in all of us.

Almond Butter Sammies In Progress

Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches
makes 24 cookie sandwiches

1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 c. all-natural almond butter (I love Justin’s Nut Butters)
1/2 c. demerara or light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. fine salt
2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
granulated sugar for dipping
1/2 c. filling of your choice — jam, chocolate ganache, Nutella, or frosting
(It’s probably rather telling that I always have at least three of the four above on hand.)

Oven 325F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment and set aside.

Cream together butter, almond butter, demerara sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high until well-combined. Gradually beat in half the flour, then stir in the remaining flour by hand.

On a piece of waxed paper, pat the dough out into a 6″x8″ rectangle and cut into 48 equal pieces, about 1″-square each. Roll pieces into balls, and place two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Dip the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup in granulated sugar, then press the balls to flatten them to about 1/4″ in thickness.

Bake 12-14 minutes, until they are lightly brown and the centers are set. You will know they are done because they lose their shine. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for five minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, scoop about a teaspoon of filling on to a cookie, then sandwich with another. Do this like a good parent — gentle, but firm.

Store in an airtight container up to three days. Or freeze, well-wrapped, up to a month, then defrost at room temperature before serving. This is the perfect recipe to get a leg up on your holiday baking…

Cookies Waiting for Filling

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Boston Cream Cupcakes with Crème Fraîche Ganache

16 Saturday Jun 2012

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Last week’s recipe for a summery Blueberry Tart left me with some extra pastry cream on hand, and this recipe is the perfect way to use it. These are a more easily-served version of Boston Cream Pie, which is in fact not a pie at all, but instead layers of golden yellow butter cake and vanilla pastry cream, enrobed in a layer of chocolate ganache. The overall effect is impressive, right until you try to cut into it. (There is a reason custard is not commonly used as an ingredient in sturdy foundations.)

As messes go, it’s a delicious one, but not quite the dessert to hand to small children at a birthday party. The cupcake version is altogether more practical, and still just as indulgent. I leave it to you to make a batch of a dozen cupcakes from your favorite yellow cake recipe. I like this classic butter cake or this golden vanilla cake from King Arthur Flour’s web site. However, any recipe will do, as long as it’s moist and yummy. The pastry cream recipe is found here, used as the filling of the tart.

That leaves the chocolate ganache topping, and for me, that has to be Creme Fraiche Ganache from the beautiful cookbook Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Leavy Beranbaum. Beranbaum is most famous for The Cake Bible; written two decades ago, it is still an enduringly authoritative guide to making cakes that are scrumptious to see and taste. Rose’s Heavenly Cakes continues in the same literate, informed vein, and her recipes and directions are superb.

The end result of all these parts and pieces is buttery, creamy, chocolatey: all the words I love in a dessert recipe. Make no mistake, this is a sweet treat, but the Creme Fraiche Ganache adds just the right hint of tangy depth to balance the rich custard filling. These were my son’s birthday pick this year, and I think he made a wonderful choice.

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Creme Fraiche Ganache
makes 1 1/3 cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes

6 oz. quality semisweet chocolate
2/3 c. creme fraiche
4 tsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract

In a food processor, blitz the chocolate until chopped very fine. In a pourable 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup, whisk together the creme fraiche and heavy cream and heat until scalding; small bubbles will form around the edges of the cream mixture, about 90 seconds in my microwave. (This can also be done in a small saucepan over medium heat.)

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream mixture through the tube into the chocolate in a steady stream. Process a few seconds until smooth, then add the butter and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the ganache to a glass bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool until firm enough to use as frosting, several more hours at least. The ganache will keep three days at room temperature or three weeks covered and refrigerated.

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To assemble cupcakes:
Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece out of the top of each cupcake, a little over an inch across and tapering to a point about an inch deep. Put a heaping spoonful of pastry cream in each little divot, then replace the cake cone. (I push mine in so that some pastry cream seeps out the side and is visible on the edges of the cupcake after frosting. If you’d prefer that your cream filling stay a surprise, gently replace the plug so that your cupcake has a more sloped top.)

