So true to form, our rhubarb plant has once again provided me with a wonderful excuse to make a dessert. (As if I really needed an excuse to play with sugar!) But it’s kind of a limited time offer. When rhubarb is ready to be harvested, it’s build something now, or chop it up and put it in the freezer for later use. And of course that’s what I could have done. But I had a basket of strawberries and a package of cream cheese in the refrigerator just screaming at me to let them come out and play with my newly harvested rhubarb stalks. And who do you know who can resist a siren call like that?!?! Even if the end result is a tasty treat with no redeemable qualities other than immediate oral gratification. So I succumbed.
Now usually building and sharing a big old cheesecake would not be a predicament. But it’s just the two of us. Neither of whom should be eating an abundance of sugar. (Heck, we shouldn’t be eating any sugar!) And we can’t share the dessert with anyone. Can’t throw a dinner party. Can’t even take a goodly amount to a neighbor or deliver it to a dear friend. Sigh…… So what to do?
Well Patti – think small. Think more fruit, less sugar. Think as little fat as possible. Think bars, rather than a big old thick cheesecake. So that’s just what I did. (With a lot of help from Food.com!)
Now before you read any further, take a look at the recipe. There are 4 steps involved in the creation of this delicacy. But I’m telling you true, this dessert is really fast and easy to prepare even if there are 4 steps. And the result? Oh my. Absolutely fantastic.
So if you too are blessed with fresh rhubarb either from your own garden or from your local food purveyor, don’t hesitate to fix this lovely dessert.
It’s not too tart, too sweet, too rich, or too large an amount. It’s just perfectly proportioned. (If only I could say the same about myself!)
Anyway, as always – peace, love, and an extra helping of strength to all.
Crust:
¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T. granulated sugar
¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter
In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and butter together until crumbly.
Pat evenly into an 8 or 9-inch square Pyrex dish.
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:
2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ c. granulated sugar
2½ c. chopped rhubarb, dried off with paper towels
½ c. chunked strawberries, plus more for garnish
In a medium sized bowl, stir the flour and sugar together. Toss in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour onto crust. (You will probably have a bit of extra flour/sugar in the bottom of the bowl. Just sprinkle it evenly over the fruit.)
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
While the crust and filling are baking, prepare the cream cheese layer. You are going to spread the cream cheese mixture over the partially baked crust and fruit as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Note: If you don’t wish to use strawberries, just add a half cup more chopped rhubarb.
Cream cheese layer:
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 egg
Blend the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg. Spread evenly over the hot rhubarb. (It will be just a thin layer.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and cover with sour cream topping while still hot. While the bars are baking, prepare the sour cream topping.
Sour Cream topping:
½ c. sour cream
1 T. granulated sugar
½ tsp. real vanilla extract
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. As soon as the cheesecake is out of the oven, spread the topping evenly over all. (Again, it will only be a thin layer.)
Let the bars cool completely before placing in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Even better after 24 hours.
When my children were young, one of the treats I made for them was a chocolate no-bake cookie similar to this one. However, it included nuts and coconut, and was made with the only cocoa I knew to buy. Or more likely, the only cocoa my supermarket carried. Yep, good old Hershey’s cocoa powder. And as much as they enjoyed the cookies, I thought the consistency resembled that of chocolate flavored chalk. Kind of gritty, and way too sweet.
But yesterday, for some unknown reason, I remembered those cookies and decided to build some. (I think I was just too lazy to make a cookie that would take more time and energy to prepare.) But I decided to change up a few things to better suit our mature palates.
I used a better grade of cocoa powder to begin with. Then I added more vanilla. (Never can go wrong with extra vanilla.) And some espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor. (Neat trick I learned years ago.) And eliminated the coconut and chopped nuts. (Simply not needed.)
Well, the result was a whole lot different than what I fixed for my kids all those years ago. Here was a cookie (really more like candy) that was not at all grainy. Very chocolaty without being overbearing. And the chocolate in perfect balance with the peanut butter.
Now the one drawback to these cookies is that they are kind of messy to eat. You will probably end up with a bit of chocolate sticking to your fingers. Like I said, kind of like candy in that regard. But who cares! Just gives us one more opportunity to wash our hands. And isn’t that our main occupation during this coronavirus pandemic anyway? Like ALL THE BLOODY TIME its wash, wash, wash! Well now at least you have a really tasty reason to stay vigilant. You’re welcome.
