108 ASIAN COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

I am totally in love with this cookbook! I have a soft spot for baking that is not overly sweet, which might sound strange, as I bake so many sugar cookies, macarons, and cupcakes. But a recipe that calls for adding miso to a cookie gets me dreaming. Salted caramel? Same thing. This is actually my second cookbook from Kat Lieu, and I think both would be a great Christmas gift for bakers (wink, wink).

To order 108 Asian Cookies, click here

To order Modern Asian Baking, click here

Without further ado, here is a wonderfully delicious recipe for Masala Macaroons…

MASALA MACAROONS
(published with permission from 108 Asian Cookies)

One 14-ounce (396 g) can sweetened condensed milk
1 ripe small banana, mashed
1 teaspoon red miso
One 14-ounce (396 g) bag unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
About ⅓ cup (60 g) semisweet chocolate chips, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon neutral oil
Sea salt flakes, for garnish
Sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix the condensed milk, mashed banana, and miso until combined. Add the shredded coconut, garam masala, cardamom, and ginger and mix until well combined and the dough can hold itself together.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of batter for each macaroon and place on the prepared baking sheet. Keep their rounded mound shapes and give each about 1 inch of space. Bake all the macaroons until the edges are crispy and golden brown and the tops are lightly toasted, 16 to 18 minutes.

Let the macaroons set on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. While the macaroons are cooling, combine the chocolate chips and oil in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the bottoms of the cooled macaroons into the melted chocolate. Place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheets to set. Drizzle additional melted chocolate on top of each macaroon. Before the chocolate sets completely, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt and sprinkles on top of each macaroon.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These were superb, I confess to stealing one from the donation box and being happy that I did… If you don’t like coconut, of course these are not for you, but if you love them, be ready for a treat! Easy to make, rich and luscious, one will satisfy your sweet tooth, but the spices and miso tone it down substantially. Truly special… You need them in your life.

As a teaser, these are chocolate chip cookies described by Kat as Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever. They take Ovaltine, molasses and miso. To die for, honestly. You need these cookies and this cookbook in your life.

Big thank you to Kat for allowing me to share this recipe today!

ONE YEAR AGO: Three Little Cookies for the Holidays

TWO YEARS AGO: Two Festive Cakes, Part One

THREE YEARS AGO: Broccoli Slaw Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

FOUR YEARS AGO: Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Green Tea Rice with Edamame and Butternut Squash

SIX YEARS AGO: Santa Hat Mini-Mousse Cakes

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Fun with Sourdough

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pasteis de Nata

NINE YEARS AGO: New Mexico Pork Chile, Crockpot Version

TEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate on Chocolate

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Story of my first Creme Brulle’

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Mini-rolls

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Focaccia with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

10Dec2024

THREE LITTLE COOKIES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

The holiday season is all about baking, so today I offer three ideas for cookies that may not be on your radar. I start with a recipe recently shared by the baking queen extraordinaire, Helen Fletcher.

SERBIAN WALNUT COOKIES

SERBIAN WALNUT COOKIES
(from Helen Fletcher’s blog)

for the filling:
¾ cup apricot preserves
1 ½ teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

for the cookies:
1 cup walnuts (114 grams)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
1 cup + 1 T granulated sugar (75 grams)
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (175 grams)
2 cups powdered sugar (260 grams)

Make the filling, if you prefer, a few days in advance. Place the apricot preserves in the bowl of a processor. Process until smooth. Dissolve the gelatin in the vinegar in a very small bowl. Heat the preserves just to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Tear the gelatin into about 6 pieces and immediately add it to the hot preserves. Wait for a minute or two until you can see the gelatin has liquified. Stir it into the preserves. Transfer to a small container and refrigerate until needed.

Make the cookies: Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minuts until fragrant and slightly browned. Cool completely. When cool, place the walnuts and flour in the bowl of a processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground and instinguishable. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until light. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat on low just until completely incorporated. The dough should be good to roll out but if it is too soft, refrigerate briefly. Place the dough between two large pieces of waxed or parchment paper. Roll the dough to abut ¼” thick. With a 1 ½” round cutter, cut the cookies out, keeping them close together.