Gently frost the top of each cupcake with a generous slathering of ganache, then top as desired with sprinkles or shave chocolate, or just leave pristine. These are fine to sit out for a few hours, but refrigerate the cupcakes, well-wrapped, if saving overnight. The ganache will thicken and lose its glossy sheen once refrigerated, but the cupcakes still taste delicious.

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(Wiley: 2009; ISBN 978-0471781738)

Easy-Peasy Friday: Frozen Choco-Bananas

01 Friday Jun 2012

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We have a one-word exclamation in our house that brings a smile to everyone’s face: WEEKEND! (If there was a font face to communicate squealing with anticipation, I’d be using it right now.) And while I sometimes use Saturday mornings to tackle more complex, time-intensive cooking and artwork, what I really want most is to spend those precious weekend moments with the people I care about. I want our time together to be fun and special, and I love to make little treats and crafts that show my friends and family they are cherished.

With that in mind, I’m introducing Easy-Peasy Fridays on createdforjoy.com! I thought it might be nice to ease us into the weekend with a quick, simple recipe or craft idea. I’ve decided any project or recipe is game, as long as it 1) requires no more than three steps, 2) can be completed while children and guests are underfoot, and 3) makes the weekend feel special. Stay tuned for all sorts of easy-peasy fun. :)

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The inaugural Easy-Peasy Friday recipe was a pretty obvious choice because it’s a summer staple at our house and one of our favorite easy treats: Frozen Choco-Bananas. It’s the perfect use for week-old bananas that would make for a sad lunchtime companion, but aren’t quite ready for banana bread. These are great because they’re simple to make, popular with all ages, and more nutritionally complete than a popsicle or scoop of ice cream.

To make your own Frozen Choco-Bananas:

1) Peel the bananas and chop either into halves or fourths, and insert either a toothpick or popsicle stick in the base of each piece.
2) Place on a wax paper-lined plate and freeze for a few hours.
3) Swirl the frozen bananas in melted chocolate (I usually just microwave a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted, but fancier chocolate is fine), then roll in the topping of your choice: chopped nuts, sprinkles, toasted coconut, mini marshmallows, dried fruit, or crushed candy bars. Freeze again until chocolate is firm, then serve or store in a zip-top plastic bag.

These last for weeks if well-wrapped… or at least, I think they would. We always eat them all in a matter of days. Perfect kid fare for birthdays or slumber parties, a yummy way to keep cool at BBQ’s and picnics, and a great surprise to pull from the cooler after a summer hike.

Oh, one more thing: WEEKEND! :)

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Birthday Shortbread

30 Wednesday May 2012

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When I lived in England, one of my favorite desserts was Millionaire’s Shortbread, a bakery treat made of sweet sedimentary layers of cookie, caramel, and chocolate. These cookie bars are, in a word, dreamy — the kind of dessert that requires you close your eyes for a moment after you take a bite.

They start with a tender shortbread base that is everything a cookie by that name should be: buttery, crumbly, and deceptively simple. Shortbread is one of the culinary miracles that first drew me to baking, and it still thrills me to see flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt transformed into something so special. With the help of a food processor, this version comes together in less than five minutes, and that takes into account some dawdling while you measure.

While the cookie base bakes, you have the pleasure of meeting the British cousin of dulce de leche, a thick, milky caramel the color of pale butterscotch. It is just as simple to put together as the shortbread, and never have ten minutes’ stirring been so well-rewarded. Of course, a recipe called Millionaire’s Shortbread has to be over the top, and a layer of silky chocolate ganache takes it there in style. Despite its rich name and taste, Millionaire’s Shortbread has only six ingredients total. Of course, after the first bite, it’s also obvious that there’s butter in every layer. ;)

In deference to its British provenance, I am providing the recipe measurements in both volume and metric weight. I do actually pull out my little electric kitchen scale to make this one, if only because fiddling with buttons and using the word “tare” pleases me. It will turn out deliciously either way, so use whichever version you prefer. And one last note: in my house, this is now known as Birthday Shortbread because the son of a dear friend asked if he could have this recipe as his sixteenth birthday present. What better recommendation could you ask for, really? A dessert fit for millionaires and distinguishing teenagers alike.

