Dessert

Easy as Thanksgiving Pie

Author: Kirsten K., Dessert, Food & Drink, Holidays, Sweets

See's Seasonal Pie TrufflesWith Christmas creep threatening to overtake October, there’s barely a breather between “Happy Halloween!” and “Happy Holidays!” for Thanksgiving to stretch its wings, but I prefer to enjoy the unfolding of each celebration in succession and look forward every year to this feast of family, friends, food, and gratitude. After we’ve given thanks for the many blessings bestowed on us over the past year, then passed the (plant-based) turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, it’s time for dessert!

My beloved Aunt Berni was famous for her pie crusts and pastries and always brought a selection of homemade harvest treats for the table. I swooned over her pecan pie, but her apple pie, pumpkin pie, and dried apricot cobbler also made guests go gaga. Thanks to Auntie B, Thanksgiving pies became my favorite sweets of the season, so when chocolatiers began to mingle these annual offerings with my perennial passion, I wanted a slice of the action.

See’s Candies carries their Apple Pie Truffle all year long (because what could be more American?), but they serve it up at this time of year with a tempting trio of Cranberry Orange, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie truffles enrobed in dark, milk, and white chocolate, respectively. I like to line them up—along with a couple of Caramel Apple Scotchmallows and a cute, candy-turkey-topped truffle—on the company’s signature serving tray, which could easily double as Swoon Society merch with its familiar swirling S on each handle.

See's Signature Candy Tray

The tart-sweet flavor of the triangular Apple Pie truffle is so authentic that you could serve it up with a slice of cheddar. And though I’m not partial to pumpkin pie, I could definitely go for a second helping of the See’s version, which has enough pumpkin pie spice to take down a PSL. While their Pecan Pie can’t hold a candle to the ones my Aunt Berni baked, the Cranberry Orange is the perfect complement to the luscious loaf that my co-swooner Kirsti recently revealed over at Sugar Nerd.

Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Pie Chocolate TrufflesI am highly susceptible to clever marketing, so the wedge-shaped segments in the window of the Thanksgiving Pie Chocolate Truffles box from Trader Joe’s immediately caught my eye among their seasonal stock. While the chocolates enveloping Vanilla Crème and Cranberry Ginger Cinnamon fillings didn’t leave a strong impression of pie on the palate, the soft centers of the Caramel Apple Cinnamon and Salted Caramel Pecan truffles fit the bill to a T.

So if you’re looking for a hassle-free holiday host/ess gift—or you don’t bake, but want to contribute a confection to the fall festivities—bringing a box of these bonbons to the banquet is as easy as Thanksgiving pie.

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See’s Candies Seasonal Pie Truffles
Trader Joe’s Thanksgiving Pie Chocolate Truffles

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🥧 Happy Thanksgiving, Swooners! 🥧

Erin Go Bread

Author: Kirsten K., Breakfast, Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Holidays, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets

My version of this recipe defies all raisin.

For as long as I can remember, my mother has made Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day. She is not Irish, nor is anyone on either side of my family (as far as we know), but every year in mid-March, I receive a freshly-baked loaf from her kitchen.

The recipe was found in a church cookbook compiled years ago from favorites submitted by parishioners as a fundraising effort. The Irish Soda Bread entry is credited to Pat O’Connor, whose name inspires confidence in the authenticity of the recipe, but neither the shape nor the texture of this bread resembles the traditional raisin-studded, round loaves with a cross cut into the top that I typically see for sale at this time of year.

That suits me just fine, though, since—unlike most Irish Soda Bread I’ve tried—this version is super m-word (I’m not allowed to write or say it!), with a light, sweet flavor and an unusual texture that I’d describe as slightly, though not unpleasantly, “rubbery.” In any case, it’s SO easy to make that why would you buy one of those dry, rustic-looking loaves when you can pull this church-sanctioned knockoff from your oven in no time?

Like St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, my mother drives the raisins out of my Irish Soda Bread each year and replaces them with chocolate chips, so I ask you: who’s the real saint? It may not be traditional, but it’s tradition in my family. Every March 17th, along with the wearing (and sharing) o’ the green, my mother and I enjoy an Irish coffee with a slice from this recipe. Erin Go Bread!