Remove the top piece of waxed paper and, keeping the cookies on the bottom pieces of paper, transfer the whole thing to a baking sheet. Freeze until rock hard. When frozen, punch them out and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes from the frozen state until lightly browned and firm. Cool completely.

Assemble the cookies: Stir the filling vigorously to smooth it out. Turn half the cookies upside down and fill with about ¾ teaspoon apricot filling. Place the tops on the cookies. Allow the filled cookie to set up on a rack overnight to tighten the filling. Store in an airtight container for a week or 10 days.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These cookies are so delicious that they can stand on their own without the filling: nutty, great texture, not too sweet. I advise you to stop by Helen’s site so you can see all the detailed pictures and step by step instructions. I love the way she adds gelatin to a store-bough concoction to make it perfectly set in the sandwich cookie. I don’t like fillings that ooze out when you hold or bite into the cookie. She definitely knows all the great tricks in the baking world… I omitted the showering with powdered sugar, as they are easier to box and share without the sugar coating. Excellent cookies, make sure to give this recipe a try. As I’ve said many times over the years, you cannot go wrong baking with Helen!

BLUEBERRY SWIRL MERINGUE COOKIES

BLUEBERRY SWIRL MERINGUE COOKIES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

120g egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
200 g sugar (about 1 cup)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla paste
blueberry jam, about 1 cup

Heat oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on low to combine, then turn the speed up to medium and whip until frothy. With the mixer is still running, add the sugar in small increments. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the speed up to high and whip until the meringue is glossy, thick, and holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the cornstarch and vanilla on top and fold gently to combine. Divide the meringue into 12 equal rounds, using a cookie or ice cream scoop or two spoons. Spoon a small amount of blueberry jam on top of the meringue and use a chopstick to gently swirl it. Bake the meringues for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool gradually inside the oven for another hour. Store leftover meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These are pretty amazing, and you can add different jams and I imagine it would work well with Nutella also! Make them big, I think they turn out better this way.

BISCOCHITOS

BISCOCHITOS
(from The New York Times)

½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (116 grams) yellow masa or finely ground yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons rum or brandy (optional)

FOR THE TOPPING:
½ cup (100 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Small pinch of coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat softened butter with sugar on medium-high until well combined, about 2 minutes.
While butter is creaming, toast the anise seeds in a small skillet on medium heat for 30 to 35 seconds until fragrant, just to open up the flavor. Transfer to a mortar and pestle, or crush under a heavy pan, and grind to medium fine.

Add the egg, toasted anise seed, orange zest and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat for 2 to 3 more minutes, scraping the sides, until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, masa, baking powder and salt.

In two additions, with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until well combined but crumbly. Add rum or brandy, if using, and beat for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the dough comes fully together.

Place the cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out evenly to ¼- to ½-inch thickness. Freeze for at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. The cookies will keep a sharper shape depending on how cold they are when they go into the oven.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the cinnamon sugar topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Once the oven is at temperature, remove the dough from the freezer, remove the top parchment layer and cut the dough with a cookie cutter into your preferred shapes, such as stars. Gather any dough scraps and combine them into a disk. Roll and repeat the cookie-cutting process, chilling as necessary. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or with parchment. Transfer cut cookies, spacing 1 inch apart, to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with the cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets after 8 minutes, until the cookies are light brown around the edges but still pale in the center, 13 to 15 minutes total. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These are very unusual and quite addictive. I was surprised by how sharp the edges turned out even though there is quite a bit of baking powder in the recipe, made me wonder about adding a touch of masa harina to sugar cookies and see what happens. A friend of mine made this recipe and it turned out hard to roll out, very crumbly, so if that happens to you, add some milk to the dough to make it smoother. Probably less than a tablespoon is all you’ll need. I love their flavor and texture, I hope you also give this recipe a try during the holidays, they are perfect to include in a cookie box, as they are quite sturdy and last well. at room temperature.