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Birthday Shortbread
makes twenty-seven 1″x3″ bars

For cookie:
1 3/4 c. (225 grams) all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
1/4 c. (50 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 c. (170 grams or 1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
pinch of salt

For caramel:
14 oz. can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. (100 grams) granulated sugar
pinch of salt

For chocolate:
6 oz. (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate bar
1/4 c. (55 grams or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
pinch salt

Oven 350F. Start by making the shortbread base: in a food processor, combine flour and sugar and pulse a few times to mix. Add butter pieces and process until uniformly mixed into buttery sand. Pour crumbs in 9″x13″ pan or glass baking dish, spread evenly, and press down until crumbs stick together to form dough. (Quick tip: to be sure it’s tightly packed and you have a nice, flat base, cover the surface of the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and press down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup.) Bake shortbread for 20-25 minutes, until pale golden brown at edges.

While shortbread cools, prepare caramel filling. In medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter, and salt over medium heat. Stir occasionally to blend ingredients until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes, until caramel has thickened into a pale golden custard, then pour over cooked shortbread base. Spread with silicone spatula so filling evenly covers cookie and allow to cool to room temperature, at least two hours.

When base and filling are cool, make chocolate topping. In microwave-safe bowl, cook chocolate, butter, and salt until melted and glossy, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent scorching. Spread evenly over cookie bars and allow to cool at least 30 minutes, longer as desired. Cut with a sharp paring knife into nine rows and three columns, for a total of twenty-seven 1″x3″ bars. (Quick tip: to keep your bars neater, dip blade of knife into piping hot water and dry it off between each cut.)

Store leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature. This recipe is simplicity itself, and my 12-year-old can make it without assistance. This may or may not count as a good thing in your book, depending on your self-control level; regardless, it’s good to have up your sleeve when you want to bake something fantastic without venturing to the grocery store or thinking very hard. :)

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Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle

05 Monday Mar 2012

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When my husband, Landon, was in kindergarten, someone’s mother brought a batch of coconut cupcakes to share with the class to celebrate her child’s birthday. Landon had never had coconut before, but he knew a thing or two about baked goods, and he positively drooled over the mounds of fluffy white frosting and clouds of coconut. When his turn came, he eagerly stuffed a bite in his mouth, and then proceeded to experience one of the biggest culinary disappointments of his little life. It seemed someone had accidentally switched out his precious cupcake with a mouthful of dry grass, possibly mixed with bits of shredded string. After he was done retching and spitting (I’m sure the mom and teacher just loved that), he was left with one resounding sentiment: I hate coconut.

Finally, three decades later, comes coconut’s redemption. This recipe was inspired by a bag of coconut flour I spied in the baking aisle at Whole Foods. Coconut flour is made of finely ground dried coconut, so it carries the fruit’s sweet aroma without the fibrous texture. Apparently, it also transforms fairly good cake into something so ridiculously moist that you feel the need to talk with your mouth full in order to urge others to eat it too: “Seriously, mmfff, you have got to try this!”

This recipe started life years ago as one from a King Arthur Flour catalogue, but it doesn’t bear much resemblance to the original now. Coconut flour requires extra liquid, so I figured I might as well stick with the theme and use coconut milk. I think the combination of the two is what is responsible for the tender, almost-melting texture — although frankly, after the first bite, you won’t really care. Their diminutive size and the tang of the cream cheese frosting make it a little more reasonable to finish the tops with a drizzle of caramel, in which I also substituted coconut milk for the regular old cow kind.