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IRISH SODA BREAD

1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups sifted flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream sugar and egg. Add sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix in buttermilk. Add raisins (or chocolate chips!). Bake for one hour.

 

Lemon Aid

Author: Kirsten K., Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Food & Drink, Holidays, Recipes, Sweets

Today is National Ice Cream Day, and whether you plan to celebrate with scoops of the dairy-derived dessert or pints of a plant-based alternative, I’ve got a sweet and simple recipe that you can squeeze out in mere minutes.

Many years ago, my brother-in-law’s co-worker shared his “secret” formula for a foolproof hot weather treat: lemonade ice cream. It is embarrassingly easy, utterly unsophisticated…and absolutely awesome!

With its cool, creamy texture and tart, refreshing flavor, lemonade ice cream is the perfect summertime sweet. The recipe involves just two ingredients, two pieces of equipment, and two minutes of your time—it’s almost too good to be true!

If you’re looking for a last-minute dessert, it’s lemonade ice cream to the rescue. You can blend up a batch for your next seasonal social and still have plenty of time to enjoy the lazy days of summer (emphasis on “lazy”). And when guests are swooning from the heat, start spooning up this treat and you’ll render lemon aid.


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LEMONADE ICE CREAM

Ingredients:
One half-gallon of vanilla ice cream*
One 12 oz. can of frozen lemonade concentrate

Equipment:
Large glass or metal bowl
Large mixing spoon

Directions:
Place bowl in freezer for 30 minutes or more before preparing recipe (recommended, but not strictly necessary). Set ice cream on counter at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften. Remove bowl and lemonade concentrate from freezer. Empty entire carton of ice cream and full can of lemonade concentrate into the bowl. Mix together with spoon until blended (I prefer a uniform mixture, but my sister likes to gently fold in the concentrate, stopping when there are still random chunks of vanilla ice cream and frozen lemonade in the mix). Cover bowl and return to freezer for at least an hour to set before serving. The consistency will be a little softer than that of regular ice cream. Serve with a slice of lemon or a strip of candied lemon peel.

Variations:

  • To fancify this dorm room dessert, add a drop or two of Lavender or Rose flavor extract from Medicine Flower before mixing, then serve with a sprig or sprinkle of lavender buds or rose petals that haven’t been treated with pesticides.
  • Substitute a can of frozen concentrated limeade for the lemonade, then serve in a margarita glass. First dip the rim of the glass in lime sugar (or salt), then slip a slice of lime on the edge.

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*For vegans and those who avoid dairy products, substitute four pints of vanilla non-dairy dessert (I like Vanilla Island from Coconut Bliss) for the ice cream. Since I never see quarts or half-gallons of dairy-free ice cream at my local supermarkets, I usually make small batches of this recipe by mixing a pint of non-dairy ice cream with ¼ can (or to taste) of the frozen lemonade concentrate. Just scoop it out of the can, replace the lid, and secure with a rubber band to store in the freezer for later.

 

Na Nanaimo, Na Nanaimo, Hey Hey Hey, Good Bar

Author: Kirsten K., Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Pop Culture, Recipes, Sweets

For the past two weeks, I have vicariously skated, skied, and slid across the ice and snow in PyeongChang from the comfort of my couch. Over the years, my Olympic training has given me the ability to get through a 5-hour telecast in 1-2 hours (I could medal in speed watching), and I like to reward myself for this feat with a sweet treat. In the spirit of the games, I decided to go for the gold and seek inspiration among the top medalists, but while the Norwegians may have set the bar, the Canadians have perfected it.

There is much debate about exactly when the Nanaimo bar made its debut (likely sometime in the early 1950s), but in the years since, this no-bake dessert has achieved cult status in Canada. Named for the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia, there are many variations on the recipe, but all involve three basic things: a brownie-like crumb base, creamy custard filling, and chocolate icing. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

I first heard of these bars from my boss, who makes them each Christmas. When she was a showgirl in the ’70s, one of her fellow dancers shared the handwritten recipe, which she labeled “Nanimo Bars,” and which my dyslexic boss calls Namino bars(!). Despite the confusion, I was able to find various recipes and information about Nanaimo bars online, but since I’ve only tasted my boss’s version, hers has qualified for this post.