ONE YEAR AGO: Two Festive Cakes, Part One

TWO YEARS AGO: Broccoli Slaw Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

THREE YEARS AGO: Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake

FOUR YEARS AGO: Green Tea Rice with Edamame and Butternut Squash

FIVE YEARS AGO: Santa Hat Mini-Mousse Cakes

SIX YEARS AGO: Fun with Sourdough

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pasteis de Nata

EIGHT YEARS AGO: New Mexico Pork Chile, Crockpot Version

NINE YEARS AGO: Chocolate on Chocolate

TEN YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Story of my first Creme Brulle’

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Mini-rolls

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Focaccia with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

17Aug2024

SHIROI KOIBITO BISCUITS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

I’ve flirted with the idea of making these Japanese cookies for a long time, but finally took a deep breath and went for it. I consider this project a work in progress because there is room for improvement. And also, there are so many other shapes and options of fillings to make them. BUT the most traditional kind is Shiroi Koibito, that translates as White Lover. So the biscuit is white and the filling is a square of white chocolate. The filling is never spread inside but instead it is formed using the exact same mold that the biscuit component was formed with (I used the square one from this set). Such a cute concept!

SHIROI KOIBITO BISCUITS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

50 g softened butter
50 g powdered sugar
50 g all-purpose or pastry flour
1 egg white
100 g white chocolate for the filling

Heat oven to 350F.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until soft, gradually add in the powdered sugar, egg white and flour. Mix until you get a smooth batter.

Spread the batter onto a square chablon stencil placed on a baking tray lined with silicone mat, or parchment paper (I prefer silicone mat). Use a dough scraper to remove the excess dough. Lift the stencil carefully. Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes until the edges become slightly golden.

Temper the white chocolate then pour on the same chablon stencil (washed and fully dried). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set completely. Remove the chocolate squares from the stencil and assemble the chocolate square on the cookies with some melted chocolate.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The trickiest part of this recipe is baking the squares homogeneously. It is easy to get some a bit too dark whereas others are not yet there. But removing them as they get ready is not feasible, they are too delicate to lift while warm. So maybe turning the baking sheet around more often is going to help. I will try it soon. Many recipes I’ve seen around omit tempering the chocolate, but I advise you to bite the bullet an temper it, or else use compound chocolate to make life easier. I don’t have much luck trying to melt white chocolate in the microwave and keep it at temper, both me and the chocolate and up losing it. If you have that skill, go for it!

This is the exact same dough used to make the famous French cookie called Langue de Chat (Cat’s Tongue). They are delicate, crunchy, thin, and delicious. I can hardly wait to make Shiroi Koibito again!

ONE YEAR AGO: Mini-Cakes, Two Ways
TWO YEARS AGO: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
THREE YEARS AGO: Summertime Macaron Duet
FOUR YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie Dressed up for Party
FIVE YEARS AGO: Five-Stranded Bread
SIX YEARS AGO: Green Olive Salad
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Coffee Macarons Dressed up to Party
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus
NINE YEARS AGO: Tomato Tatin
TEN YEARS AGO: Headed to Colorado!
ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Farofa Brasileira
TWELVE YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Summer’s Tomatoes
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

21Sep2023

A BOUQUET OF MACARONS

Posted in macarons by sallybr

Last month I was minding my own business when my friend Vy sent me a message with a little macaron-design-teaser. This amazing baker – check her page here – shared some carnation macarons that were simply spectacular, and Vy thought I should try to make them (don’t I have great friends????). I resisted for a while, but then decided to go for it. I attempted two floral designs, first using my regular French meringue method, but that did not work well. So I am sharing the exact recipe I used for both, a Swiss-meringue version that is slightly sturdier and performed better to hold shape. The tulip-shape template for piping was from this site. I used it for the larger, pink flowers, the others were free-hand over a circle shape.