As always, stay healthy, stay focused, and fix yourself and your fellow inmates this treat in the near future. After all, chocolate is like happiness that you can eat. And we could all use a bit more happiness during this very stressful time. Enjoy!
2 T. (¼ stick) unsalted butter
¾ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. whole milk (or whatever you have on hand)
2 T. really good cocoa powder (I prefer Valrhona cocoa powder)
1/8 tsp. espresso powder
pinch fine sea salt
1/3 c. chunky peanut butter (not the “natural” style)
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1½ c. old-fashioned whole rolled oats
Combine the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt together in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the butter melts, then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute without whisking. Remove from heat, then immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until completely combined. Stir in the oats.
Allow mixture to sit for 7-8 minutes. This allows the mixture to start to set. Using a very small ice cream scoop, drop balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.
To set the cookies before eating or storing, refrigerate for 2 hours. Then if the bottom is still kind of sticky, turn them over and let them sit for a couple more hours, or until the whole cookie is well set. Transfer to a covered container with wax paper between the layers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Can be frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
And yes this recipe can be doubled, and probably should be!
I’ve often wondered why our cats sometimes look at us like they are prisoners and we are the wardens. Benevolent wardens, but never-the-less. They look outside, then back at us, with a look that says “if you loved me you’d let me go outside”! They don’t understand that we are only trying to keep them safe and free from danger. Even if we explained it to them, using really simple terms, they still wouldn’t get it. They are just cats after all! They simply are not equipped to understand our rationale for their confinement.
Poor Miles. Can’t even find a place to sleep that’s large enough or soft enough for his big old fuzzy body. Just an example of how bad his life is in his prison of our choosing.
And I guess that’s how I feel about the people who refuse to comprehend why staying at home right now is in their own best interest. And not coincidentally everyone around them also. They can’t seem to grasp the logic behind the decisions made by others that cause them inconvenience. They just plain resent being told what to do. And they are tired of being at home, and maybe not able to work, and undoubtedly miss and need the society of their friends and family.
And I get it, because I’m starting to feel rather confined myself. But unlike my kitties I can still go outside. But I miss wandering through the aisles of our grocery store without fear, while I choose a yummy this or that to add to my cart. Just like I’m sure our kitties would like to wander through our neighborhood picking out tasty morsels as they go along too. And whereas our kitties would be in danger from large birds like eagles, hawks, etc., Mr. C. and I would be in danger of drawing itsy bitsy teeny weenie virus into our lungs if we leisurely perused the store with shear abandon. So we wear a mask and gloves. And absolutely do not tarry. As much for our own protection as for everyone around us.
While I was thinking about the people who are feeling and acting put upon by some of the restraints being enacted by local governing agencies and even local businesses, it dawned on me that at least some of these folks take wearing masks and being advised to stay home as if it is directed at them personally. As a personal infringement of their rights and privileges as an American citizen. What they simply fail to understand is that these precautions are not directed at them individually. They are directed at everyone for the betterment of all.
And like others who are frustrated with our current condition, I miss being with friends and seeing my family and all the other aspects of normal life. I miss live music, going to plays and concerts, and traveling. But I am more concerned about peoples’ lives than how this whole pandemic is inconveniencing me. I can see the whole picture. And when I read about countries where violence and poverty is the everyday existence, I am immediately reminded of how lucky we are to live in a democracy (at least for now it’s still a democracy). But with democracy comes responsibility. And it takes every one of us to step up to the plate and act responsibly for the benefit of our friends, family, and every other living being on this planet. We all need to adopt the village philosophy. From the little village.com site. “The village is our communal place of belonging. It is the essence of what keeps us together. It keeps us stronger, happier and healthier because we have something to fall back on. Looking to the village, it has the potential to hold us up and to keep us going in our daily life. The village gives us more than this emotional sustenance, it has the capacity to feed us; to nurture and gives us the means in which to become ourselves.”
And I know, for most of you I’m just verbalizing what you already know to be true. But if I can reach even one person, and help them feel less angry with what they perceive as a personal attack on their individual freedom, I will have felt like I deserved the vast amount of money I receive for voicing my opinions on this site. And what all the above prose has to do with this recipe is anyone’s guess. So on to the real topic of today’s post. (I just feel better for having said what I had to say!)
