Intense Chocolate Cookie Revisited

Those round little starry starry night cookies (http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/11/intense-chocolate-in-cookie.html ) were delicious and would look perfect on a cookie assortment platter or with afternoon tea, but all of that scooping and rolling and freezing wasn't going to happen again...and I still had about half the batter left to bake!

My solution was to create a starry night sky bar cookie by laying down parchment on a baking sheet, then doing a generous sprinkle of sugar all over the parchment, then taking super sized scoops of the batter, fresh from the fridge, flattening them a bit with my hands, then laying them down over the sugar in a more-or-less flat layer. I used waxed paper laid on top to allow me to flatten the rectangle even more evenly, although it was still pretty bumpy. The last thing was to sprinkle moooore sugar over the top. All that sugar helps with the starry look.

Into a preheated 350 degree oven it went. As a bar of chilled batter they needed to cook a little longer. I think it was about 15 minutes, but check at 12 minutes.

The house again smelled wonderfully of deep, dark chocolate.

After they had cooled 5 minutes, I cut them into bars. They are still small because these are truly intensely chocolate, but I cut the time taken to make 'em significantly. Sweetie sacrificed to do a taste test and pronounced them as good as the round ones.

So now you have a choice if you make this batter...round ones good enough to sell in the finest bakery, or bars, uneven but still sparkly with sugar and delicious. Y'all know I'm unlikely to have a bakery, so I seriously needed that shortcut. Besides, I have no customers to complain that they are supposed to be round.

Favorite Things

Autumn...the Fall...two names for my favorite season. The air turns crisp, the light changes so that afternoon light seems to make colors more intense and full of sparkle on a sunny fall day. This is actually taken with morning light, heading into the redwoods near my work. This combination of the dark come-hither draw of the woods and the bright autumn dance of leaves on the branches and swirled on the pavement is one of my favorite things.

Intense Chocolate in a Cookie

If you are a baker and love baked goods, it's likely that at some point you have thought about opening a bakery. Imagine the fun of making cakes and pies and cookies and bread for others to enjoy...and making money doing so.

If you, like me, have had that fantasy, you might enjoy reading Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado. She was a Hollywood hack and gave it all up...gladly!...to rise in the wee hours, drive treacherous roads to a small town bakery and spend her days making all sorts of wonderful baked goods for sale in her bakery. The upside includes the regulars and the opportunity to ride that baking passion and play with flour and sugar on a daily basis. The downside (besides that wee hour of the morning thing) include bureaucracy, not much profit, lots of worries and baking the same thing over and over and over, among other things. I highly recommend you read the book. It is well written, pretty short, and moving if you have a baker's soul...funny, too. Oh, and there are a bunch of great recipes, as well.

One of the recipes that I knew I had to make was the Starry Starry Night Cookies. Don't you just love that name?

Deep dark chocolate, crunchy sugar, and not too big, plus they use almond powder and I still have some on hand from when I made the Daring Baker macarons: http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/10/french-treat-in-land-of-st-honore.html

These are not quick to make morsels. Similar to truffles in some ways, the chocolate-almond-egg-sugar mixture has to chill to become firm enough to scoop. Then you scoop it into tiny balls and roll those in sugar. More time is taken freezing the tiny balls for at least an hour. We still aren't ready to bake them because they get rolled in sugar again!

Were they worth the wait...and that significant amount of bittersweet chocolate?

I would say yes!

They are just a little chewy, very chocolaty, not too sweet and not too large...a nice chocolate delight when the chocolate beast comes to call. Besides, they can be frozen...a good thing at this time of year when visions of cookie assortments start dancing in my head.

Starry Starry Night Cookies
From Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado
Makes about 80 mini cookies

8.2 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
2.6 oz (about ¾ cup) slivered almonds ground to a fine powder (about 5/8 cup slivered almonds measured before grinding
½ teaspoon salt (I would reduce it to ¼ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon non-dutch processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs at room temperature
2.4 oz. (1/4 plus one tablespoon) sugar, plus additional for dipping
1 tablespoon honey

Note: To get almond flour, grind almonds and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a food processor until they become a meal, almost floury, but be careful not to process so long that the almonds become a paste.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or at half power, 1 minute at a time in the microwave (stirring after each minute) until melted. Cool slightly. Set aside.

