THREE DELICIOUS BAKES


These three recipes are absolutely delicious, I cannot pick the top favorite, no matter how much thought I put into it. I will list them in the order they materialized in my kitchen, over the past couple of months. Each recipe has some interesting twist that makes it special. They are available online, so I provide you the links to the original author, because giving credit matters!

BAKE #1
HERMIT BARS WITH LEMON GLAZE


RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

If you are into spiced cookies, this is THE most delicious bar concoction you will ever taste. Period. I have made Hermit cookies in the past, but this bar format with the lemon glaze on top is infinitely better. I urge you to try it. As usual, Helen’s instructions are absolutely spot on. The bar component bakes beautifully, it will end up with the perfect height to welcome the luscious lemony topping.

All flavors go together beautifully and the texture is also wonderful. I cannot recommend this recipe enough! Please make it…

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BAKE #2
STRAWBERRY CURD BROWNIE BITES WITH MERINGUE

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

Look at those cutie pies! Or should I say cutie-brownies instead? The twist in this recipe is the topping, a strawberry curd… OMG that is to die for! I advise you to make the curd the day before, then the recipe is super easy. The brownie component calls for almond flour, which gives it a very nice texture and slightly more complex taste. Adding the meringues on top is a cute detail that you can skip if you like to simplify it. My only change from the recipe as published by Amisha, was to make the meringues separately – I used a Swiss meringue recipe for that, and just placed them on top of the brownies while they were still a tad warm.

Above you see some of the steps involved to make this delicious concoction…

To make them, I used this silicone pan, which was also used for the other brownie in this post. It makes for a super polished final look.

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BAKE #3
ANNA OLSON’S FUDGE BROWNIES WITH SALTED PECANS

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

What makes this recipe special is definitely the addition of the pecans, both in the brownie batter and to top each little square. Do not omit the flake salt, it definitely works a special kind of magic here. I have made this recipe years ago, but now I found it available online and feel it is ok to share. It is from one of her great cookbooks, Bake with Anna Olson, which I bought in 2018 (according to my amazon records!).

I am obviously in love with my little brownie pan, and use it often. If you’ve missed it, I included the link to get it in the previous recipe.

Thank you Helen, Amisha and Anna for three absolutely great recipes!

ONE YEAR AGO: Banana Bread from the Experts

TWO YEARS AGO: Shrimp Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cashews

THREE YEARS AGO: Pickled-Roasted Chickpeas with Cashew Cream

FOUR YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Star from England in the Bewitching Kitchen

SIX YEARS AGO: Hommage to the Sun

SEVEN YEARS AGO:The Fabulous Three
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EIGHT YEARS AGO: Turkey-Chorizo Burger with Green Chile Dressing
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NINE YEARS AGO:Taco Salad
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TEN YEARS AGO: Semolina Sourdough Boule
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ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Forgive me, for I have sinned
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TWELVE YEARS AGOCracked Wheat Sandwich Bread
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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:  Au Revoir, my Bewitching Kitchen
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FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:French Bread

HERMIT COOKIES

If you expect me to stick with the usual type of posts published by most food bloggers in January, I shall now disappoint you. I have a cookie post to share. And a great one. The recipe comes from Geoffrey Zakarian, which pretty much means it is going to be awesome. If there is one chef I’d like to sit down and chat with, is GZ. He seems like a nice person, and extremely knowledgeable about food. This is one of his favorite cookies, by the way, which shows we have at least a couple of things in common: a passion for spice cookies, and allowing our hair to go totally gray. HA!

Hermit Cookies

HERMIT COOKIES
(from Geoffrey Zakarian)

Yield: about 18 cookies

for the cookies:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 for the glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 large egg whites
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and ginger in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, eggs and orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until incorporated. Add the spiced flour mixture and beat until the dough just comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into large balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) and refrigerate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until firm, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the cookies until the tops of the hermits are no longer glossy and the edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

For the glaze: While the cookies cool, mix the confectioners’ sugar, egg whites and vanilla seeds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and shiny. Transfer the glaze to a piping bag or zip lock bag with a corner cut, and pipe stripes onto the cooled hermits. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

hermitcomposite

Comments:  Let me share what GZ has to say about these babies: “This is my favorite holiday cookie, because it blends two of my favorites: soft chocolate chip cookies and spicy gingerbread — the best of both worlds.”  I totally agree.

Did you know that Hermit cookies have been around since 1877? Amazing!  The name is a big mystery, actually.  They were also known as tea cakes, made traditionally as little squares. You can read all about them here. Hermit cookies are soft the way I like, spicy, sweet, and the glaze goes perfectly with them, although I am sure the glaze is a modern take on the original recipe. I normally like a plain cookie, but must admit the extra work for the glaze pays off in this recipe.

Hermit Cookies2

The holiday season is over, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with baking a batch of spice cookies when the mood strikes… You?

😉

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