Kouign-amann is a Breton cake, described in the New York Times as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe.” The name comes from the Breton language words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann) and has a Celtic heritage.
Now Kouign-amann is not a recipe for someone with a full schedule. But it is the perfect pastry to prepare for someone who needs a distraction from everyday cooking. This pastry recipe, from one of my favorite chefs, Chef John Armand Mitzewich, is probably one of the most delicious morsels you will ever put in your mouth. It’s sweet and savory, tender and chewy, and if you are fan of salted caramel – well – you are going to be in heaven. Now of course you can buy these at specialized bakeries. But they are bloody expensive. $4-5 each. Each! When for the same amount of money, you can make a dozen at home.
And I kid you not, they are not difficult to make. But before you start, I would suggest you watch Chef John’s video. He makes it look so easy. And bottom line – it is easy! Just time consuming. So with all the time you currently have on your hands, why wait? Just do it. You will forever thank me.
So as always, peace and love to all. And please forgive me if I have offended you in any way by expressing my feelings. That never was my intent.
(And if you believe I make any money from posting my recipes and opinions on this site, I’ve got a banana plantation here on Camano Island I’d like to sell you at a much reduced price.)
For the dough:
1 c. lukewarm water
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. active dry yeast
2½ c. bread flour
1 T. melted unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
Combine water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let rest until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the melted butter, 2 cups of the flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Using your dough hook, mix until you have a very sticky dough. Add the remaining half cup flour and knead for a few minutes. You should end up with a soft, fairly sticky, elastic dough. Place in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.
Please note: for this recipe I “fluffed” the bread flour and measured carefully. Usually I just go by feel, but this recipe is quite rigid.
Combine sugar and most of the sea salt together in a bowl. Mix, taste, and add up to the full 2 teaspoons of salt as needed. (I used the full 2 teaspoons and it was perfect.)
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with soft butter. Spoon some of the seasoned sugar into the cups and shake to coat. Turn tin over and return excess sugar to the bowl.
Transfer dough onto a floured surface and press into a rough rectangle. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Grate 1 stick of the frozen butter onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Flatten butter into the dough using lightly floured hands. Fold rectangle lengthwise into thirds. Press gently to square out the edges. Place dough onto a silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Please note: I found it very difficult to grate the butter over the rolled out dough. So I simply grated the butter into a pile on my counter. Then lifted it onto the dough. Worked just fine.)
After the dough comes out from the cold, roll it again into a large rectangle, pulling and stretching the corners as needed. Grate the second stick of butter over the surface. (Or into a pile.) Pat down with floured fingers and fold into thirds. Roll back out into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Sprinkle with a bit of flour each time. Repeat rolling and folding one more time. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the seasoned sugar onto your work surface. Place dough onto the sugar and sprinkle more sugar on top. Roll into a large rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, turning and topping with sugar between rolls.
Use a pizza cutter to trim away uneven edges if necessary. Cut dough into 12 even pieces. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Lightly pinch each pastry into a crown shape by bringing all four corners to the center; place into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until browned and puffed, 25 to 35 minutes. (FYI – since this was my first time baking these little darlings, I didn’t leave them in the oven quite long enough. They should have been darker, which would have allowed for more caramel to form on the bottom. They were still absolutely wonderful. Just means I have to bake them again very soon.)
Remove from oven and immediately remove each pastry from the pan onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Just before leaving on our last trailer trip, I decided to bake this bread mainly for our dear friend Margo who dearly loves tart cherries. Since we would be spending several days trailering with them, it seemed like a good way to spoil her a bit. And it worked. Both she and her husband Jim loved the bread. We of course enjoyed it too. It was simple to make, and stayed fresh for several days. And with our coffee in the morning, it was just that perfect way to greet the day. And speaking of greeting the day, this is how I awakened this morning.