Toss the almond flour, salt, and cocoa in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Combine the eggs, sugar, and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture reaches a thick ribbon stage.

Add the almond-cocoa mixture to the melted chocolate and mix until fully incorporated. Add one quarter of the whipped egg mixture to the chocolate mixture to lighten it.

Stir until no egg is visible. Gently fold the rest of the egg mixture into the chocolate until well combined, being careful to maintain the aerated quality of the eggs.

Chill well until firm.

Place a few tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl. Using the smallest cookie scooper available (I used on the size of a melon baller), scoop individual cookies, dip them in the sugar, and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan ½ inch apart. Freeze uncovered until very hard, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Just before baking, dip each cookie in sugar again. Bake 10 minutes, turning the baking sheet front to back after 5 minutes to ensure even baking. Cookies should be slightly cracked but he sugar should not be browned.

Notes from Gesine: “Starry Starry Nights are black with chocolate. Dipped in sugar twice before baking, they take on a complex crackle of shiny white sugar offset by veins of ebony. They are profoundly chocolaty, matching a pure ganache truffle for cocoa value ounce for ounce. But they don’t melt and you can freeze them. And, of course, they are baked.”

These cookies “are as much careful process as they are high-quality ingredients. It’s easy to cut a corner and court disaster. Pay attention: to the chocolate, to the eggs, to the temperature and feel of your ingredients at every stage. Make sure to have extra chocolate on hand to nibble as your work; it calms the impatient baking beast beautifully.”

Almost Turkey Time

If you don't live in the U.S.of A., the coming of fall probably doesn't mean that it is time to gather up the recipes for cooking a big turkey for a family, or extended family, or family and friends dinner toward the end of November.

If you do celebrate American Thanksgiving, you probably have a raft of family traditions associated with the feast.

It might be Aunt Mabel's green bean casserole with onion rings or Uncle George's special meatball appetizer or Grandma's super sweet, marshmallow covered sweet potato casserole. With the way that tastes change over time, this might be the year that you decide to try something new and different...well, at least for one dish.

If you are the brave soul that is willing to stand up against family pressure and make a casserole that has fresh green beans and no fried onions in sight, or something with sweet potatoes that is actually savory, perhaps with some sage butter, or even a different stuffing for the turkey, you might need some suggestions for new recipes to try. I'm selfish enough that I want you to make one of the recipes I've blogged about if thats teh case...besides they are good!

There will be round ups and lists to be found around the Internet. My group of Thanksgiving ready recipes will be limited to ones I've posted here in the Land of St. Honore' at Feeding My Enthusiasms. That might make it a short list, but that makes it easier for you to scan it, check out any that look interesting to you, then pop on over to the next blog (which might be one on my likely blogs list...if you are smart).

Here goes....drumroll please.....

Appetizers:

White Bean Dip, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-dip-made-with-canned-cannelli.html hits a lot of high notes - robust taste, not too filling, good-for-your-heart legume based, great with either crackers or crudites, easy to make and ...Yay!...can be made ahead and tastes even better if you do.

Caprese on a Skewer, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/11/catching-up-caprese-on-skewer.html is colorful, fun to make and fun to eat. Finding flavorful tomatoes might be a challenge, but you can use cherry tomatoes which are usually sold in pint baskets. They generally taste good. You can substitute flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley) leaves for the basil leaves. The flavor combo will be different, but the skewers are still pretty that way. You can Serve the skewers by sticking the end in a small pumpkin or you can corral a bunch of filled skewers in a tall glass, fanning them out.

Salads:

A tossed green salad is always welcome, but if you want a make-ahead salad, try this Composed Orange Salad, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/01/orange-you-glad-you-heard-about-this.html . You can arrange the lettuce and orange slices on salad plates, stack them up in the 'fridge, then dab on the mayo, add the cherry and sprinkle on the raisins and coconut shortly before guests sit down and put them a plate at each place. The orange is refreshing and light which is a good way to start a meal that is heavy on the starches.