In her recipe, vanilla pudding powder is used in place of the traditional custard powder, which can be more difficult to find,* but they can be used interchangeably. If I’m to be the judge, the custard is what sets these bars apart, but the combination of chewy base, creamy filling, and rich topping makes them a 1-2-3 sweep.

The XXIII Olympic Winter Games will come to an end this weekend, but you can whip up these bars in record time, so take a break from sofa spectating and go all “oot” to celebrate the world’s greatest athletes—and sweets!


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Illustration by Melissa Elliott

NANAIMO BARS

Base:
1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
10 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups graham crackers, crumbled
2 cups coconut, chopped fine
1 cup chopped nuts

Place butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl that is set in boiling water (i.e. double boiler). Stir until mixture resembles custard. Blend in graham crackers, coconut, and nuts. Press evenly into a greased 8×8” or 9×9” pan.

Filling:
½ cup butter
6 Tbsp. milk
4 Tbsp. custard powder or vanilla pudding powder
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

In a small bowl, combine milk and custard (or vanilla pudding) powder until powder is dissolved. In a larger bowl, cream butter, milk/custard mixture, and powdered sugar. Spread filling on top of base and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Icing:
8 baking squares of semi-sweet chocolate, OR
1¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips†
2 Tbsp. butter

In a medium sauce pan, melt chocolate and butter together over a low flame. Pour the warm mixture evenly over the filling and return bars to fridge. Once the icing has hardened, cut into squares. Makes 1-2 dozen, depending on size of squares.

 

*Custard powder can be found at World Market and many high-end markets and specialty foods stores.

†Variation: replace semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips for the icing, as in the top right picture above.

 

Note: Kirsti went to see Bananarama in concert this week, and I couldn’t resist riffing on the chorus from one of their hits for the title of this post. 😊

 

A Rose-Flavored Holiday Story

Author: Kirsti Kay, Dessert, Food & Drink, Holidays, Recipes, Sweets

I did a crazy thing this year. I entered the Los Angeles Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off. I never enter contests. I hate competition. I remember being in school and getting chosen last for sports teams. I hated sports. I still do. To this day, the only sport I can play with any kind of confidence is ping pong. But I always hated competition, because there has to be a loser. I know what it feels like to be chosen last, or not at all, and I don’t want anyone to feel that lonely feeling, so I have avoided competition my whole life.

A few weeks ago, I saw the ad for the Los Angeles Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off and thought, “I CAN DO THAT!” I have some recipes that are twists on classics! I have some skills! I can bring something unexpected, yet nostalgic, to the holiday table! So I entered. I entered with a cookie I have been making for many years: rose petal shortbread. I tweaked the decorations to add holiday-colored sugar and red rose petals so the cookies would have Christmas flair, and I entered with pride.

After hitting “submit,” I realized I would have to ask my friends to vote for me. The only thing worse than competition is asking everyone I know to do me a HUGE favor. I hemmed and hawed, I sweated, I wrung my hands, I whined to my husband Aaron, but I asked. And people responded. Not only did they vote for me—some every day—they shared my post on their own pages and sent me encouraging notes of support. I was blown away by the collective kindness.

Well, I did not win, but I’m totally OK with that. The fact is, the contest was more of a popularity vote than how good your cookie is. I still feel great about my recipe, which I think reflects the zeitgeist of what is happening in baking and is really delicious and easy to make. But most of all, I felt the holiday spirit in all of my friends who voted and reposted and encouraged me. I felt humbled by the friends of friends who voted and said they thought my recipe sounded amazing and they couldn’t wait to try it.

Of course, it would have been a fancy brag to have won (there wasn’t even a prize, just bragging rights), but I got what I needed out of the contest—I felt loved and supported by so many people, even people who don’t know me. I probably won’t be entering any more contests, but I’ll keep baking and I’ll keep sharing and I’ll keep appreciating my friends and family and my new friends of friends who believed in me enough to vote for a cookie they haven’t tasted, made by a gal some of them didn’t even know. You picked me first. And that means more to me than any bragging right.