You would think something with coconut products present in triplicate would be absolutely redolent with its flavor, but somehow these cupcakes manage to come out only barely scented of the stuff. I did feel the need to nod to the coconut flour in the recipe name, but you really wouldn’t know it was there if I didn’t tell you. In other words, this is the perfect recipe for people conditioned by years of shredded coconut with the mouth-feel of lawn clippings. As an added plus, coconut flour has more fiber and vitamins than wheat flour, and it’s a great alternative for people who eat gluten-free. Something that tastes better than it should, transforms the food it’s in, and is good for you to boot: that’s the kind of culinary alchemy that keeps me happily inventing and baking. Now, seriously, mmmfff, you have got to try these… ;)

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Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle
makes about 90 mini-cupcakes

For the cake:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened (12 Tbsp. or 1 1/2 sticks)
1 c. demerara sugar (also called turbinado or raw sugar, see these recipe notes for more info)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 tsp. espresso powder (optional, enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor)
1 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1 c. coconut flour
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
one 14 oz.-can coconut milk plus enough regular milk to equal 2 1/2 cups

For frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (3/4 stick)
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. coconut milk or regular milk

For caramel:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. demerara sugar
1 c. coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse

Oven 350F. Use electric mixer to blend butter, demerara sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and espresso powder until light and fluffy, 5 or 6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula once or twice to be sure it blends evenly. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together both types of flour and cocoa and set aside.

Add the can of coconut milk to a large measuring cup, then add regular milk until it totals 2 1/2 cups. Now whisk them together until evenly mixed. (The coconut milk always separates in the can. Don’t let this put you off, it’s just the water coming out of the thicker part of the fruit puree.) Add a third of the flour mixture to the cake batter, then mix well. Add half the milk, then mix again. Alternate this way until all ingredients are completed blended into a thick, fragrant batter.

Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners, then put one teaspoon of batter in each cup. (I use a small ice-cream scoop for this.) Bake mini-cupcakes for 12-13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with the faintest hint of moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for one minute, then transfer to baking rack to cool completely. Repeat as needed until all batter is baked, about four batches for my 24-cupcake pan.

While the cupcakes bake, make the caramel. Cook the butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sugar melts (3-4 minutes). Carefully pour in the coconut milk — it will bubble and splash furiously, so be careful that you don’t get burned. Some of the melted sugar may solidify in the bottom of the pan or on the whisk. Every time I make caramel, this is the moment that I have doubts, but trust chemistry and soldier on. Keep stirring constantly as it simmers over low heat for seven minutes (use a timer, no skimping). The caramel will smooth and thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and leave in the pan to cool.

While the caramel and cupcakes cool, it’s time for frosting. Put the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until lighter and thoroughly mixed, 2-3 minutes. Add half the sifted powdered sugar and mix well. Add coconut milk, mix again, then last half of sugar. Mix until completely combined to a creamy spreading consistency.

Gently frost cooled cupcakes, leaving a bit of a well in the top where the caramel can pool. Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with cooled caramel, then top with chocolate sprinkles or toasted coconut shavings as desired. I made these small for three reasons: I love tiny baked goods; these are very rich; and smaller servings help my family better control portion size. It’s hard to walk away from half a regular-sized cupcake, but having one or two of the minis feels like plenty.

If you prefer a traditional-sized cupcake, I would estimate baking time at around 25 minutes, but start testing a few minutes before to be sure they don’t dry out. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use 2 cups coconut flour (instead of 1 c. coconut flour, 1 c. all-purpose) and add an additional 1 c. of either coconut milk or regular milk; bake and assemble as directed above.

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Cheesecake Fudge Brownies

08 Sunday Jan 2012

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There are two camps in the brownie world: thick and fudgy, or light and cake-like. If you’re in the light, cake-like crowd, you might want to skip this recipe. (Or you could just make it and be converted. :) These are super dense and chocolaty, but they have the added appeal of swirls of smooth, tangy cheesecake. Top it all with a sweet ganache glaze, and you’ve got a brownie to rule the world.