Soup:

If the day is chilly as November often is, starting with a nice bowl of soup is warming and welcoming. Try a seasonal favorite like Two Squash Soup, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/11/soups-on-and-its-two-squash-soup.html rich with roasted butternut and pumpkin squashes, plus onions, sweet potato and apples. With a sour cream and diced red pepper garnish it's quite festive and flavorful.

Turkey:

The main event is usually a roast Turkey, golden and juicy. Turns out that I haven't blogged a turkey recipe, so I'm sending you to the experts. The Butterball turkey folks have a great helpline and website if you need a recipe or help. I usually cook mine in a brown-in-bag because it makes it difficult to over cook the bird, plus clean up is so easy.This one wasn't cooked in a brown-in bag and it is overcooked.

Sides:

What is a turkey without stuffing? No nearly as good! My Mom makes the best stuffing (you knew I'd say that, right?...well, it's true) and the Stuffing, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/11/stuffed.html recipe I posted last year is based on her bread and corn bread stuffing. You'll need a slightly drier stuffing if it is going inside the bird than if it goes in the casserole, so add a little extra broth to the casserole baked stuffing. You can make it your own by adding favorite dried fruit, different nuts, and so on. Make plenty because people usually want seconds of this stuffing!

Good turkey benefits by the accompaniment of cranberries. There's something about the sweet-tart fruitiness that brings out the best in the bird. Cranberries also ripen in the fall, making them a fall favorite since Colonial times. If you want to break away from cranberry relish, try Elle's Wild and Brown Rice with Cranberries, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/10/for-holiday-meals.html for a side dish instead. It has the nutty flavors of wild and brown rice, plus apple juice soaked cranberries and a dash of orange flavor for zest.

(You can still open a can of cranberry jelly for purists).

Swiss chard is a seasonal green that is all too often forgotten makes a wonderful side dish. It is refreshing and savory and light...just right with such a rich meal. Try it fixed as Swiss Chard and Spinach with Onions, Currants and Lemon Zest,
http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2007/12/sneaking-in-chard.html an interesting mix of greens, onions with the contrast of currants and the zip of lemon zest.

Bread:

Even though the usual Thanksgiving meal has plenty of carbs without it, everyone loves freshly baked rolls. Pile the bread basket with these Refrigerator Rolls, http://breadbakersdog.blogspot.com/2009/03/refrigerator-rolls-ready-when-you-are.html which can be partially made ahead. They are from my other blog, Bread Baker's Dog, devoted to bread baking. Pop them in the oven when the turkey comes out. They'll bake while it's resting and being carved and you will be a star when you pass the bread basket and people get a whiff of freshly baked bread.

If you are feeling artistic and want to really impress, make the Harvest Sheaf bread, also found on Bread Baker's Dog. It is easier to make than it looks. To serve, I just sliced across the sheaf.

Dessert:

The last morsel of turkey has been polished off and the coffee is brewing. Now comes my favorite part, dessert. Here are three desserts that use seasonal fruits. They make a nice addition to the dessert table, which can also include a traditional pie.

The first Double Apple Bundt Cake with or without Rum Glaze, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/05/its-not-tuesday-but-its-still-dorie.html features crisp, tart apples complemented with spice in an easy to serve bundt cake with a decorative rum glaze.

The next two are a bit unusual but delicious. Try Stuffed Figs and Plum Clafouti, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2007/09/fun-with-fall-figs.html with the added kick of bittersweet chocolate hiding in the figs.

Pomegranate Lemon Tart with or without Spiced Poached Pears, http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/03/some-kinda-wonderful.html makes use of the season's pears and is very pretty with the sweet-tart pomegranate lemon pastel tart filling and the fan of bi-colored pear slices on top.

Still need some recipe ideas? Check out the index by clicking on the set table photo at the top right corner of this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving! East well and enjoy time with family and friends. XOXOXO Elle

"Soups On" and It's Two Squash Soup

We had a light rain today, which is actually a fine thing since we get most of our moisture during fall and winter rains. I worked this morning to cover for my job share mate. She is flying home today after spending a couple of weeks in the Denver area, most of the time in the hospital where her son was fighting for his life. He is a brave and valiant young man, 30 years old, and was successful (along with lots of antibiotics and excellent hospital personnel) in beating back the pneumonia and lung infections. Lots of people were praying for him and sending good thoughts, so it is wonderful news that he is now home from the hospital! I was happy to cover her hours while she was gone so that she wouldn't worry about work, but it will be nice to have some time next week so I can get ready for expected family visitors. We might even have some of this soup since I made a double batch!

