Martha Stewart Texas Sheet Cake

Martha Stewart Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is one of my favorite treats to make. It comes together SO FAST. You can get it done in a jiffy and it's always a winner with friends and family.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's book "Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasured Dishes, from Coast to Coast". The recipe is available online with Los Angeles Magazine.

I've made a few Texas Sheet Cakes in the past. Pioneer Woman has a great one. It is thinner because you use a half-sheet pan, but you can get it done start-to-finish in less than an hour. I make her recipe often. I've also made the Better Homes & Garden version.

Texas Sheet Cake comes together quickly because you boil the butter, water and cocoa together for the batter, and then boil the icing or frosting while the cake is baking in the oven. Instead of waiting for the cake to cool like most other frostings, with Texas Sheet Cake, you pour the frosting on a WARM cake. Easy peasy, no?

I found the cake really yummy. I like baking it in a 9 x 13 pan (compared to the larger half-sheet pan) so you can make it a bit taller - more like a sheet cake instead of brownies. The baking time was very different than the recipe (recipe: 12-14 minutes, me: 21 minutes). Also, I prefer the Pioneer Woman's icing. Martha's recipe has heavy cream in the frosting - while yummy, sometimes I don't have cream in the house.

Recipe from: Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasured Dishes, from Coast to Coast

Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
1 cup water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Boiled Chocolate Icing (see below)
1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans (I omitted the nuts)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low; whisk in cocoa, then the water. Raise heat and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Pour over flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and tap firmly on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until sides pull away from edges of pan and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes (Mine took 21 minutes to bake). Transfer pan to a wire rack and pour icing over cake while still warm. (Sprinkle nuts on top, if using). Let cool before slicing into squares and serving.

Boiled Chocolate Icing

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (I suggest sifting the powdered sugar)

Bring butter, cocoa, and cream to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Use while still warm. Pour over warm cake.

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did I tell you about my friend Helen and her three awesome daughters Alison, Emily and Rosie? They are, without exaggeration, totally cool and rad. I've known them since the Northridge earthquake when Helen and I started working together. Yes, I date things by natural disasters. Rosie and I are in a cake decorating class right now. I've been posting photos to my instagram account (@foodlibrarian) and will post about it after the class ends.

Alison's friend Erika gave the family this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...with the secret ingredient of maple syrup!

Although maple syrup is an all-year yummy ingredient, I think of it as a "fall" food. Thus, welcome fall.

The recipe is delicious, but if you want to cut the brown sugar a bit, go for it. They are plenty sweet.

Recipe:

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Erika says she adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe
1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, grade A
1 egg, room temp
2 t vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven in 325 degrees.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer. Scrap down side of bowl.
3. Add the maple sugar and mix until blended.
4. Add egg and vanilla until blended.
5. On slow speed, add flour mixture. Mix until just blended.
6. Add the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until just blended. Finish with a spatula, but don't overmix.
7. Scoop onto parchment paper covered baking tray. I used a smallish cookie scoop and got 57 cookies.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes (depends on your oven), turning halfway through until edges are golden brown.

Blondies - Alice Medrich recipe

Blondies

Blondies are so often overlooked in favor of their cousin the Brownie. But blondies rock! Without all the chocolate, you really taste the brown sugar and nuts. I might get pelted for saying this, but sometimes you need a break from chocolate (well, not a big break because this blondie has chocolate chips)!

Do you have a copy of Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies? It's very well written, like all her books, and this Blondie recipe is a winner. In the back of the book, she has helpful lists - such as lower fat cookies, dairy-free, cookies that keep at least 2 weeks, and cookie doughs that freeze well. Love that she took the time to make these lists for the reader. I just wish that the publishers used grams as well as ounce measurements. I like "counting" in grams because it is easier to halve recipes. In addition, the book uses decimal measurements (my Salter scale uses fractions) such as 6.125. I love math, but I have a hard time remembering that .125 is 1/8 of an ounce at 4 am in the morning. :)

Super duper easy to make. Melted butter is combined with brown sugar and many basic ingredients - you probably have everything you need in your pantry right now. Don't need a mixer...just a wooden spoon. Can't get easier than that. Make some today and your family and friends will thank you.

