For those in the USA, have a nice celebration… please do your part to minimize the fireworks, as it is so difficult for pets and for many human beings, for all sorts of reasons.
To learn more about this set of cookies, stop by my cookie blog with a click here…
Just a couple of days ago I celebrated 11 years of my naturalization! It always gives me a smile the fact that it fell so close to such an important holiday. Today I share four bakes that celebrate the occasion: macarons, sugar cookies, red velvet brownies, and baked donuts. The common denominator? Sprinkles. I bet you are not surprised.
4th OF JULY MACARONS WITH CHOCOLATE COCONUT FILLING
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
For the shells:
200g powdered sugar
115 g almond flour
115 g egg whites at room temperature (approx. 4 eggs)
1/8 tsp of cream of tartar
100 g granulated sugar
¼ tsp vanilla paste or extract
red, blue, purple and black food gel dye
for the chocolate-coconut ganache:
180g cream of coconut
1/8 tsp salt
200g chocolate, cut in small pieces (II used 70% Lindt)
to decorate:
white non-pareils
Make the shells:
Line 3 heavy baking sheets with parchment/baking paper or Silpat mats. Layer the powdered sugar, and ground almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal, about 12 pulses. Pass through a sieve and transfer to a small bowl or to a sheet of parchment/baking paper. Set aside.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure that the bowl and the whisk are impeccably clean. Starting on medium speed, whip the whites with the cream of tartar until they look like light foam. The whites should not appear liquid. The foam will be light and should not have any structure.
Slowly rain in the granulated sugar in five additions, trying to aim the stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Turn the speed up to high. Continue to whip the meringue until it is soft and shiny. It should look like marshmallow creme (marshmallow fluff). Add the vanilla. Whip the egg whites until the mixture begins to dull and the lines of the whisk are visible on the surface of the meringue. Check the peak. It should be firm. Transfer the whites to a medium bowl.
Fold in the ground almond/almond meal mixture in two increments. Paint the mixture halfway up the side of the bowl, using the flat side of a spatula. Scrape the mixture down to the center of the bowl. Repeat two or three times, then check to see if the mixture slides slowly down the side of the bowl. Divide the batter in three parts, dye 1/3 red, dye 1/3 blue (using a mixture of blue, purple and black to get the tone of blue you like). Leave the final third white. Pour the three batters side by side over plastic wrap, enclose them wrapping the plastic around like a sausage. Drop the bag with the three colors inside a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip. If you want to make a set of solid color, divide the batter to get a bigger amount of that color and place some of it in a separate piping bag.
Pipe rounds over Silpat or parchment paper in a half-sheet pan and then slam each sheet hard four to six times on the counter. Add sprinkles, if like. Let the unbaked macarons dry until they look dull but not overly dry. Drying time depends on humidity. In a dry climate, the macarons can dry in 15 to 20 minutes; in a humid climate, it can take 35 to 40 minutes.
While the macarons are drying, heat the oven to 300 F (150 C/130C Fan oven/Gas Mark 2). Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. Check in 11 minutes. If the tops slide or move (independently of the ‘feet’ when you gently twist the top), then bake for 2 to 3 more minutes. Check one or two. If they move when gently touched, put them back in the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes until they don’t move when touched. Let the macaroons cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. The macarons should release without sticking.
Make the ganache. Bring the coconut puree and salt to the boil in a small pan. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate in a bowl. Stir well with a whisk until combined. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the surface and leave at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Do not place in the fridge. Whip with a handheld blender for a minute or so to get a slightly thicker consistency for piping.
Match shells and add the filling (I used a piping bag cut open, no piping tip). Decorations for the small macarons were made with Candy Melts (white) and star-shaped sprinkles. Place the macarons in the fridge overnight to mature before enjoying or freezing them for later.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: For the tie-dye color effect, add the three batters to the same bag. The easiest way to do that is to open a large piece of plastic film on your countertop, lay the different colors in three large stripes, side by side. Roll the plastic wrap as a sausage and drop it inside a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip. That will make sure the colors get a random mixing as you pipe the shells. I reserved some blue batter to make smaller macarons, all blue. If you want the colors to be more separated, with clear margins (also a very cool effect), simply place them in three separate piping bags and drop them inside a larger one, after cutting their tips (easy to forget, don’t ask me how I know).