A while back I made a wonderful butternut squash soup and I've made it since but there were no changes, so I didn't post about it.

Today there were two kinds of squash to play with so I pulled out the old recipe and re-worked it a bit.

This soup uses both the butternut and pumpkin squashes, but you could substitute your favorite winter squash or even add it. I'll probably make this later in the winter with some acorn or Hubbard squash for variety.

If you are careful when you puree this you can have a soup that has some very smooth and some slightly less smooth pieces for a wonderful mouth feel.

Because there is also sweet potato and a tart apple as part of the soup there is a little bit of sweet and sour by-play going on. Since the squash are baked this time, there is some carmelization going on there, too, plus a bit with the onion at the beginning of the recipe. That's why I like to add extra black pepper and/or red pepper for bite and some plain yogurt or sour cream as a garnish for tang. The red pepper dice adds crunch, some a few extra vitamins, plus a punch of pretty color.

This soup is perfect for a rainy night like tonight, or could grace your Thanksgiving table with ease. Cooking the soup early and letting it sit overnight for the flavors to mellow makes it perfect for the busy holiday season. Just re-heat the soup when you are ready to serve it.

Two Squash Soup
Serves 4-6

1 average-sized butternut squash
1 medium-sized pumpkin
I medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium to large sweet potato
1 large Golden Delicious Apple
1 large Granny Smith Apple
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
½ cup skim milk
½ cup fat-free buttermilk
½ teaspoon dried ginger powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
fresh ground pepper to taste (I used a LOT - gave it a nice kick)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sour cream and small dice of red bell pepper for garnish

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Cut the pumpkin in half or in chunks, and remove the seeds and stringy parts. Place all of these, cut side down, on a foil or silicon mat lined rimmed baking sheet and cook in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the squash is cooked through. Let cool enough to handle and remove the skin from all pieces. Discard the skin and set the squash and pumpkin meat aside.

2. Peel onion and cut into ¼" chunks. Set aside. Peel squash, potato and apples and cut into ¼ “chunks. Re: Squash - I found it easier to first cut it into large pieces and then cut the skin from the pieces, then chop into chunks.

3. Over medium heat in a large saucepan/stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir onion and garlic until tender.

4. Add chicken stock, potato, apple, and seasoning. Give it a good stir, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat.

5. Add the cooked squash and pumpkin, cut into cubes, to the stock mixture. Heat through on medium-low heat.

6. In a blender (or with an immersion blender), scoop about 1/3 of the mixture into blender. On low speed, blend until nicely pureed. While doing this, add about ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup of buttermilk until creamy. Transfer this to a bowl or a 2nd pot.

7. Repeat step 6, adding another ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup buttermilk and transfer to bowl or pot; continue until all soup has been creamed. (Alternatively, you can puree the soup with the stock being the only liquid, then stir in the skim milk and buttermilk once all the pureed soup is back in the soup pot.)

8. Put soup back in the pot and put on low heat, stirring to blend, and adding lots of black pepper...yum! Simmer for 15 minutes and taste soup. Adjust seasonings and, if desired, add maple syrup. Simmer another 5 minutes.

9. To serve immediately, heat to serving temp, spoon into bowls and add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt if so desired then sprinkle with about a teaspoon of red pepper dice. Otherwise, you can chill it to serve cold or to reheat later. Can also be frozen, probably up to six months. If you have time to cook this ahead, the flavors really combine well when the soup is chilled overnight and reheated just before serving.

Mmmmm Pumpkin

I blame Costco. There I was today, minding my own business, headed for the produce section, when I passed a whole end filled with HUGE pumpkin pies..probably 12 inches across or larger. To make matters worse, these enormous pies were less than $6 each. Now all I wanted was to eat pumpkin pie!...or at least something with pumpkin in it. There is no way that Sweetie and I should ever have a pie that big in the house unless we will be having guest over, too, because we could eat the whole thing at one sitting...so the pie stayed at Costco. Since the yen for pumpkin was now fixed in my brain, I made some little pumpkin fairy cakes instead. That way we can each have one and I can freeze the rest for another time when the urge for pumpkin and spices and sweetness comes over me. This also gave me a way to use up some of the left over cream cheese frosting from the macarons. Always a good thing to use up left overs, right?