Happy Holidays, Wonderful Friends!!


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HOLIDAY ROSE PETAL SHORTBREAD
Makes about 24 cookies

Cookies:
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon rose extract*
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon crushed dried rose petals (optional)†
2 cups all purpose flour

Icing:
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
sparkling holiday sugar and fresh (organic, non-pesticide) torn rose petals for garnish (chopping makes them dark around the edges)

Combine butter and confectioners’ sugar in a stand mixer fitted with paddle and mix until combined with no lumps, 2-3 minutes. Add the rose and vanilla extracts and the crushed rose petals (if using) and mix until incorporated. Add flour in two stages until just combined.

Transfer the dough to a gallon-size Ziploc bag, leaving a small hole at the top so air can escape, and roll out with a rolling pin until dough has fully and evenly filled the shape of the bag. Refrigerate on a flat surface at least two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment. Cut the sides of the Ziploc bag and peel back the top layer. Use a ruler and nick each side of the dough at 2-inch intervals with a pizza cutter or knife. Gently cut out your squares and transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets. Use a fork to make traditional tine marks in the dough.

Put one cookie sheet in the refrigerator while the first batch bakes, 18-20 minutes. Watch carefully toward the end. You want the cookies very slightly browned at the edges only. Cool cookies completely on wire racks.

To make icing, combine confectioners’ sugar with milk and mix with a small whisk until smooth. To decorate, drizzle icing over cookies with a fork and, while icing is still wet, sprinkle with sparkling sugar and rose petals.

 

*Rose extract is available at many grocery stores and at Amazon.

†Organic dried rose petals are available at Amazon or World Market (in the spice section).

 

Our Gift to You – Swoon Saucers

Author: Kirsti Kay, Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Food & Drink, Holidays, Recipes, Sweets

swoon-saucers-christmas-cookies-1Whenever I’m at a bakery and see the case of beautiful cookies, my knees go a little weak. All the different sprinkles and pretty shapes and the intoxicating singular smell of their collective sugary deliciousness make me swoon with delight! There is almost nothing more delightful than a pink bakery box filled with cookies.

swoon-stamp-christmas-tree-ornamentWith the holidays in full swing and Christmas and Hanukkah almost here, it can seem daunting to squeeze in baking time. Rolling out and decorating those cut-out cookies is a full weekend affair, and wouldn’t you just, for once, like to nap on the couch with the tree lights on and Nat or Andy or Burl or Frank crooning you into a happy holiday snooze?

Here is a recipe that is easy, super festive, and looks just like those fancy bakery cookies. Make the dough on Friday night, bake them Saturday morning, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE SWOON SOCIETY!

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SWOON SAUCERS
(adapted from Piece Of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple by David Muniz, David Lesniak and Rachel Allen)

swoon-saucers-christmas-cookies-2Makes about 50 cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 large eggs
swoon-saucers-christmas-cookies-34 tsp. vanilla extract*
Different sprinkles, nonpareils, colored sugars for decorating

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium for about a minute. Turn mixer to low and add the oil in a slow stream and then add the two sugars, the eggs (one at a time) and the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, scraping down the sides after each addition. Dough will be very soft. Refrigerate in bowl covered with plastic wrap for at least an hour (and up to 3 days).

swoon-saucers-christmas-cookies-4Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.

Put sprinkles into small bowls. I like to use a variety of different holiday-themed decorations.

Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or a spoon, make balls from the dough. Roll in your hands and then into the sprinkles. Place them on the baking sheets in rows of 3. Slightly flatten each ball with the palm of your hand.

swoon-saucers-christmas-cookies-5Bake for about 14 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

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*To really get that “bakery” flavor, you can substitute a teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia for one of the teaspoons of vanilla. Available from King Arthur Flour.

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This recipe is great for any holiday – just switch out the sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, etc.!

 

A Taste of Your Own Medicine Flower

Author: Kirsten K., Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Fragrance, Recipes, Sweets

Violet Flavor ExtractBoth Kirsti and I have written about our love for floral flavorings and the disappointing search for a true violet culinary extract following our swoon-worthy taste of violet ice cream in the South of France. It can be difficult to find a natural violet extract, since the blossoms only produce a small amount of essential oils. For this reason, violet was one of the first perfume essences to be synthesized, and this extends to the kitchen, where artificial violet extracts are the norm. While they might smell and taste like violet, there’s usually a chemical undertone that tells you this flower was “grown” in a lab.