Bread, bread, glorious bread
Nothing quite like it for fending off dread
Bake some today
Put your worries away
Just so much better than staying in bed
Sorry – I just couldn’t help myself. And abject apologies to Flanders and Swann* for taking the words to their endearing Hippopotamus Song* and making them my own. But for some reason, I woke up this morning with the words to this song buzzing around in my head. Can’t complain – it could have been the words to The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round. Now there’s an ear worm that could drive a sane person crazy. As if there isn’t enough craziness all around us already. Enough so, that I’m strongly considering giving up my decades old habit of reading the newspaper as I drink my morning coffee. I can no longer stand to read about what masquerades as “leadership” in our nation’s capital. The values (or lack thereof) demonstrated by some of the high ranking officials are so foreign to me as to be incomprehensible. And in many cases – unforgivable. (And you wonder why I bake so much bread. For me it’s either stay busy, or go crazy!)
So with that uplifting comment in mind, I think I’ll go start a batch of sourdough English muffins. If they work, you will be hearing from me. If not, another recipe will take its place.
As always, peace, love, and a healthy dose of “I need to take care of myself” to all.
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sour cream
2 c. tart cherries, halved and patted dry with paper towels (I use frozen pie cherries)
Cream the butter and sugar together until well blended (about 5 minutes). Scrape down bowl periodically. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir in sour cream until completely incorporated. Fold in cherries. Pour batter into 1 9×5-inch bread pan or 2 – 7½ x 3½- inch bread pans greased with non-stick spray.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes (about 45 minutes for smaller pans) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before cutting or storing.
Please note: If you have old aluminum pans that are rusting, maybe you should consider getting some new loaf pans. Mr. C. finally asked me to replace my old pans because he didn’t want to consume any more rust. OK, I get that. I don’t think I even noticed anymore because I had been using those same pans for 50 odd years.
So I went on line and purchased a two pack of Stellar James Martin 1 lb. non-stick Loaf Tin Pans.
Now you know this is a non-advertising site. But these are the best loaf pans I have ever used. They are the perfect size for us, because recipes that make enough batter for 1 9×15-inch loaf pan is just the perfect amount for 2 of these little darlings. They measure 7½ x 3½ x 2¾ inches. And I have always enjoyed using the smaller pans for everything from meat loaf to quick bread. For us, 1 loaf can be consumed while the other loaf can be tucked away in our freezer for some later date when it’s obvious to both of us that we deserve a treat.
*Flanders and Swann were a British comedy duo. Lyricist, actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and composer and pianist Donald Swann (1923–1994) collaborated in writing and performing comic songs. The Hippopotamus Song is one of my favorites. If you get a chance, look them up. They are incredibly entertaining. Makes me laugh just to think about them.
The Hippopotamus Song
[1st Verse]
A bold hippopotamus was standing one day On the banks of the cool Shalimar He gazed at the bottom, as it peacefully lay By the light of the evening star Away on a hilltop sat combing her hair His fair hippopotami maid The hippopotamus was no ignoramus And sang her this sweet serenade
[Chorus] Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me, follow Down to the hollow And there let us wallow in glorious mud
[2nd Verse] The fair hippopotama he aimed to entice From her seat on that hilltop above As she hadn’t got a ma to give her advice Came tip-toeing down to her love Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound Of the song that they sang as they met His inamorata adjusted her garter And lifted her voice in duet
[Chorus]
Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me, follow Down to the hollow And there let us wallow in glorious mud
Once in a while I am reminded that although I included a recipe in one of my two cookbooks, I have not published the recipe on my blog. My bad, I know! Anyway, thanks Leslie C. for bringing my attention back to this recipe. I make these cookies with regularity. But because I have the recipe in written form, I just naturally grab my cookbook and go from there.
Anyway – this is just an old fashioned cookie recipe. One that I have been making for decades. And yes I have other peanut butter cookie recipes on this site. But when I want just a simple, take me back to the days of building cookies for my kids sort of cookie, this is the recipe I use. And for very good reasons. These cookies are simple to make, the texture is perfect, and they taste like peanut butter. Simple as that! Hope you enjoy this classic.
And sorry about no picture. I would have made a batch of these cookies and taken a picture, except we are low on peanut butter. And I didn’t want to make a special trip to the grocery store. Not with coronavirus lurking behind every corner. Besides, you know what peanut butter cookies look like. Your imagination will undoubtedly do better justice to these little darlings than I could provide with my slap hazard camera technique. I may have a few redeemable skills, but photography sure isn’t one of them! Stay healthy everyone – and keep baking.
Update: As you can now see, I have added a picture of these peanut butter cookies. After having written this post, I couldn’t stand it. I used the last of our peanut butter to build a batch. But it was worth it. And they are still as good as I remembered.