Recipe:
Blondies
From Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies, page 174 (find it in your library)

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 T (6.125 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum or bourbon (optional, I did not use it)
2/3 cup walnut pieces (I used Trader Joe's Walnut baking bits)
1/2 cup (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 8 x 8 pan by lining it with parchment or foil.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts. Spread the batter in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack. Lift the ends of the parchment or foil and transfer to a cutting board for cutting.

Banana Streusel Snack Cake

Banana Streusel Snack Cake

Costco sells a bag o' bananas for less than $2. You can't pass that up! But then you have to eat the bunch o' bananas and... you always find a few that never make it into the lunch bag. I freeze a few for smoothies, but love to make banana breads too.

This one, from wonderful cookbook author Flo Braker, is moist and the streusel topping takes it over the top. When I ate it warm, the flavors weren't settled yet, but it got better as it cooled and it was tasty the next day. Flo says it keeps and freezes well too.

The cake is really simple to make. Bananas, butter, and a streusel topping. Yummmmy!


I made this when friends Jun, David (remember the wedding dessert buffet?) and baby Sage came by for a visit. OMG. So cute!! Sage has these long curls in his hair and the most adorable pre-sumo wrestler arms. He had his first bit of cake too...Banana Streusel Snack Cake!

Banana Streusel Snack Cake
From Flo Braker's "Baking for All Occasions" (page 157)

Streusel
6 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces/50 grams) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (2 3/4 ounces/75 grams) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I ran out of cinnamon (how did I run out of cinnamon?) and use 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger instead)

Cake
2 cups (8 ounces/225 grams) unsifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ripe mashed banana (2 large or 3 medium) (I used 3 medium bananas)
3 tablespoons whole milk (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (1 stick/115 grams/1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) sugar
1 large egg

Prep: Prep a 9 x 5 loaf pan or 8 x 8 square pan by butter and flouring it, or spraying it with Pam with Flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the streusel: Using your fingertips, mix together the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon until lumpy; set aside.

For the batter: Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper (save the paper to help you invert the cake onto a rack later). Mash bananas in a medium bowl, then add the milk and vanilla extract.

Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg until completely incorporated. Add the banana mixture (it will look curdled, that's OK). With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (9 x 3 loaf pan) or 35 minutes (8 x 8 pan), until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully invert onto a rack covered with parchment. Place another rack on top and invert again so the streusel is on top. Let cool.

Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake - NY Times Recipe

Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake

New York Times recipe

I have an affair with nectarines every summer. My little summer romance. I adore the nectarine. I like the peach too, but I love the nectarine's smooth skin. It also makes it easier to bake with since I don't bother peeling nectarines.

Here's the third nectarine recipe I've posted in the last couple months...and I have one more in the hopper. Yes, I love the nectarine!

This recipe, from the New York Times, is super duper easy! You don't need a mixer and you don't have to mix much of anything! A layer of brown butter is placed on the bottom of your pan and a batter goes on top, followed by the nectarines that have been cooked on the stove top for just a bit. Although you might be tempted to mix the butter into the batter, don't...and you'll be rewarded with a yummy dessert.

Recipe:
Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake from the New York Times
A version of this recipe appeared in print on July 27, 2011, on page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler/Cake.

3 cups fresh nectarines or peaches in 1/2-inch slices, or a combination (about 1 pound) (I used 4 medium nectarines)
5 ounces sugar (about 3/4 cup) - Divided into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I used Trader Joe's sliced almonds)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the fruit slices, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer, then take the pan off the heat.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it smells very nutty, turns golden, and flecks of dark brown appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the brown butter into an 8 by 8 baking dish. (I did mine in reverse order, using the same pan. First, I made the brown butter and poured it into the baking dish. Then, I rinsed the pan and used it to cook the fruit a bit in step 1).