I discovered by happy accident that the secret to deliciously dense brownies is covering and refrigerating the whole pan for at least three hours before cutting and serving. I am sure it has something to do with the steam created by cooling so quickly, but I just file it under the heading of “kitchen alchemy” and busy myself licking icing off my fingers.

Cheesecake Fudge Brownies
makes 24 brownies

For brownies:
1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch process
1 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract (yes, a tablespoon)
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)

For cheesecake layer:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)

For glaze:
4 oz. heavy cream (1/2 c.)
1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)

Oven 350F. In a medium, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt butter in microwave. Stir in sugar with silicone spatula and microwave one minute more. Stir in cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat eggs lightly in separate small mixing bowl, then add to brownie batter and mix thoroughly. Stir in flour, making sure there’s no lumps or unmixed egg. Pour into a well-greased, glass 9″x13″ glass baking dish and spread evenly with spatula.

In separate medium mixing bowl, use electric mixer with paddle attachment to mix cream cheese and sugar for cheesecake until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix thoroughly again. Pour cheesecake batter on top of brownie batter and smooth into even layer. Now use your spatula to swirl the layers together. (They are both very dense, so this isn’t a delicate maneuver — swirl like you mean it. :) Bake for 55-60 minutes until top is lightly golden.

Toward the end of baking time, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, heat all the glaze ingredients over medium-low heat until chocolate chips melt and glaze is glossy and smooth. When brownies come out of the oven, pour on the glaze and smooth into even layer. Allow to cool at room temperature until warm but not piping hot, then place in refrigerator. After a half hour or so, when glaze has set, cover brownies with plastic wrap stretched tightly so it doesn’t touch the top. Allow to cool in refrigerator at least three hours, preferably overnight. (Don’t skip this step — your patience will be rewarded, I promise.)

When brownies are well-refrigerated, cut into 24 pieces. This requires a sharp knife and a slow, steady hand. When you remove the brownies from the pan to serve, just accept that the first brownie will come out a complete wreck. I have never found a way around this, but I admit I haven’t tried very hard. (You should always taste everything you cook before you serve it anyway…) The other 23 will come out fine as long as you take your time.

P.S. — A plate full of these rivals any birthday cake, just stick your candles in the top layer. As my daughter used to say when she was tiny, “Hapty birfday to ME!”

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Come see other yummy desserts joining mine on Sweets for a Saturday on the Sweet as Sugar Cookies blog :)

Chocolate-Orange Pound Cake

26 Monday Dec 2011

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Have you ever had a Terry’s Chocolate Orange? It is an orange-flavored chocolate sphere, wrapped in printed foil so it looks like a piece of fruit. Before eating, you thwack it hard against the table so it splits into twenty neat little segments. When I lived in England growing up, it was a Christmas tradition, and for me, December + nostalgia = inventive baking. :)

Enter Chocolate-Orange Pound Cake. It is bright and moist, orange-scented and chock full of mini-chocolate chips. It has a dense, tender crumb and a hint of tart citrus tang in the glaze. Pound cakes are not the simplest to make, but they are worth the effort. This just sings of holidays and making memories for me.

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Chocolate-Orange Pound Cake
makes one Bundt-style cake, two large loaves, or four small loaves

For cake:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks, 8 oz.)
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
3 tsp. orange oil (see Recipe Notes)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (not coarse)
5 large eggs
3 Tbsp. espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. creme fraiche or whole-fat sour cream
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1 c. semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips, plus more for topping glazed cakes (I use Ghiradelli)

For glaze:
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/4 c. orange juice powder (see Recipe Notes, can substitute zest of one orange and use freshly squeezed orange juice in place of water)
3 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. orange oil

Oven 325F. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a medium mixing bowl for 3 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy. Add vanilla, orange oil, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat again for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time while blending and beat well after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl often with silicon spatula. (Quick tip: it may be tempting to cut short the blending time, but this part is key to a moist, tender pound cake. Your patience will pay off, I promise.)