½ c. butter, room temp. (You can use soft shortening if you prefer, or half butter, half shortening)
½ c. peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (not natural style)
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
Cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten each in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Do not overbake. As soon as cracks appear on the surface of the cookie, they are done.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Recipe easily doubles.
There are 3 desserts that I absolutely cannot resist. Really good chocolate cake, crème brûlée, and cheesecake. Of course I love all kinds of pies, and most homemade cakes, and cookies of every size, shape, and persuasion. But when push comes to shove, it’s chocolate cake, crème brûlée, or almost any flavor of cheesecake that wins every time.
So here I am sequestered at home not knowing what impact this pandemic is going to have. Not just on my life. But the lives of everyone around the world. And of course there is not a bloody thing I can do about it. I can stay home. I can be as careful and as thoughtful as possible. I can be as considerate and as kind as I know how to be with everyone, no matter how remote the contact may be. And I can cook. I can make our lives better by preparing meals that are especially delicious. So to that end I decided that cheesecake would undoubtedly make me happy. And I knew Mr. C. would appreciate a special dessert too. (He’s not as crazy about cheesecake as I am. But sometimes I put on my black cowboy hat and think of myself first. Granted it doesn’t happen that often. But I have my selfish moments just like everyone else!) Anyway, putting aside my justification for preparing this dessert, just let me say that it turned out beautifully. Crust not too sweet. Cheesecake very creamy, and the topping out of this world. And the best part – a very easy dish to prepare. Yes there are 3 steps. But look at the ingredient list. Not that many different items. And each step takes very little time or effort.
So if you need a simple dessert with which to treat yourself or your family, give this recipe a try. If you don’t have pie cherries in your freezer, make some other simple topping. In fact, these cheesecake bars would be delicious topped with a little chocolate or caramel sauce. Or some fresh blueberries or strawberries. Or a dollop of jam or jelly. Got lemon curd in your fridge? That would work too.
We all need some extra pampering during this medical crisis. This is a rough time for all of us. But a bit of something that smells good as it cooks or bakes, that your family knows will taste wonderful when it is set before them, is strong medicine. Maybe the best medicine we as cooks can provide if it helps our family keep a feeling of normality. Peace, love, and good health to all.
1¼ c. graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 whole crackers)
¼ c. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
5 T. melted unsalted butter
16 oz. (2 lg. pkgs.) cream cheese, room temp.
1¾ c. granulated sugar, divided
¼ c. sour cream, room temp.
3 lg. eggs, room temp.
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. cornstarch
dash sea salt
1/3 c. water
4 c. frozen or fresh pitted tart pie cherries
Stir
the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, kosher salt, and melted butter
together. Press into the bottom and up the sides about ½ inch, of an 8×8-inch
square glass pan. (If you only have a metal pan, that’s fine. But a glass pan
is my preference for these bars.)
Bake
the crust in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from
the oven and cool for a few minutes while you prepare the filing. Lower the
oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Beat
the cream cheese and 1 cup of the granulated sugar together until very smooth
and creamy. (This is a very important step. If you don’t beat well, you will
have small chunks of cream cheese in your final product. Trust me. Not what you
want!)
Add
the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; mix until combined, scraping the sides and
bottom of the mixing bowl as you go. Spoon the batter onto the prepared crust. Bake
at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set but still soft in
the center. (An instant-read thermometer, inserted into the filling about
1-inch in from the edge, will read about 180 degrees.) Remove from oven. Cool to
room temperature before placing in your fridge until ready to serve. Top cheesecake
pieces with tart cherry sauce before serving.
While
the cheesecake bakes, combine the remaining ¾ cup granulated sugar, cornstarch,
and sea salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in water. Add the cherries and cook
until the sugar is completely melted and the sauce is starting to thicken and is
very bubbly. Remove from heat, cool completely, and store covered in your
refrigerator until needed. Great on vanilla ice cream as well as on the
cheesecake bars.
Just after the cookies were baked.On our picnic table at Harris Beach State Park – Brookings, Oregon
There
isn’t really anything too difficult about changing up a cookie recipe. And
sometimes, as in this recipe, the outcome is truly delightful.