You can bake this as one large pumpkin flavored pound cake as the recipe was originally written, too. Just slather the top of the cooled loaf with the frosting or dust with sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Fairy Cakes
adapted from Instant Gratification by Lauren Chattman

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
One 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (or equivalent fresh cooked pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray small cake pans, muffin tins and/or loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with flour if not included in the spray. I recommend Bakers’ Joy if you are using Nordic ware pans as I was today for the small heart shaped fairy cakes.

Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse once or twice. Cut the butter into 8 or so pieces and add to the bowl (I distributed the butter pieces evenly around the bowl).

Add one of the eggs. Process until the dry ingredients are moistened.

In a mixing bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, second egg and vanilla.

With the food processor running, add the pumpkin mixture through the feed tube and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans with the spatula and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The time will vary with the size of the pan but the small cakes took about ½ hour and the mini-loaf pan took about 45 minutes. If you make this in a regular size loaf pan as the original recipe calls for, allow about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Let cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Invert the pans or gently remove from the pans, reinvert and let cool completely.

Sprinkle cooled cakes with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer, or frost with icing. I used the leftover cream cheese maple apple frosting from the macarons.

Lucky - Late Season Strawberries

Sometimes you get lucky…like yesterday when I passed the strawberry stand that had been closed each time I passed during the last 3 weeks. I was sure that the fresh strawberry season had come and gone. Imagine my delight when I saw the “Open” sign posted and saw the flats of berries on the counter.

This is a roadside stand and the same family that sells the berries also plant, water, and pick the berries. They are amazingly good and so fresh and fragrant. Of course I had to buy three pints to enjoy.

I had to work yesterday afternoon, so I carefully parked in the shade (it was 80 degrees this afternoon!) and left the windows down a little to let in the breezes. Wouldn’t want to spoil the berries before I could get them home.

For dessert last night we had a decadent treat…chocolate dipped fresh berries. First I washed them carefully and dried them well…didn’t want any water to spoil the chocolate. Then I made a ganache with chocolate chips, whipping cream and a little vanilla. Since it was just meant for two, I used a small amount of the ingredients, but you could easily double it or triple it to make more chocolate covering…just keep microwaving at half power, a minute at a time, stirring after each microwave session, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Once you dip the berries, place them on parchment paper or a silicon mat, then put that on a baking sheet and put it in the fridge or freezer to harden the chocolate. Taking a berry at a time and feeding each other is optional, but fun.


Fresh Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate

10 fresh large strawberries, gently washed and thoroughly dried. (I like to leave the greens on at the top, but you can hull them if you prefer)
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small microwave safe bowl, stir together the chocolate chips and whipping cream. Microwave on half power a minute at a time, stirring well after each minute, until the chocolate is smooth.

Let cool for a few seconds, then stir in the vanilla. Dip the berries in the chocolate, leaving a little of the strawberry showing at the top. Place the dipped berries on parchment paper of a silicon mat that has been placed on a baking sheet. Once dipped, chill the berries in the refrigerator or freezer to harden the chocolate.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Catching Up -Caprese on a Skewer

I remember, not that long ago, when my kids would return to school after having the summer off. It was always fun to see the other parents and do some catching up. Since we live in a rural area our kids often didn't see their school mates all summer either. That is so different from my experience growing up in a suburb. We saw our neighborhood friends all year round.

We moved to our farm when my daughter was in 5th grade. It didn't take long for me to become involved in the school activities. One of the ideas that I came up with was to have the school's Parents' Club (our version of PTA) host a back to school bar-b-q on the first Saturday after school started. The Parents' Club provided free hot dogs and sold water and sodas. Everyone who came brought side dishes to share. As the afternoon light lowered, long tables from the cafeteria became loaded down with pasta salads, green salads, rice salads, baked beans, deviled eggs, platters of watermelon slices and lots of cookies and brownies and other delights. Parents brought lawn chairs to sit in or blankets to spread on the school lawn for sprawling on as we ate. The leadership students supervised the creation by the little kids of giant bubbles using flat trays and big bubble wands. It was a great way to spend time catching up.