4th OF JULY CARDAMON-ORANGE COOKIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
360 g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
215 g sugar
¼ tsp salt
227 g cup butter, cold and cut in pieces
1 egg
3/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia extract
zest of 1 large orange
1/2 tsp cardamom
for the Royal Icing:
80 g egg whites
420 g powdered sugar
blue gel food dye
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH. Heat oven to 350 F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. Add the orange zest to the sugar and rub it all with your hands to release the fragrant oils. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, Fiori di Sicilia and cardamom, mix well. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
Dough can be rolled right away in between sheets of parchment paper. Roll to about 1/4″ thick, and cut into shapes. I used large stars, small stars, and rectangles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, freeze for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake for about 12 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool to room temperature before icing.
MAKE THE ROYAL ICING: whisk the egg whites and powdered sugar using a KitchenAid type mixer until fully smooth. Adjust if needed with sugar or a little milk. Color half of it blue, keep the other half white. Make the small stars first, flooding them with white icing. Add the sprinkles before the icing sets. As they sit on a rack, flood the large stars with blue icing. Keep the very center empty, all you need is a little icing to glue the small star on top. Since it is going to be a bit heavy, if you flood the whole extension of the cookie, it will risk pressing is too much and running down the edges. Place the small star on top and allow them to dry overnight.
For the painted cookie effect, see this post.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: This basic recipe for sugar cookies is the one I had planned to use in the Great American Baking Show. I’ve made it so many times now, that I don’t even need to look at the recipe anymore. It always works. My only advice for you is to use regular American butter, like the simple, humble Land-O-Lakes. That butter seems to be the best in terms of less spreading and less fat leaking during baking. And the cookies taste as good as those made with higher fancier brands. Come to think of it, if I had made it in the tent, who knows how they would turn out? I shiver to think. 😉
RED VELVET BROWNIE CAKE
(slightly modified from Mary Berry’s Fast Cakes)
300g semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
200g butter
200g sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste
150g all-purpose flour
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
8 g red gel color (I used Americolor Super Red)
for icing:
300g powdered sugar
3 tbsp very hot water
squeeze of lemon juice
sprinkles
Heat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 12 x 9 in pan tin and line with parchment paper. Sift the flour with the baking powder and the salt. Reserve. Gently melt the chocolate and the butter together. Let it cool slightly and add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and red gel dye. Mix well until smooth and shiny. Add the flour mixture, stir until no dry bits remain.
Pour the mixture into the pan and level the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until risen and a crust has formed on the surface. The middle should feel just firm when pressed with your fingertips. Leave to cool in the pan, then remove it.
Make the icing: Mix the powdered sugar, water and lemon juice together in a bowl to make a smooth paste, adjust consistency as needed. Spread over the cold cake and top with sprinkles. Cut in pieces to serve.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: Pretty much everything I bake these days go for Common Table meals, and they need to be wrapped individually. I am always tweaking the recipes so that they bake as flat and uniformly as possible, and if they have some type of icing, it is not too soft. Crusting buttercream and powdered sugar-based icings are the best. I tend to use less baking powder than the recipes call for, so feel free to up a little the amount (up to 2 + 1/2 tsp) if you don’t mind a certain dome effect in the center of your cake. For this recipe a 13 x 9 will give a cake a bit too thin, if that’s the only size you have, perhaps a 10 inch square pan will work better.
4th OF JULY BAKED ORANGE DONUTS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
100g granulated sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
160 g cake flour, sifted
1 + ¼ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tbsp butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla paste
Spray your donut pans with a very light coating of baking spray. I used one mini donut pan and one regular size. Heat oven to 400 F.
In a small bowl combine sugar and orange zest until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in sugar mixture.
Add buttermilk, egg, butter, and vanilla and stir until just combined. Add batter to a piping bag and fill each donut cup approximately one-half full.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched.
Let cool in pan for 4–5 minutes before removing. Finish the donuts with melted Candy Melts and add sprinkles before it sets.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: I’ve made these donuts about a month ago using orange blossom water instead of vanilla paste, and to me they tasted a bit artificial. So this time I kept the orange theme exclusively in the zest. Maybe it depends on the brand of orange water you have. At any rate, they are very simple to prepare and have a nice texture. Fiori di Sicilia would probably be quite nice also, but I did not want to have two exact same flavors in the weekly bake. All these goodies were included in the same Common Table meal of July 3rd.