As
some of you know, I’ve been on a malted milk kick recently. For those of you
not familiar with chocolate malts, I’m going to recommend that you rectify this
situation sooner rather than later. Because dear friends, there is nothing better
than a chocolate malt.
So
with malts in mind, I took a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe and added my
own touches. I decided to use bread flour rather than regular unbleached
all-purpose flour because I thought it would result in a crisp, yet chewy
textured cookie. (More gluten in bread flour.) And I was right. The bread flour
helped create just the perfect texture for a cookie. Then of course, the batter
had to contain malted milk powder. And because I wanted a subtle chocolate
flavored dough, I added just 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. And because variety
is the spice of life, I used 2 kinds of chocolate chips.
Now
I know you probably already have a perfectly wonderful chocolate chip cookie
recipe you unfailingly use. In fact, I too have several really delicious chocolate
chip cookie recipes at my disposal. (And yes they are on this site.) But, for
varieties sake, I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s just enough different
to bring out the “OMG” response after just one bite. And truthfully, my husband
and friends who have tried these cookies have declared them a winner.
Call
me crazy, but I think cookies are just what’s needed during this very stressful
time. Baking cookies is one thing you can do with your kids in the comfort of
your own home. And if you don’t have kids, then all the more reason to bake up
a storm. More for you! But while you’re in the kitchen, you might want to
prepare a big old pot of soup too. Hot soup just always feels homey and
comforting. And all of us need as much comforting as we can get right now.
Please
know that I do not consider myself a pessimist. And I do know I am probably
preaching to the choir. But I truly believe coronavirus is a huge cause for
concern and that every measure that can be taken to prevent its spread should be
taken. Because it seems to me that it’s only a matter of time before every one of
us is exposed to this virus and have to personally deal with this real-life health
threat. All the mandatory closures of schools and large gatherings is simply a
way to slow down the spread of the disease. Because if everyone were to become
infected at the same time, it truly would be a disaster. Hopefully keeping some
distance between people will allow medical personnel enough time between
incidences and therefore enough hospital space to assist in the saving of
lives. A vaccine might even be developed, if not to completely eradicate the
disease, but to mitigate some of the deathly effects.
I
also firmly believe our government and even the press have not explained the “why”
of decisions being made like closing down schools as adequately as they should
have. People learn and understand much better if they can see the logic behind actions
being taken. And that the actions being taken are only made after a great deal
of thought and study has been given by people truly in the know. Like health
advisers, state governors, knowledgeable business people, economists, and
school officials, to mention a few. Not some politico simply blowing smoke in
Washington DC. Or some government official who has no medical knowledge telling
us that the coronavirus is under control. Just talk plainly to us. Assume that
we are intelligent, because most of us are intelligent. Tell us why precautions
are being made for our benefit. And please, leave all the political bullshit
behind. I don’t care if the person who is providing us with reliable
information is a republican or a democrat. Or white, male, Asian, female, young,
old, or has red hair or no hair at all. Just someone with knowledge, an ability
to empathize with the situation, and a true concern for everyone on this planet.
So
dear friends, I will now turn the soapbox over to someone else. I’ve vented
enough. Just please wash your hands. Get plenty of sleep. Keep yourself and
your family safe. And feed your family good healthy food. And cookies. Cookies
really do bring a smile to almost everyone’s face. Who doesn’t feel that all is
right with the world after having just eaten a cookie? Peace, Love, and Good
Health to each of you.
(And sorry for the pontification. I just couldn’t help myself! I just care.)
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
½ c. granulated sugar
3 lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3¼ c. bread flour* (you can use unbleached all-purpose flour if necessary)
½ c. malted milk powder
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 c. milk chocolate chips
1 c. regular or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
In
the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar
together until light and fluffy. Scrape sides down periodically. Add eggs one
at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract; combine
well.
In
another bowl, whisk the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking soda, baking
powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture only until well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips. Let dough sit for about 20 minutes.
Using
a small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined
baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.
Bake
in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown around the
bottom edges.
Remove
from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet before transferring
cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
*Remember to “fluff” up the flour as you
measure it out. Use a spoon to fluff
up the flour within the container. Use a spoon to scoop the flour
into the measuring cup. Use a knife or other straight edged utensil to level
the flour across the measuring cup.