Recently Sweetie has been getting e-mails and phone calls from guys he knew in grade school and high school. Not sure how it all got started, but guys he has stayed in touch with heard from others and his contact information was passed along. It has been bitter sweet because some friends have lost spouses or are ill themselves and one guy called to let everyone know that another friend had just died. There was a lot of good news and fond memories, too, so he was glad to do some catching up, all without Facebook.

Our daughter has been hearing from old friends and former schoolmates, too, but hers has been mainly through Facebook and MySpace. There was a young woman who used to babysit for Max who contacted her, too. We had been wondering how she was so it was nice to see, via our daughter, that J has grown into a beautiful woman and has her own little one to care for and a happy marriage, too.

How do you catch up with old friends?

Now for a catching up recipe. I made this dish a while ago but it got lost in the end of summer shuffle. Now that the clocks have been moved back to "regular" time I guess I better get this posted before it is completely out of season. I made it again today so I could do photos to replace the ones I scrambled on the digital film by answering the questions 'do you want to reformat?" wrong. Not sure what I was thinking...another brain fart I guess...but there went a bunch of photos. Nice thing about an old brain is that I had also forgotten what most of the photos were images of, so I don't really miss them.

This is a total steal of a recipe from the lovely Giz and Psychgrad at Equal Opportunity Kitchen blog. I think they used it for the wedding reception. We just had our for lunch, but it was equally delicious.

Elle's Note: You can use pre-marinated mozzarella balls or cubes of fresh mozzarella, of you can marinate your own as I did by letting them marinate in a mixture of olive oil, dried oregano and basil, garlic, salt and pepper...amounts to your own taste. You could make it with plain cheese if you are in a hurry, but the added marinade flavors take this to another level.

Caprese Salad on a Skewer
adapted from a recipe at Equal Opportunity Kitchen

1 fresh mozzarella, cut in cubes or 8 or more oz of fresh mozzarella balls, marinated (see note above)
1 pint basket small yellow pear tomatoes
4-5 medium red tomatoes, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
fresh basil leaves

On wooden skewers alternate each of the ingredients, starting with a red tomato piece, skin side to the bottom of the skewer. Eat.

How's that for a simple recipe?

Over the Top After School Snack

Once upon a time in the Land of St. Honore', Miguel opened the front door and smiled. His mom was working at home today and she must have decided to take a break and make an after school snack for him.

For some reason when you stood in the front hall you could always smell what was baking in the oven. Today he smelled popcorn!

Miguel loved popcorn and often had a bag of microwave popcorn after school. But today he also smelled sweetness and maybe toasted nuts, too.

Looking into the kitchen he immediately saw what smelled so good. A baking sheet was full of popcorn that had been mixed with a golden brown substance and he could see little dark red bits and what looked like chopped almonds. The aroma was heavenly.

Then his mom came out of the pantry, smiling when she saw him. He gave her a big hug and she hugged him back. They did the usual 'how was your day' 'fine' 'what's up' 'stuff'' greeting. Finally he couldn't wait any longer. "What's that in the pan?" he asked. Getting even she said, "Stuff", but relented and said, "Caramel Corn with Dried Cranberries and Almonds".

"Mmmpf" he said with a mouth full of the stuff.

After he swallowed he said, "That's great stuff! Sweet and crunchy and salty with the sweet tart of the cranberries and popcorn...who can hate popcorn?"

Turning into the pantry, she retrieved a big bowl and gave it to him to fill up.

"I have to go to the Post Office for work and Dad won't be home until later, so dinner is at 7...do you have homework?"

"Finished it on the bus" he said and headed for his room and the computer to IM hiis friends and enjoy this bowl of caramel corn. "Thanks for the awesome snack, Mom!"

(Elle's note: There will be more journeys to the imaginary Land of St. Honore', where baking is a birth right, than once a month for Daring Bakers. Writing little stories is too much fun to only do once a month. Besides, some folks have asked for more..silly people!)