Dissolve espresso powder in warm water in a small bowl. (Another quick tip: coffee really brings out the best in chocolate; if you don’t have espresso powder, use 1/4 c. dark brewed coffee in place of the warm water.) Whisk in milk and creme fraiche/sour cream. In separate small mixing bowl, whisk or sift together cocoa and flour. Beat this dry ingredient mixture into the batter, alternating in turns with the liquid. Take your time, being sure mixture is thoroughly blended and sides of bowl are scraped after each addition. (Add liquid, blend, scrape; add dry, blend, scrape; repeat… again, totally worth your time.) Your reward will be a homogeneous, fluffy, dense batter, worthy of a tussle over who licks the beaters. Gently stir in the mini-chips with a silicon spatula, being sure to fold in batter from the bottom of bowl to evenly distribute all the little chocolaty morsels.

Pour into well-greased or parchment-lined pans; you have several size options, depending on your needs. This recipe produces 8 cups of batter which can be baked in a 12-cup capacity Bundt-style pan, two 5″x10″ glass loaf pans, or four 4″x7″ small loaf pans. (I used these nifty French Bake-and-Give Wooden Bakers, which come with single-use wooden pans and parchment paper liners; they make for such beautiful gifts.)

Your cooking time will differ based on the container you choose, but approximate times are: one hour, twenty minutes for Bundt; one hour, ten minutes for two large loaves; and one hour even for four small loaves. Watch yours closely and pull them from oven as soon as a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Beware the rogue melted chocolate chip which pretends to be raw cake batter; always test twice, just in case. It would be a shame to overcook your cake and waste all that earlier effort.)

Allow cakes to cool 15 minutes in pans on cooling rack, then turn out of pan if desired. (I usually leave cakes in loaf-style pans and just slice in the container before serving.) Allow to cool completely before glazing. To make glaze, whisk ingredients in small mixing bowl until thoroughly blended and smooth. Drizzle over top of cake(s) and then sprinkle liberally with more mini-chocolate chips.

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Recipe Notes + Tips:
The key to getting intense orange flavor in this recipe is the use of orange oil. It is cold-pressed from the peel of the fruit, and it takes about 44 oranges to make each ounce of orange oil. I use Boyajian brand citrus oils; see their site for availability near you, but you can always find it on-line at King Arthur Flour or Amazon. It is absolutely worth having in your pantry.

The glaze in this recipe features a second source of orange flavor in the form of orange juice powder, also available from King Arthur Flour. It is essentially all-natural orange juice in solid, concentrated form. I love the flavor punch you get from such a small amount, but unlike orange oil, it’s really not necessary to have it for the recipe to work. As mentioned above, simply substitute the finely chopped zest of one orange and 3 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed orange juice for the orange juice powder and water. However, if you’re an adventurous cook/eater, I’d encourage you to try out orange juice powder, as well as its compatriots, lemon juice and pineapple juice powders. (I’d also love to hear about any recipe inventions they inspire. :)

Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache

12 Monday Dec 2011

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It takes a lot to trump the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but these just might do it. Little nuggets of soft, buttery shortbread sandwiched around creamy chocolate, covered in the warm, sweet crunch of vanilla sugar… forget sugarplums, I’ve got visions of butterballs dancing in my head. ;)

A pile of these make a delicious gift, whether birthday, holiday, or hostess. And although they are sugar-coated show-stoppers, the recipe is actually quite simple — only seven ingredients and a bit of planning involved. My fourteen-year-old just made his first solo batch for a local cookie contest (he won), and he seconds my infatuation. Can cookies sparkle? I think these might…

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Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache
makes 18 sandwich cookies

For shortbread:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
about 2 c. vanilla sugar for rolling (see Recipe Notes below)

For chocolate ganache filling:
4 oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate (I like Ghiradelli or Scharffen Berger)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)

With the whisk of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, about three minutes. Add granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla, and mix again until well-blended. Stir in the flour by hand until it forms a soft dough. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 3 hours, up to a week.