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the batter on top of the brown butter, use a spatula to even out the batter but be careful not to mix it into the butter. Scatter the nectarine slices and juice on top of the batter without stirring. Sprinkle with the almonds, nutmeg and Demerara sugar. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Mini Fruit Tartlets with Mascarpone Filling

Mini Fruit Tartlets with Mascarpone Filling

Okay, I'm writing this post during commercials while watching the Olympics. I'm one of those crazy Olympic watchers that walks into work completely sleep deprived everyday for 17 days. I love the Olympics!

I made these mini fruit tarts for the wedding buffet earlier this month. Originally, I planned to fill them with lemon curd, but the curd didn't firm up enough for my liking (don't worry, we just ate the lemon curd later) so I improvised and made a mascarpone cream filling and topped it with fruit. I think that was even better! I'm going to make that from now on.

 

The tart dough is from Sweet Miniatures: The Art of Making Bite-Size Desserts by Flo Baker. This is a wonderful book with so many great ideas and hints for making small desserts. I picked up these mini tart tins at Sur la Table years ago....I haven't seen them since though. I think these from Amazon are pretty close. 

   

Miniature Tartlet Pastry

From: Sweet Miniatures: The Art of Making Bite-Size Desserts

Makes 8 dozen round fluted miniature tartlet shells, 1 1/2 inch diameter

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unsifted all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (65 grams) sugar
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Flo Baker has excellent instructions in her book...be sure to pick it up for full directions and hints.

1. Put flour, salt, sugar in food processor. Pulse a couple times to blend. Scatter butter slices on top, and pulse in one second intervals until mixture is like cornmeal.
2. Whisk egg and vanilla together. With motor on, pour egg mixture into tube. Process until it forms a ball (doesn't take very long!). Remove and press together until smooth.
3. Pinch about 1 teaspoon of dough (depends on the size of your tart shell) and roll into a ball. Drop into the tin, and press into tin. As Flo suggests, I pinch off the dough and roll all the balls, then press all the dough into the tins. I highly suggest watching TV while doing this as it is very assembly line.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Cool on rack. Gently squeeze them out of tins.

Flo says you keep unfilled shells in an airtight container for up to a 1 week. I prepped all the tins and froze them (with dough in the shell). The day before the wedding, I baked them from the frozen state...just added a few minutes to the baking time.

Mascarpone Cream Filling
8 ounce tub of mascarpone cream (I used one from Trader Joe's)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, chilled

In a mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together the mascarpone cream and sugar until blended. Add the heavy cream and whisk together until desired consistency. It will be stiff. I used an off-set spatula to fill my little tartlet shells. Next time, I think I might put it into a piping bag and pipe the filling.

Assembly
Fill tart shell with mascarone cream filling.
Top with fresh fruit. I didn't use a glaze - just put strawberries and blueberries on top. If you want to use a glaze, heat some red currant jelly or strained apricot jam, and brush on top of the fruit.

4th of July Patriotic Broken Glass Jello

4th of July Patriotic Broken Glass Jello

One of the top posts on the Food Librarian is Broken Glass Jello. I've made Valentine's Day, Laker's, and Christmas Jell-O in the past. Today, it's something perfect for the 4th of July. Can you believe it's almost July?!??!

My twitter feed is blowing up with hot tweets - "It's so hot!" "I'm melting" and "I can't turn on my oven." This is the perfect recipe for you! No oven...just some time chilling in the refrig!

Only a few ingredients are needed to make this crowd pleasing treat. Kids LOVE it. If you want to make a pie, check out JustJenn's pie!

This recipe is sooooooo easy...but be sure to plan for it. You'll need time to chill the colored Jello and then the whole thing - it's a two-day project. First, make blue and red Jello blocks. Second, make a milk mixture with unflavored gelatin and sweetened condensed milk, and combine with the blocks.