In case you want to make this treat, which is a variation of Caramel Apple-Caramel Corn by Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, understand that it makes a lot. I made half her recipe and it still was enough for Sweetie and I to snack on it during two sessions of watching Net flick versions of the Rockford Files. Since they are set in California in the time period when I had just come to California, I'm enjoying the period decor and clothing as well as the snappy dialog. The obligatory car chase each episode is wearing thin, but we are getting to meet some of the regulars like Angel.

Be careful of the hot caramel. It can burn you badly.

I was making this after dinner and after working too much, so I had a brain fart and didn't make sure I had popcorn ready when I started the caramel. That meant turning the mixture off while I popped the corn and mixed in the dried fruit, nuts and caramel bits. By the time I got back to the caramel in the pot, it was hard to tell if the sugars had dissolved. I suspect that it would be better caramel if I cooked it all at once, paying more attention to the cooking stages. Even so, it was delicious! Your tummy will thank you if you stop at one good sized serving since it is deceptive...you can eat far too much without realizing it.

Hope you enjoyed Halloween. The jack o'lantern in the header was a collaboration between a niece and her 3 year old son. He started out wanting it to be a fierce fellow and ended with wanting it to be a smiling on. I think it is adorable, especially since they gave it to me to keep.

Caramel Corn with Dried Cranberries and Almonds

based on recipe by Peabody at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody - this is half the amount of hers

1 1/2 bags plain (not buttered) microwavable popcorn (about 8-9 cups depending on how much pops), popped, but you can also pop about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of plain popcorn in the microwave in a brown bag that you have added 1 T of oil to and folded the top tightly to seal.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (if can’t find, use corn syrup, but I like Lyle’s way better…you can buy it on Amazon.com)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
8 oz bag of caramels (unwrapped…because plastic doesn’t taste that good), chopped into fourths (yep, kind of a pain in the butt, but yummy) or equivalent of caramel baking bits (faster).
1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Line a baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200F.

Put the popcorn into a large bowl. Add the dried cranberries, almonds and caramel pieces and toss with popcorn. Set aside.

In a large saucepan bring sugars, syrup, salt, and butter to a boil, over high heat. Boil until all the ingredients has dissolved and it is boiling away at you.

Add vanilla extract and baking soda and stir quickly. Be warned, it’s going to bubble up and get mad at you.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn mixture and mix thoroughly.

Spread out evenly onto prepared baking sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Your caramels will melt, but will firm back up as they cool, don’t panic. Enjoy.

(If you don’t want to do the baking method, and you own a candy thermometer, you can skip the oven step by bringing the caramel mixture up to 300F while it is boiling [right before you add the vanilla and baking soda]. This method allows for the caramel bits to stay their shape better. )

I'm sure that you can figure out other goodies to go in the mix instead or or in addition to the cranberries and nuts (or dried apples). Go wild! This recipe can take it.

A French Treat For The Daring Bakers

Little effort went into making these macarons. The cookies were simple...egg whites, ground almonds, confectioners and granulated sugars and flavorings. Oven time had taken most of the time needed, although piping the batter required patience.

The fillings had taken more effort, but were still easy. The results were classic...crisp thin shells on the outside hid moist, chewy insides and the flavors of the fillings tied it all together...the macarons even had the requisite "feet".


Filling included chocolate ganache for the vanilla macarons and cream cheese maple and apple filling for the cinnamon macarons.



The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

(Elle's Note:I followed the recipe, but divided the batter in half. Half received vanilla extract. The other half received 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. I tried to pipe regular amounts of the batter, but some were a little smaller or larger than others, so I matched similar sizes once the cookies had cooled and lined them up that way before filling so that I could put the top cookie on as soon as I piped the filling on the bottom cookies.)

The vanilla and chocolate combination was classic and delicious, but both Sweetie and I enjoyed the cinnamon -maple-apple-spice ones even more. They were so good that I'm going to make more just so I can try different flavors. Thank you Ami for choosing such a great challenge recipe!
As usual, there are many, many dozens of Daring Bakers around the globe who have created stunning macarons for you to view. The blogroll can be accessed through this link.