I
found this recipe on the chocolate
chocolate and more web site. The recipe looked perfect to me so I didn’t
change a thing. OK, I did specify unsalted butter, unbleached all-purpose flour
and kosher salt in my version because that’s what I almost always use in every culinary
endeavor I undertake. Granted, regular bleached flour can certainly be used,
and is preferred by some bakers. I just haven’t the time or energy to have one
more type of flour in my pantry. So even though bleached flour has a whiter
color, finer grain, and softer texture, I’m sticking to my guns (like I own any
guns!) on this one. It’s unbleached flour for me all the way! Unless of course
the recipe calls for whole wheat, bread, rye, self-rising, etc. etc. flour.
Then there is really no choice to be made. Same goes for butter. If you prefer
to use salted butter, go for it! However if you use table salt rather than
kosher salt, you might want to cut back the amount to ¾ teaspoon. But back to
these incredible cookies.
I
guess the first thing I should say about these cookies is that they are really yummy.
I chose to use large Guittard milk chocolate chips for my first batch because I
thought the milk chocolate would go well with the darker cocoa flavored dough.
And the flavor combination worked perfectly. However, for presentation sake,
you might want to use smaller chocolate chips.
As
you can see in the picture, the cookies came out quite thin. That’s great
because they are very crispy. And I love crispy cookies. But the larger chips
stick out so much you might draw a similarity between the look of these cookies
and what lays on the ground in a field of cows. (No offence intended towards
cows.) But it does give a whole new meaning to cow chip cookies. (If you aren’t
from the Seattle area, Cow Chip Cookies is a local company that makes and delivers
truly delicious cookies. So any reference to or mention of cow chip cookies is
only made in the most positive way.)
Anyway, even though lovely presentation is probably not going to be the first remark out of your mouth, these are still truly delightful cookies. Just give them a lot of room on your cookie sheet. Even though the dough is chilled, the balls of dough still seem to take pleasure in cozying up to their neighbors as they bake. But then, shouldn’t we all try harder to adopt that kind of “get closer to our neighbors” behavior. The world would sure be a lot better off if everyone expended just a bit more effort in that direction. Peace, love, and chocolate chip cookies to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ c. malted milk powder
2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 oz. (about 2 c.) milk, semi-sweet, or mini chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, malted milk powder, flour, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture blending just till combined. (Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically.) Stir in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate
dough for about an hour. Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookie dough
balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake in
a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until set and beginning to
look crackly on top. Don’t overbake. Remove from oven and transfer to wire
racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
So,
here goes a recipe for all you sweet potato fans out there. Of course, if there
were a sweet potato fan club, I would undoubtedly be the reigning president.
Because if there is one veggie I could eat almost every day, it would be the ubiquitous
ipomoea batatas. Savory,
sweet, or any other way you can think to prepare this starchy tuberous root, I’m
sure to enjoy putting it in my mouth. And this recipe for sweet potato bourbon bars
is no exception. And yes I know. I’m turning into the bourbon queen, but wait
till you taste these bars! The bourbon blends perfectly with the spices and ups
the richness of the sweet potatoes. Any more to be said would be redundant.
So, next time you want a truly rich and lovely dessert, give this recipe a try. And if we happen to be neighbors, I would ever so gladly stop by to offer assistance if you needed clarifications on how best to cut the bars or dollop them with whipped cream or sprinkle on the nutmeg. I am always at your service. Just sayin’
Crust:
2 c. flour
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
½ c. powdered sugar
Mix flour, butter, salt, and powdered sugar together and pat into a 10×16-inch pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 16 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven. Meanwhile prepare filling.
Sweet Potato Pie Filling:
3½ c. mashed sweet potatoes (cooking instructions below)
6 T. (¾ of a stick) unsalted butter, melted
1¼ c. packed brown sugar
5 T. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
2¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
rounded ¼ tsp. ground cloves
12 oz. can evaporated milk
5 T. bourbon
Beat the roasted sweet potatoes in your stand mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into prepared crust. Return pan to 350 degree oven and bake for 70-80 minutes or until the filling has just set. Filling is set when you can insert a tooth pick into the middle of the filling and it comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Serve with Bourbon Whipped Cream. (Recipe below)
How to bake sweet potatoes for this recipe:
Bake
about 6 large dark skinned sweet potatoes (may be labeled as yams at your
grocery store) in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 60-75 minutes or until
tender. Remove from oven and cool to touch or for really easy peeling,
refrigerate the baked sweet potatoes overnight. Remove the peels and
mash with an electric mixer.