Violet CupcakeI have purchased a number of extracts that claim to be natural flavors or to taste just like violet, but they invariably turn out to be either analogs (i.e. synthetics) or made from orris root, a member of the iris family that is commonly used as a fixative in perfumes and is reputed to smell and taste like violet. While there is a violet-like quality to the fragrance, it is nothing that a true violetesse would mistake.

I’d almost given up the perennial search when I came across Medicine Flower, an “aromatic apothecary” that sells essential oils, massage and body care products, and genuine, 100% natural flavor extracts…including a violet that is “made from the material named on the label.” Wary, but excited, I purchased a small dropper bottle. When it arrived, I could detect the essence of violets before I’d even opened the package. Here it was at last: a natural, culinary extract that smelled and tasted like true violet.

Rose Flavor ExtractAccording to their website, Medicine Flower’s extracts have a flavor potency that is 30-70 times higher than other products on the market. I have no trouble believing this, because I’ve used my violet extract in chocolate, baked goods, hot drinks, ice cream, and anything else that might benefit from a floral fix for the past couple of years and there’s still some of the precious essence left in the original bottle that I purchased.

True to its name, Medicine Flower also makes jasmine and Bulgarian rose flavor extracts that are as swoon-inducing as the violet. Undiluted rose and jasmine absolutes can run in the hundreds of dollars per ounce, but these natural flavor extracts are only $22 for 15 ml (½ oz.) and can perfume your cooking and baking with just a drop or two, making them a phenomenal value.

Jasmine Flavor ExtractFloral extracts particularly enhance desserts. Add a couple of drops to the batter and/or frosting when making cakes and cupcakes, then garnish with fresh or candied blossoms. The rose is intense and intoxicating, like burying your face in a bouquet of velvety blooms. I like to put a single drop in a glass of lemonade or pink champagne and float a couple of petals on the surface. The jasmine is even more concentrated and has a fruitier aroma than most jasmine flowers I’ve encountered. Mix a drop into vanilla ice cream for a treat unlike any you’ve tasted.

These are only a small sampling of the 65 culinary extracts that Medicine Flower produces, which include flavors as diverse as butterscotch, cucumber, dark chocolate, fig, wildflower honey, and cabernet sauvignon grape. With so many to choose from, write yourself a prescription for several bottles and get a taste of your own Medicine Flower.

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Medicine Flower Genuine Flavor Extracts

 

Medicine Flower flavor extracts can also be dabbed on wrists as a light perfume or added to massage oils, soaps, and other body care products (great for birthday or holiday gift giving). Mix and match to create your own culinary mixture or signature scent.

 

Update 3/22/17:

Medicine Flower is ushering in a Spring Worthy Of Our Noses (and our palates) with discounted prices on select floral flavors and absolutes, plus 13% off your entire order when you use the code SPRING17, so stock up and enjoy a scent-sational season.

The following items are on sale:

Bulgarian Rose Flavor
Jasmine Flavor
Violet Flavor

Agarwood (Oud) Absolute
Frangipani Absolute
Jasmine auriculatum Absolute
Linden Blossom Absolute
Orange Blossom Absolute

 

Love the Cookie You’re With

Author: Kirsti Kay, Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Recipes, Sweets

Tonight I’m all alone. It’s Saturday night and I am supposed to be at a party with my husband. Our pug, Owen, had some minor surgery earlier in the week and still isn’t feeling well, so we decided I would be the one to stay home with him. I was feeling a little sorry for myself—I had a really cute outfit all picked out and I haven’t seen our friends in a while. I watched Aaron leave with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir along with a platter of caramelized balsamic Brussels sprouts and shuffled back into the house in my yoga pants and slippers thinking, “Now what?”

Love the Cookie 1

It’s a beautiful evening, so I had a beer out on the deck. Owen sat on my lap for a while and then lay at my feet, snoring, which was a good sign. I read some food magazines, which is one of my favorite pastimes. I hoard them for the perfect time and the stars were aligned—no one to disturb me, gorgeous weather for sitting outside, alcoholic beverage of choice at the ready…even Owen was giving me a reprieve from nurse duty.