Working with well-chilled dough, break off teaspoon-size piece and roll into 36 balls about 3/4″ across. (Making them uniform in size is more important than their exact diameter.) Place balls on wax/parchment-paper lined plate and freeze for 30 minutes. While they are in the freezer, make the chocolate ganache for the filling.

Place chocolate, cream, and salt in small pan over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate melts and combines with cream into a glossy mixture. Transfer ganache to a bowl and refrigerate until the consistency of thick pudding. (It needs to be stiff enough to hold your cookie sandwiches together.)

Preheat oven to 375F. Place balls of chilled dough about two inches apart on cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Cook just until set but not browned. While cookies cool on baking sheets, place vanilla sugar in a shallow bowl for rolling. To assemble, put a smear of ganache on the flat bottom of one cookie, then place another on top. Roll in vanilla sugar until well-coated. I refrigerate mine for at least a half hour afterwards to be sure they are well-stuck, but they can be stored at room temperature after that. (You can also sandwich these with raspberry jam, but the exclusion of chocolate from a recipe is frowned upon by my household…)

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Although you can certainly roll these in plain sugar, I love the added flavor and scent that comes from using vanilla sugar. To make your own, just slice a vanilla bean length-wise and add it to four cups of granulated sugar in an airtight container; wait two or three weeks before using, and whenever you think about it, shake the container to evenly distribute the vanilla. As you use it, add more plain sugar to the container to maintain your supply.

Vanilla sugar is a fantastic addition to your pantry, and there’s no end to its uses: add a teaspoon to your morning tea or coffee; sprinkle it over oatmeal or cream of wheat; give plain yogurt a flavor-boost or blend it into your favorite smoothie; add depth to baked goods from blueberry muffins to lemon bars to apple pie; make a jar of vanilla-cinnamon sugar to use on snickerdoodles, as a topping on grilled peaches, or to caramelize figs… did I mention there’s no end to its uses? :)

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This recipe is adapted from one in Gale Gand’s 2006 cookbook Chocolate and Vanilla. As you might guess from the title, half the recipes are chocolate-focused and the other half vanilla, and all of them I’ve tried are delicious. (Clarkson Potter: 2006, ISBN 978-0307238528)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

16 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cook

≈ 3 Comments

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Remember this?
Hey, you got peanut butter in my chocolate!
Hey, you got chocolate in my peanut butter!
Well, hey, I got peanut butter cups and chocolate in my peanut butter cookies, and I’ve never been happier. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. turbinado or demerara sugar (can substitute light brown sugar)
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1/4 c. peanut butter (I use creamy Skippy Natural)
1 tsp. real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 c. chopped peanut butter cups (about 14 regular-size cups; I love Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups, see Recipe Notes below)
coarse sugar for dusting cookie tops, optional

Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in vanilla, egg, and water until thoroughly mixed, then stir in dry ingredients. Once well-combined, stir in chopped peanut butter cups.

Scoop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Lightly press down tops of cookies with the back of a fork until flattened to about 1/2″ thick, and then sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake 7-9 minutes, until dough is set and your kitchen smells like chocolate. Cool on wire rack, but not completely — you have to try these while the peanut butter cups are still melted.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
I discovered Justin’s Nut Butters a few years ago. They are all-natural and scrumptious — Maple Almond Butter is my absolute favorite. Earlier this year, Justin’s debuted their Organic Peanut Butter Cups in milk and dark chocolate. They have half the sugar of Reese’s and much more flavor. They also have about double the chocolate, which automatically earns them brownie points with me. (I mean my “brownie points” very literally. :)

This recipe is my version of one from the King Arthur Flour web site. The original called for mini peanut butter cups, available here. They’re super cute but not all-natural, so not an option for me. If you try them out, let me know how it goes.

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