I hope you enjoyed this small collection of 4th of July bakes, and that you are having a nice weekend. Please stay vigilant, observe social distance, and wear a mask when outside. It is not a political issue, it is a matter of your health and that of those around you.
A mask is a sign that you care.
For a recent review on staying safe during this pandemic, visit this post.
ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2019
TWO YEARS AGO: Brigadeiros for the 4th of July
THREE YEARS AGO: Kaleidoscopic Macarons
FOUR YEARS AGO: Zucchini Noodles with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2015
SIX YEARS AGO: Sous-vide Pork Chops with Roasted Poblano Butter
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Roasted Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Amazing Ribs for the 4th of July!
NINE YEARS AGO: Baby Back Ribs on the 4th of July
TEN YEARS AGO: Blueberry Muffins
ELEVEN YEARS AGO: A Pie for your 4th of July
I’ve been making ribs the exact same way for many years, but when I read this recipe, I predicted they would be spectacular. Indeed, my expectations were spot on. If you are also very partial to a particular tried-and-true recipe for barbecued ribs, please try this version: they are sticky, sweet, spicy, juicy, tender, you and your guests will leave only a pile of very clean rib bones on the plate!
STICKY BALSAMIC RIBS
(adapted from The Parsley Thief, original recipe from Gourmet, 2009)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 Tablespoon salt (divided)
4 racks baby back pork ribs
1 + 1/2 cups water (divided)
1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Mix the rosemary, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar plus the cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mince the garlic, add 1 teaspoon of salt to it and mash with the side of a large knife to form a paste. Add it to the marinade with 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper & mix all the ingredients together. Rub evenly over the ribs and place in a baking dish. Marinate, chilled, for 8-24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Arrange the ribs in a large roasting pan and pour 1/2 cup water inside, under the ribs. Cover tightly with foil, and bake the ribs until the meat is very tender, about 2 and a half hours. Remove from the oven and transfer the ribs to a platter.
Add 1 cup of water to the pan, and using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the browned bits. Strain the liquid into a measuring cup, or gravy separator to remove the excess fat. Transfer to a skillet and add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently until reduced to about 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat the grill. Brush some glaze over both sides of the ribs and grill, turning occasionally, until the ribs are hot and with nice grill marks all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Brush the ribs with some more glaze and serve.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: This is a perfect recipe for the heat wave we’re going through (111 F last week in Manhattan, 106 F this week in Norman), because the initial baking happens at a reasonably low temperature. Plus, you can do that step very early in the morning, even a couple of days ahead of your party. Remove the ribs from the fridge an hour or so before dinner, turn the grill on, and assemble a few side dishes. In less than 10 minutes you will be ready to enjoy THE most amazing ribs ever! The balsamic glaze is a nice change from the usual barbecue sauce. I can see it complementing a thick piece of grilled salmon quite well.
Need the perfect dessert for the 4th? Try my beloved’s husband patriotic pie!
ONE YEAR AGO: Baby Back Ribs on the 4th of July
TWO YEARS AGO: Blueberry Muffins
THREE YEARS AGO: A Pie for your 4th of July
Barbecued ribs are a classic to celebrate this holiday at the height of the Summer. In Brazil, barbecue means grilling large pieces of meat that were seasoned with coarse salt and pepper… and nothing else. No marinades, no rubs, no extra flavors. Because I was raised with that concept, I sometimes twisted my nose at American barbecue, particularly those in which the meat is suffocated by seasonings.
Then one day I found myself in an Oklahoma rib joint, where I tried barbecued pork ribs for the first time, all sticky, messy, gooey and covered with a screaming-red barbecue sauce. I shook my head in disbelief – why mask the flavor of the meat with all that stuff? – but the first bite clarified the issue forever: barbecue sauce is awesome, funky, and sexy! It turned those ribs into a life-changing experience! Seriously, from that day forward I was hooked, and soon became a barbecue sauce snob. It has to be just right, without liquid smoke and without excessive sweetness. A little hickory flavor is acceptable, even desirable, as long as it’s subtle. For the most part the bottled, grocery store varieties fail my personal test. Instead I make my own sauce and exclusively use it on pork ribs. It’s a match like Romeo and Juliet.