When I read food magazines, I have this system: I read each magazine from front to back, slowly, savoring each page and each recipe—even the ones with ingredients I don’t eat, like meat or tofu—and then I carefully dog-ear the pages with recipes or products or places I want to look up on the Internet and save to Evernote for future reference. I love to be transported to places like Morocco. I can almost smell the exotic spices, and the architecture is so wonderfully different from my Valley neighborhood. I decide I absolutely must buy a tagine and I make a mental note to order nigella seeds. I will also need to figure out a substitute for lamb. Pages dutifully dog-eared. And when I turn to the spread on a rustic wine country dinner in Napa, I can almost feel the breeze on my shoulders (fashionably covered in a cashmere pashmina, of course) as I sit at a reclaimed wooden table artfully placed in the middle of a million grape vines, perfectly set with mismatched china and flowers, lights twinkling above, and taste the ancient terroir in each sip of a single vineyard cabernet.

Love the Cookie 2

I finished my magazines and my beer and got out of my swinging chair (the best place to read) to feed the dog and make myself a sweet potato. I poured a glass of Riesling—’cause heck, there was still some in the fridge from last night—and sat down to enter all my dog-eared stuff into the interwebs for further investigation.

And that’s when I came upon the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie For One.

Hmmmm, the oven was still warm from my sweet potato and I had all the ingredients. The night was definitely looking up. It took mere moments to mix all the ingredients together. The only tools I used were a small bowl, a fork and measuring spoons. When I was done, I had this tiny amount of cookie dough, and something about its diminutiveness made me happy. A sprinkling of Maldon sea salt on top of the cookie and into the oven with this solitary confection. Cookie for one coming right up!Love the Cookie 3

Usually, when I bake there is a mess to contend with that sometimes puts a damper on my baking high, but I washed my few dishes and was back on the computer in no time. I had barely typed “where to buy tagine” in my browser when…COOKIE SMELL!

The pug is resting nicely, the kitchen is clean, and I’ve got a warm cookie and Matilda (one of my favorite movies) on DVR. I guess the song is true—if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with, especially if it happens to be a chocolate chip cookie.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE FOR ONE (adapted from Food & Wine magazine)

Love the Cookie 4Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 1

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter*
1 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
⅛ tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1½ Tbsp. bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (or any other chocolate you happen to have on hand)
Maldon salt (or other flake sea salt) for sprinkling (optional)

Love the Cookie 5Heat oven (or toaster over) to 350° F. In a small microwave bowl, heat the butter until just softened (not melted), about 10 seconds on 50% power. Using a fork, blend both sugars, the vanilla and a pinch of salt into the butter. Blend in the flour, then stir in the chocolate chips. Gather the dough in your hands and form a ball, then flatten onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (or toaster tray). Sprinkle with the Maldon salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Get comfy with your most favorite pet (optional) and queue Matilda.

 

*To veganize this recipe, use a non-dairy butter substitute like Earth Balance.

As American as Washington Pie

Author: Kirsten K., Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Holidays, Recipes, Sweets

Tasha Tudor 9Presidents Day may be celebrated on the third Monday in February, but today marks the actual date of George Washington’s birthday, so that means it’s time to serve up a slice of Washington Pie. I first read about this dessert in The Tasha Tudor Cookbook, where it’s mentioned that “the ‘pie’ is actually a delicate cake,” but it took a little sleuthing to discover why it’s referred to as pie. Although this recipe—which dates back to the mid-1800s—calls for raspberry jam spiked with cherry brandy between the cake layers, other versions substitute a cream filling like that used in Boston Cream Pie. Hence, Washington Pie.

Tasha Tudor’s great-great-grandfather, Colonel William Tudor, was friends with George Washington and served as his Judge Advocate General, so her family celebrated the President’s birthday every year with a tea party that included Washington Pie. As both an admirer of Tasha Tudor and someone who is always on the lookout for a reason to enjoy afternoon tea and treats, I decided to adopt the tradition myself. The recipe is quite simple and can be made in advance, since Tasha recommended that the cake be refrigerated overnight to enhance its flavor.