The milk mixture combines unflavored gelatin and sweetened condensed milk (don't get evaporated milk).



Happy Summer to you and yours!

Recipe:

6 ounces (one big 6-oz box or two small 3-oz boxes) of "Red" Jell-O such as strawberry, cherry, raspberry, strawberry banana

6 ounces (one big 6-oz box or two small 3-oz boxes) of "Blue" Jell-O

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (don't get evaporated milk)

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (that Knox stuff) (each envelope is approximately 1/4 ounce)

4 cups boiling water (for colored blocks)

1/2 cup cold water (for milk mixture)
2 cups boiling water (for milk mixture)

Step One: Making the Blocks

In separate bowls, dissolve the Red and Blue Jell-O in boiling water by adding 1 cup of boiling water to 3 ounces of Jell-O. Therefore, you'll need a total of 2 cups of boiling water for the 6 ounces of Jell-O (one big box or two small boxes). Mix to dissolve and pour into a container and chill until firm (overnight is probably best, but I have chilled it 3-4 hours until firm).

Note: Only add 1 cup of water per 3 ounces of Jell-O. Ignore the instructions on the box of Jello (they say to use 2 cups of water per 3 ounces). You need to use less water so the Jell-O is firm and can be cut into blocks.

Step Two: Cutting Blocks and Making the Milk Mixture

Prep a 9 x 13 pan by wiping a very, very thin layer of flavorless oil (such as canola) in the pan with a paper towel. You'll wipe off 99.9% of the oil...leaving just a very, very thin film.

Cut chilled colored Jell-O into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup cold water. Sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin on top of the cold water. Wait a few minutes for the gelatin to bloom (soak up some of the water), then add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and mix to dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over Jell-O. If you wish, skim off any bubbles from the surface of the Jell-O. Chill overnight until set.

Chocolate Cake with Biscoff Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Cake with Biscoff Frosting

Chocolate sheet cake with Biscoff cream cheese frosting.

Dude, is there anything better?

My friend Agnes gifted me Biscoff spread over a year ago and I have been eating it straight from the jar. Trader Joe's now has a version too. I also picked up these Belgium made chocolate sprinkles at Surfas. They are very thin and way better than regular jimmies. 

I made Hershey's Perfect Chocolate cake in a 9 x 13 pan. It's a really easy cake made with, of course, Hershey's cocoa. It is an oil-based cake, with 1 cup of milk. I might try it with soy milk for a non-dairy version one day. The frosting is a mixture of cream cheese, Biscoff, vanilla and powdered sugar. Yummmmmy. 

I brought these pieces (in all different sizes...I wasn't a very good cutter!) to my current workplace and my former workplace.

Two co-workers were celebrating a birthday. When I picked up my carrying case (love these Snapware cases), they left me this poem written on a plastic plate. Ahhh. So cute!

You can make these into cupcakes, but you will need to double the frosting if you want to pipe the frosting. The cake is moist, and the frosting is light and tasty.

Recipe:
Chocolate Cake (from Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake)
2 cups sugar (I used 400 g)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 245 g)
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa (I used 72 g)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup milk (I used low fat milk, room temp)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking pans (see Hershey's recipe for various sizes such as rounds, cupcakes, bundt, and sheet cake). I used a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
4. On low speed, mix in the boiling water. Batter will thin out.
5. Pour batter into pans and bake.
6. 9 x 13 pan bakes for 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then remove onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Biscoff Cream Cheese Frosting (from Biscoff website)
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened (Biscoff uses Neufchatel)
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a paddle attachment, mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Milk Chocolate Chunk Muffins - Donna Hay

Milk Chocolate Chunk Muffins

I need to get more organized. Um, it's June (how can it be JUNE?!?) and I've been saying this "New Year's Resolution" all year (and the year before that!)