MACARON FLOWERS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

100g almond flour
100g powdered sugar
100g egg whites
100g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pink, red, green gel food color

Process almond flour and powdered sugar in food processor, about 10 pulses, then pass through a sieve. Reserve.

Bring the sugar and egg whites to the top of a pan with simmering water and whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture feels smooth if you rub your fingers into it, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer it to a KitchenAid bowl and whisk on medium-high until the meringue form solid peaks that fold just slightly as you hold the whisk up. This will take 8 to 12 minutes. Add vanilla. Add the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture, put the blade beater and mix for a few seconds. Mix a little more by hand, remove a small amount do dye green, and dye most of the meringue pink or red. Proceed to do the macaronage but do not take it as smooth as normally for regular macs, you need to hold it back so that the mixture is thicker and holds its shape when piped.

Place the red meringue in a piping bag fitted with a leaf icing tip (104 works well). Place the green meringue in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, maybe 1/4 inch.

Pipe petals in the shape you desire, then a little green stem. Do not bang the sheet. Let them fully dry until the surface is not moist at all. These need to dry more than round shells, or they will explode. Some cracks will happen, but they usually do not interfere too much with the design.

Fill the shells with the filling of your choice. I used raspberry buttercream (from this post, but regular butter instead of vegan).

Leave the macarons in the fridge for 24 hours before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The larger, pink version had a slight curve in the shape, so it is important that you print the template in two orientations, and then pipe half the shells in one particular way. The smaller, red flowers were symmetrical, so no need to worry about that.

The more you hold back the macaronage, the sharper the shape will be, and I could have made my batter slightly thicker, but it is hard to judge when to stop. I think it was a good compromise and I did not have that many cracks or explosions. All the shells were painted with a little luster powder and vodka but that step is of course optional. It is hard for me to leave cookies alone, as you know…..

If you enjoy making macarons, consider trying some alternative ways to pipe the batter, there are so many possibilities, I am thinking of autumn leaves next, so stay tuned!

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate-Hazelnut Tartlets

TWO YEARS AGO: Turkey Taco Salad

THREE YEARS AGO: Cheese and Pesto Emmer Roll-ups and Elaine’s Cookbook Review

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mango-Hazelnut Entremet Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lebanese Lentil Salad and a Cookbook Review

SIX YEARS AGO: Cottage Loaf

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Loaf with Cranberries and Walnuts

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sichuan Pork Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce

NINE YEARS AGO: Our Green Trip to Colorado

TEN YEARS AGO: Ditalini Pasta Salad

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

1Sep2023

GRUYERE CHEESE BISCUITS

Posted in Appetizers by sallybr

This is a totally different take on biscuits, first because they are savory, and second because they are made with one of those gadgets that press the dough out through a little disc with all sorts of cute patterns (mine is this one). I picked a simple one that results in a flower shape. The recipe comes from a blog I love, The View From Great Island, and you can check out her detailed post about it (with a video included) clicking here.

GRUYERE CHEESE BISCUITS
(from The View From Great Island)

8 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely shredded
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 tablespoons)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
215g all purpose flour

Heat oven to 350F.

Put the shredded cheese, soft butter, egg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse and then process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour in two batches, and process just until a soft dough comes together. Fill your cookie press according to your model’s instructions and insert the shape disk of your choice. Stamp the crackers onto a clean dry baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15-19 minutes, or until starting to turn golden on the surface. Let them rest on the pan for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve had that cookie press for a while, but had not yet used it. There is a learning curve in there, and I must confess I made a royal mess in the kitchen, even though no royal icing was involved. But I intend to use the press again in the very near future so that I get better at it. These biscuits have a melt in your mouth feeling, that’s why I decided to call them biscuits rather than crackers. I really liked them a lot, we offered them for guests at a get together in our place, they are perfect for appetizers with a glass of wine. Or for those so inclined La Croix, tangerine flavor (I am partial to that flavor, in case you want to know).