Washington Pie 1

A First Family affair: savoring a slice of Washington Pie with a glass of Martha Washington’s Cherry Bounce.

I cannot tell a lie: once you cut down this cherry* sweet, you’ll want to build a monument to it, so join me in honoring our first President with a delicious tradition that’s as American as Washington Pie.

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Washington Pie 2WASHINGTON PIE (adapted from The Tasha Tudor Cookbook)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 ⅔ cups unbleached flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp. Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)
1 jar (8 oz.) raspberry jam
confectioner’s sugar to decorate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut rounds of wax paper to fit the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake tins (or use the nifty Cake Pans with Cutter Bars that I chose as one of my picks for our Holiday G.I.F.T. Guide). Grease and flour the cake tins and paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix until light. Sift in the flour and baking powder, alternating with the milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and place the tins in the preheated oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. When the batter begins to pull away from the sides of the pans, test for doneness with a cake tester. Take care not to overbake.

Washington Pie 3When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and set the tins on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes on the racks, peel off the wax paper (if using), and allow the cakes to cool completely.

Mix the Kirschwasser in the raspberry jam. Slice the cakes in half horizontally. Place one layer of the cake on a cake plate and spread it generously with the raspberry jam mixture. Repeat the process twice more and then top with the fourth layer. Prior to serving, shake confectioner’s sugar lightly over the top of the cake. To create a pattern, place a doily on top of the plain cake before shaking the sugar over it, then remove the doily. Serves 10 to 12.

 

The Tasha Tudor Cookbook can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AbeBooks.

 

*Technically, it’s a raspberry sweet with a splash of cherry, but just roll with it, O.K.?

Lemony Pound Cake and a Series of Fortunate Events

Author: Kirsti Kay, Dessert, Food, Food & Drink, Recipes, Sweets

Oh lovely lemon!
You make my mouth pucker so
That I may kiss you
— a haiku by me

Lemony Pound Cake 1I love lemony stuff…lemon drops coated in that gnarly sugar that tears up the roof of your mouth, lemon verbena perfume—the well-loved scent of Laura and Miss Beadle on Little House On The Prairie—lemonade, and any kind of lemon baked goods: bars, cookies, cakes, muffins. Hold me!

One of the first things my husband and I did when we moved into our new house last year was plant a dwarf lemon tree in a nice big pot on the deck. I tended this diminutive tree, watering her and fertilizing her and telling her of all the fancy things I would make with her bright yellow bounty, and, magically, little green babies grew into beautiful, fragrant, sunshine-colored goodness.

Lemony Pound Cake 2Now I needed to make the perfect dessert. I didn’t want to squander my beauties—I had to use their powers for good. Aaron suggested a lemon pound cake and I remembered the perfect recipe from Ina Garten in her cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Parties! I like my lemon confections to be really lemony and tart, and this cake is definitely in yo face with citrus zing. There are three levels of lemon here: lemon zest and juice in the batter, lemon syrup that is poured on top of the warm cake, and a lemon glaze. It’s a lemon bomb with the most puckery lemon flavor of any dessert I’ve made.

If you love lemon, or just want to ensure you don’t get scurvy, make this cake!

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Lemony Pound Cake 3LEMON POUND CAKE (adapted from Ina Garten)

Makes two 8 inch loaves
(I used a bundt pan this time, but I love the idea of 2 loaves. One to share and one to eat all by yourself when no one’s looking)

Ingredients:

CAKE
½ lb. unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (from 6-8 large lemons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

SYRUP
½ cup sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 ½ Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8½ x 4¼ x 2½ inch loaf pans and line with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and 2 cups of sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). With the mixer on medium, add eggs, one at a time, and then the lemon zest.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl combine lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide batter between the two loaf pans, smooth the tops and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour—until a cake tester comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup by combining ½ cup sugar with ½ cup lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.

When the cakes are done, cool for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a rack set over a tray and spoon the syrup over the top of each cake. Let cool completely.

For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and watch with incredible satisfaction while your family and friends freak out.

 

Barefoot Contessa Parties! can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.