I love to bake and should have an organized system of recipes to make. I've tried Pinterest, Google Bookmarks, calendars, "starring" things in Google Reader, printing out recipes and putting them "in a special place" (read: perhaps in a box or folder on my desk that quickly gets covered up...) to try to get organized.  I would like to have a calendar, shopping list and plan of action so I can prep the ingredients the night before. Right now, I roll out of bed and flip through some cookbooks or scraps of paper. This morning, I found milk chocolate chunk muffins from an old favorite, Donna Hay's Simple Essentials Chocolate cookbook and went into the kitchen for an early morning baking adventure.

Anyone have a good system of organization? If so, let me know! :)

This recipe is made with oil, milk and eggs as the liquid. I didn't have vegetable oil and used olive oil. I topped the muffins with some reserved milk chocolate chunks.

Finally, this has nothing to do with these muffins, but I wanted to share this photo of Cidney the Girl Doggie. She spends a lot of time, um, rolling around in the dirt in the backyard. When she comes back from the groomers, it looks like she got highlights in her blond hair!

Recipe:
Milk Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Adapted from Simple Essentials Chocolate by Donna Hay (on Amazon and in Libraries)

2 cups (300 g/10 1/2 oz) self-rising flour, sifted  (I didn't have self-rising flour - not a common item for sale in Los Angeles - so I used 284 grams all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and a dash of salt)
1/2 (40 g / 1 1/2 oz) cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder (see note above)
1 cup (220 g/7 3/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar (I did have superfine sugar from C&H)
2 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (160 ml/5 fl oz) vegetable oil (I ran out of vegetable oil so I used light olive oil)
1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) milk (I used low-fat milk)
1 cup chopped milk chocolate (I used Trader Joe's block of Milk Chocolate, about 6 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with liners or spray with baking spray.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, oil and milk.
4. Mix liquid ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in the chocolate (reserve some to put on top)
6. Scoop into muffin tins. (Top with a few pieces of chocolate)
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (My muffins took much longer...don't know if it because I made several changes to the recipe, my oven or what.)
8. Makes 12 (I got 14 muffins).

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, I'm a little slow to jump on bandwagon. I was hesitant to get a digital camera (what was I thinking on that one?) and haven't gotten an iPad yet. I remember reading about these cookies in the New York Times back in 2008 but can't believe it has taken me so long to make them!

This cookie recipe uses cake and bread flour, as well as a 24-36 hour waiting period before baking. The waiting period allows the liquid to dry out and makes a happier dough. Toll House's original recipe says to refrigerate overnight. Flour Bakery's cookies rest overnight and I've been trying to do that with all my cookie doughs.

Thank you Lori, Recipe Girl for this hint! After you roll out your ball of cookie dough, put 4-5 chips on top of the ball! Then, when it bakes, a few perfectly placed chips bake on top of the cookie! I can't tell you how many people said, "These cookies look perfect." I told them Lori's trick and now we'll have a bunch of perfect looking chocolate chip cookies in Southern California.

Recipe:
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the New York Times (from Jacque Torres), July 9, 2008


2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, at least 60 percent cacao (I used 16 ounces (1 pound) of chips in the batter: 1/2 bittersweet Ghirardelli chips and 1/2 Nestle Semi-Sweet chips)
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Scoop balls of dough onto baking sheet. The recipe suggests 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls). I made smaller cookies of 1 1/2 ounce (yes, I used the scale). I only put 6 cookies on a half-sheet pan as they spread. 3 1/2 ounce cookies will be large!
6. Place a few chocolate chips on top of the cookie (thanks Recipe Girl for this tip!) Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack
7. The recipe states to sprinkle sea salt on the cookie before baking...but I totally forgot that step! Next time!
Full instructions from the NY Times here.

Meyer Lemon Bars

Meyer Lemon Bars

My folks have a Meyer Lemon tree in the backyard. Thus, lemons galore! When life gives you lemons, you need to make some lemon bars!