Bourbon Whipped Cream:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 T. bourbon
ground nutmeg, opt. for sprinkling
Beat
the whipping cream to stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and
bourbon. Whip until completely blended.
To
serve Sweet Potato Bars, cut to desired size, place on dessert plate and dollop
with whipped cream. For an extra special touch, lightly sprinkle with nutmeg.
And
sorry there’s no picture. We gobbled the bars up last Thanksgiving before I
remembered to snap a picture. But if you want to see what they look like, and/or
prefer pumpkin to sweet potatoes, visit my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars with
Bourbon-Caramel Whipped Cream.
More
and more I find myself gently hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand
wondering why in heavens sake I hadn’t thought of this or that (insert whatever
it might be) 30, 40, even 50 years ago?!?! And my latest revelation that
demanded a personal head and hand altercation involved malted milk. What would
happen if I added malted milk powder to a luscious chocolate buttercream
frosting? And holy malted milk batman, what an absolutely whopper of an idea
that turned out to be!
Now
I have to give credit where inspiration is due.
Recently
while we were out and about at lunchtime, the urge for a cheese burger with
extra pickles overcame us both. And as is often the case, Mr. C. ordered a chocolate
malted milk shake to go along with his burger. I try to stay away from ice
cream and sugar as much as possible, but that day I just had to have a sip of
his shake. OMG. With one little sip, my love for malted milk came rushing back
with a vengeance. Leap forward a couple of weeks.
While
coming up with a dessert for our last 2 JazzVox (afternoon and evening concerts
on the same day), I decided on cake. First I thought about baking one of my
favorite chocolate cakes Mocha Chocolate
Cake with Sour Cream Frosting or Chocolate
Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Topping. (Both on this site BTW) But
then I decided I wanted to fix something brand new for our guests. And as I was
pondering my choices, malted milk popped into my head. I had never used malted
milk powder before, so I needed to figure out how I could incorporate it into
my baking. I didn’t even really know what it was. So in case you too might be
interested – malted
milk
is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk. So no, it is not gluten free. But oh my,
what it does for chocolate frosting is amazing.
So if you too love the taste of malted milk, give this recipe
a try. And as I discovered when doing my research, I am not the only cook who
wants to use this amazing product. So go online. There are some fantastic
looking recipes out there.
So please enjoy this recipe. And look for more malted milk recipes to come. I just have to believe that there is a malted milk brownie recipe out there just waiting for me to develop. Yum. I can almost smell the brownies baking ……almost ……
3 c. fluffed up or sifted cake flour (see how to make cake flour below)
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream
In
the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar on high until
light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. (Do not skimp on the time for this step.
Very important.)
Add
eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl as
needed. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In
a medium sized bowl whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt
together.
With
mixer on low speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream. Do not
over mix.
Grease
and lightly flour a 12×16-inch (half-sheet) cake pan. Pour the batter evenly
into the pan. Shake to help even off the batter.
Bake
in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck
into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Do not overbake. Check after 25
minutes to be sure. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before
frosting.
Store at room temperature.
Chocolate Malted Milk Buttercream Frosting:
1½ c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
lg. pinch fine sea salt
¾ c. malted milk powder
½ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)
3 c. powdered sugar
3 T. whipping cream, plus more as needed
Beat the butter, vanilla, and salt together until creamy in the
bowl of your stand mixer.
Whisk the malted milk powder, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar
together in a bowl.
Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the butter mixture alternating
with the heavy cream until the frosting is super smooth and at your desired
consistency. Scrap down the sides of the bowl several times during this process.
Homemade Cake Flour:
For
each cup of cake flour you will need:
2 T. cornstarch
1 scant c. all-purpose flour
Measure
out 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and place it in a 1-cup measuring cup. Gently spoon fluffed up all-purpose flour into
the cup over the cornstarch. Don’t pack the flour down in the cup. Use the back
of a table knife to level off the cup.
Sift the mixture 2-3 times to thoroughly combine and aerate the flour. Measure again. (You may have a bit of extra cake flour left. Great! Save it for the next time you need cake flour.)