OVEN-BARBECUED RIBS
(adapted from Easy Basics for Good Cooking, 1987)
2 slabs of pork ribs (baby back or spareribs)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced (no need to peel)
salt and pepper
juice of the lemon
for the barbecue sauce
1 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp paprika (smoked, if available)
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp chili powder (hot)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs (use a paper towel to grab it and it should peel off easily). Place the ribs on a rimmed baking dish, cover it with the lemon and onion slices, season with salt and pepper, and squeeze the lemon juice all over. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours at 300F.
Meanwhile make the barbecue sauce by mixing all ingredients in a saucepan and bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while. If not using the sauce right away, refrigerate.
When the ribs are baked, remove the aluminum foil, discard the lemon and onion slices, and any liquid accumulated in the bottom of the baking pan. Brush a good amount of barbecue sauce all over the ribs and either refrigerate for a day or two, or proceed with the final cooking right away.
To finish the ribs in the oven, place them in a 425 F lightly covered with aluminum foil, for 45 minutes. They will look like this at the end of the baking time. Uncover, brush a little more barbecue sauce on top of the ribs, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned on top. You can also finish them in a medium grill until cooked to your liking. Serve the ribs with additional barbecue sauce on the side.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: People may split into two camps when it comes to barbecued ribs: those who want their meat falling off the bone, and those who prefer to work a little hard and nibble the meat from the bone. I’m part of the first group. Life is hard enough, and I want my ribs (rather, the pig’s) tender. 😉 If you’re on my team, then these ribs are almost all that you need for your 4th of July dinner. Close the deal with this dessert, and you are in for a memorable meal!
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ONE YEAR AGO: A Golden Sandwich Bread
TWO YEARS AGO: Ossobuco Milanese
Coming back home to our kitchen was wonderful, of course, but coming back to my 6 shelves of cookbooks was almost as good! Whenever I got tired of unpacking and organizing stuff, I would take a “cookbook-break” – not really opening any of them to avoid getting too distracted, but just looking at the titles and trying to remember my favorite recipes inside. That led me to the shocking realization that quite a few books remain “uncooked from.” One of my goals – which I intend to take without pressure – is to bring them to life in our kitchen. The first one was The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, a colorful, fun book written by Jaden Hair. I’ve had it for a couple of years, inside I found a small card with quite a few page numbers market “to try soon.” No one can say I lack good intentions. 😉
KOREAN BARBECUE-STYLE BURGER
(adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook)
1 + 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 Tsp finely minced garlic
2 Tbs minced ginger
2 + 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
2 + 1/2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs finely minced green onions
3 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns
for the pickled veggies
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 cup matchstick cut cucumber
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
4 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
Mix the ground beef with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, green onion, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Try to mix it gently, but incorporating the ingredients well. Divide the mixture in 4 equal portions and shape them as patties, making a small indentation in the center, as you see in this photo. Let the meat rest while you prepare the quick veggie pickle by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Wait 5-10 minutes and the pickle will be ready.
Cook the hamburger on a hot grill or on a frying pan with a little oil, for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with the carrot-cucumber pickle and other toppings of your choice.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: My main modification in the recipe was to reduce a little the amount of garlic – in case you didn’t notice, we tend to use garlic with a lot more restraint than most cooks – and also the amount of ginger. In her recipe, she used 3 tablespoons of ginger and we both thought even 2 Tbs was a little much, the ginger taste is quite pronounced. If you are more of a purist when it comes to tasting the meat first, consider reducing it further. The hamburger turns out moist, succulent, the brown sugar/soy imparts a beautiful color.
I had to refrain from eating the pickled carrot/cucumber by the spoonful. Loved it! It goes perfectly with the burger. If you find good quality kimchi, consider that as a topping too.
Summer is hamburger season by definition, and the 4th of July is right at the corner, so this could be a nice change of pace for the usual burger, celebrating the melting pot of cultures this country is all about!
ONE YEAR AGO: A twist on pesto
TWO YEARS AGO: When life gives you chard…
Bewitching Kitchen 