I adapted a recipe from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich. Oh, by the way, the FTC says I'm supposed to disclose that the link to Alice's cookbook goes to Amazon. I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program where I get a few cents if you click through this link and buy stuff on Amazon (don't worry, I never know who buys what so you can add that Fifty Shades of Grey to your cart too). Anyway, I have to tell you this with all the links now! Oy vey. And what do I do with those few cents? I plow them back into Amazon buying cookbooks...so the cycle of Amazon is complete.

I really like the crust. It'll be my go-to lemon bar crust from now on. It uses melted butter and is super easy to assemble. The "blob" (yes, I think that is a baking term) of dough gets pressed into the bottom of the pan. Because it is "wet", you can get a really smooth surface. I used an off-set spatula to spread and smooth out the crust. The crust is on the thinner side...if you like a big, hardy crust, then this one may not be for you.

Here's a photo of my mom and dad last year holding their Meyer Lemons!

I increased the amount of lemon juice from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup. I like a big, thick layer of lemon on my lemon bars!

Meyer Lemon Bars
My yield was 25 bars (cut 5 x 5)
Adapted from by Alice Medrich's "Very Tangy Lemon Bars 2.0" (page 182) of her book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies


Crust:
7 Tbsp unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
¾ tsp  vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (I used 7 ounces of sugar because Meyer lemons are milder than regular lemons. Alice suggest using 4.375 ounces but I missed that note in her recipe!)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (I didn't measure my zest...used zest from two Meyer lemons)
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained (Alice Medrich's recipe calls for 1/2 cup juice, but I just kept squeezing my juicy Meyer lemons and just threw all the juice into the bowl!)

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil or parchment (create a sling for easy removal).

Crust: In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the pan (I used a small offset spatula). Bake 25-30 minutes until fully baked and golden brown.

Topping: While the crust is baking, stir together sugar and zest until damp. This will release the lemon oils. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.

When the crust is baked, turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Slide the rack out and pour the filling over the hot crust. Baked for an additional 20-25 minutes until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. (I tightly wrapped and refrigerated my bars overnight)

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

This weekend, I got to see my friend Helen three days in a row! Friday night for the movie Five Year Engagement - it was funny and cute! Saturday night for the awesome Dodger's Game versus the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers came from behind in the 9th and then Matt Kemp's homer in the 10th inning won the game. Hella screams and shouts! Our seats were awesomeness - check these out! And on Sunday Helen hosted a brunch at her house!

I borrowed the book, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch from the library and made this lovely coffee cake. The cake has a layer of cinnamon-walnut-sugar (hence the name of the cake!)

You know I'm totally into the Bundt cake, but sometimes you need a Tube pan (which is NOT a Bundt) to make cakes with a topping.

This cake is made with cake flour, sour cream and oil. The crumb is pretty soft. Don't you just love Helen's oil cloth tablecloth? She's ready for summer entertaining.

Helen made some delicious potatoes. I had, um, perhaps three servings. Small servings...over and over.

Marie made a great fruit and yogurt parfait. Lots of fresh fruit! Yummmmmmy! Kathryn made fluffy dill eggs and Christine brought mimosas!

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
For the filling and topping:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola or corn oil (I used Wesson's vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Oil a 9 1/2- or 10-inch tube pan with sides at least 3 3/4 inches high. Prep the pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or oil the bottom of the pan.

Filling and topping: In a bowl, stir together the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cake: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer with paddle, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly (very slowly) add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the sour cream just until no white streaks remain.

Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Set aside 1/4 cup of the walnut-cinnamon mixture to use as a topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the batter. Insert a small knife about halfway into the batter and gently move it through the walnut-cinnamon filling to create a swirled effect. Pour the remaining batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top with the spatula. The batter will not cover the filling completely. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved topping.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (My cake took about 63 minutes to bake). Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert to remove and reinvert so it cools on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

I didn't make the caramel sauce, nor top it with powdered sugar. Here is the caramel glaze recipe on the Williams Sonoma site.

Recipe:
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch, by Georgeanne Brennan, Elinor Klivans, Jordan Mackay and Charles Pierce
Find it on Amazon here or in your library via WorldCat