Macarons

Preparation time: Not taking into account the amount of time it takes for you to bring your egg whites to room temperature, the whole baking process, including making the batter, piping and baking will probably take you about an hour to an hour and a half. How long it takes to make your filling is dependent on what you choose to make.

Actual baking time: 12 minutes total, plus a few minutes to get your oven from 200°F to 375°F.
(Elle's Note - I baked one sheet at a time, so the baking time was extended to allow for the oven to heat up and cool off for each sheet.)
Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.

2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.


(As you can see, I sprinkled a little cinnamon over the piped cinnamon batter rounds.)
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).


6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.

7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami's note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons.


Semisweet Chocolate Ganache Filling
Heat ¼ cup heavy cream in the microwave 1 minute on high power. Remove bowl from microwave and add 2 oz. of semisweet excellent quality chocolate that has been chopped finely. Stir with a small spatula, very gently, until chocolate melts and thoroughly combined. Avoid adding extra air.

Let cool 2-3 minutes, then put into a pastry bag and pipe about ½ tablespoon on half of the macarons on the flat side. Top with the other half of the macarons, rounded side up. Let the ganache firm up before serving.

Makes enough to fill half of the batch of macarons in the Daring Baker’s recipe.


Cream Cheese Maple Apple Filling
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt
1-2 teaspoon(s) juices from Maple Apples (below)
OR 2 teaspoons maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon
½ cup confectioner’s sugar

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until fluffy (I used a whisk attachment and my stand mixer). Add the maple apple juices or the maple syrup and cinnamon, Beat until well combined.

Beat in the confectioner’s sugar until completely combined.

Place the filling in a pastry bag and pipe about ½ tablespoon on half of the macarons on the flat side. Top with the other half of the macarons, rounded side up. This filling won’t harden, so serve it as soon as you wish.

Makes enough to fill half of the batch of macarons in the Daring Baker’s recipe plus about a cup left over for another use.

Maple Apples3 medium apples, cores and stems removed, chopped
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash allspice
dash nutmeg
dash cloves
1 tablespoon water

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir to combine well. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Let cool. Use the juices to flavor the filling and use the fruit as a fruit compote with ice cream or over cooked cereal, pancakes, or waffles.

Sweets for the Sweet - French Yogurt Cake with Lemon

If I lived in Paris I would undoubtedly purchase my fine sweets and pastries at a patisserie, but I would apparently feel that it is OK to bake a simple yogurt cake for my family...like this one, a variation of the French Yogurt Cake in Dorie Greenspan's Baking, from my home to yours cookbook.

I chose this sweet to send as a surprise to Natasha and her heart's love, both fans of a slice of something sweet with their afternoon coffee. I made it in a mini loaf pan (see Peabody, I'm a convert...yay mini pans!) and knew that it was firm and moist enough to withstand a few days journey via snail mail to Natasha. She and her hubby are both sweet people, so this was a true sweet for the sweet.

I also made some fairy cakes using a Nordic ware tart pan and they sure looked cute once they were baked. I had a fairy cake with my Earl Gray tea and it was wonderful!

This cake goes together quickly if you have yogurt, a lemon and some almonds and the usual baker's supplies of flour and sugar. I had almond meal on hand but you can make your own with blanched almonds, ground in the food processor. Use a tablespoon of the sugar from the recipe and add it as you grind the nuts to keep them from becoming a paste.

These cakes are mildly sweet, fragrant with lemon, slightly chewy from the almonds, and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. You can take the juice from the lemon and mix it with confectioners sugar to make a glaze for the top of the cake if you like, but I liked it like this:

French Yogurt Cake with Lemon
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: from my home to yours

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
¼ cup pure vanilla extract
½ cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and put the oven rack in the center of the oven.

Butter 4 mini loaf pans and place on a baking sheet. (I used a tart pan and 1 mini loaf pan.)
Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl. With your fingertips rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, add the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top of loaf pans. The mini tart pans will self-level.

Bake the tart pans for about 20 minutes and the mini loaf pans for 30-40 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pans. The cakes should be golden brown and a thin knife, inserted into the center of the mini loaf will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cakes and the sides of the pans.

Unmold all cakes, cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

You can also bake one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan cake.