MISO CARAMEL CRACKER COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

If you like salty-sweet things, these are for you. If you are not into baking, or – dare I say – if you describe yourself as a total bake-o-phobe, these are for you. No baking involved. A little stirring, a little melting, a lot of fun. Beware: they are addictive!

MISO CARAMEL CRACKER COOKIES
(from Molly Yeh)

11 ounces store-bought caramels (Like these)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 + 1/2 tablespoons miso paste
About 2 1/2 sleeves butter crackers, such as Ritz (about 72 crackers)
8 ounces chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips (see my comments)
Sprinkles, for topping

In a medium pot, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Heat over medium low, stirring, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 7 minutes. Stir in the miso and remove from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes, so the caramel can thicken slightly.

Arrange half of the crackers salty-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment and drop about 1 teaspoon caramel per cracker. Top each with another cracker salty-side up. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a double boiler or a microwave in 30-second increments, melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.

Dip the crackers halfway into the chocolate and place back on the baking sheet. Add sprinkles. Let set in the refrigerator or at room temperature until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These got super nice reviews from our departmental colleagues. You can change the caramel by omitting the miso, adding orange, or anything you might fancy. Maybe use white chocolate to coat and different types of sprinkles. But the combination of miso caramel with the dark chocolate and the crackers is hard to beat. To coat, I used a 50:50 mixture of bittersweet chocolate with compound chocolate, which gives a little more smoothness to the coating and also tends to dry harder than untempered chocolate would. Feel free to temper chocolate if you prefer, or use any coating you like. The soft caramel with a hint of salt from the miso goes very well with the cracker and the intense chocolate coating. Truly delicious!

If you are looking for something to take for a potluck party, or to serve to friends watching a football game, or to sweeten up your book club reading, consider making a batch.

ONE YEAR AGO: Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival

TWO YEARS AGO: Almond-Raspberry Triangles and a Special Cookbook Review

THREE YEARS AGO: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

FOUR YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower Salad over Hummus

FIVE YEARS AGO: Queen of Sheba

SIX YEAR AGO: Brunch Burger

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Mango Salsa with Verjus

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Raspberry Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Brownies

NINE YEARS AGO: Scary Good Pork Burgers

TEN YEARS AGO: Review of exercise program Focus25

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

8Aug2023

ALMOND-CRANBERRY SANDWICH COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

I am deeply enamored with these cookies. Think Linzer wearing a different outfit… You will need a special ingredient, that can be found here.

ALMOND-CRANBERRY SANDWICH COOKIES
(adapted from Selefina website)

FOR THE COOKIE
226g butter, room temperature
50g sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon (cassia), ground
1 tablespoon cranberry juice powder (from Selefina)
250g all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
50g almond flour
¼ tsp salt

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FILLING
60g butter, softened
160g powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cranberry juice powder

Make the cookie:
Using an electric mixer, cream the room temperature butter with the sugar. Once combined and smooth, add in the egg and vanilla. Stir again.

In a separate bowl whisk together the remainder of the ingredients. Once mixed, add the dry into the creamed butter mixture. Mix only until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then chill for about 20 minutes. After the dough has had time to chill, remove it from the plastic wrap and roll it over parchment paper in the thickness you prefer for sandwich cookies, I like to go reasonably thin. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out your circles and transfer them onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Then go back and cut out a smaller whole in the center of just half your cookies. Freeze the unbaked cookies for 10 minutes before baking at 350F for 8-12 minutes.

Make the buttercream: In an electric mixer, whip the butter and then slowly add the powdered sugar at a low speed. Add in the vanilla, then some milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Whip on high speed to add air into the buttercream for just a minute or so. Then slowly add the cranberry powder until you get your desired pink color.

Assemble the cookies: To assemble, add the buttercream into a pastry bag with a 1M tip and pipe it onto the bottom cookie pieces. Before you add the tops on, make a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and cranberry power to dust over the top cookies. Once they’re dusted pink gently press them onto the buttercream/cookie.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I never thought of showcasing a filling for sandwich cookies using a star icing tip to pipe a rose, but now I think it is one great way to do it. Of course, you cannot make it with jam, but it is pretty straightforward to whip up a little buttercream, and I believe totally worth it. Selefina has many interesting powders for sale. I have cranberry, butterfly pea flower, and mango. Stay tuned to see them in baked goodies soon!

The recipe for these cookies is found in their website but I modified it to use a lot less of the cranberry juice powder. It seemed excessive to almost empty my bottle to make a batch of cookies. The cranberry flavor came through bright and clear the way I did it, so I am happy with the way they turned out.

ONE YEAR AGO: Brazilian Candy, Surpresa de Uva

TWO YEARS AGO: Red Quinoa “Tabbouleh”

THREE YEARS AGO: Cucumber Salad with Yogurt-Harissa Dressing

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato and Feta Cheese Torte

FIVE YEARS AGO: Hickory-Smoked Beef Tenderloin

SIX YEAR AGO: Spaghetti Squash, Revisited

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Stir-fried Chicken and Cabbage in Spicy Almond Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Fifteen Years!

NINE YEARS AGO: Light Brioche Burger Buns

TEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Blues

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Headed to Hawaii

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Hidden Treasure

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Avocado Three Ways

23Jan2023

ALMOND-RASPBERRY SANDWICH COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

THIS IS MY 1,600^th POST!

These are fun to make and even more fun to share, as they will bring a smile to those on the receiving end. Sprinkles are optional, but how could I think of skipping them?

ALMOND-RASPBERRY SANDWICH COOKIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for cookies:
240 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
75 grams sugar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
raspberry jam to fill the cookie sandwiches

for chocolate coating:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoons unrefined coconut oil
Sprinkles, for decorating

Heat oven to 350F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Reserve. Cream the butter with the sugar in a KitchenAid type mixer with the paddle attachment in low-speed. Add the agave nectar and incorporate. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until light and smooth. Add the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 2-inch lines, spaced 1-inch apart. If the dough is too stiff to pipe comfortably, protect the metal tip with a paper towel and microwave the whole bag in increments of 10 seconds, until it is soft enough to pipe, but be very careful and do not allow any of the dough to melt. It might be safer to use the microwave at 50% power. Bake until the cookies are set on top and golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, match cookies of similar size and fill with a small amount of jam.

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave in 15 second increments. Dip the lower part of the cookies in the chocolate letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle with the sprinkles. Lay back on a parchment lined baking sheet and place the cookies in the refrigerator to let the chocolate fully set, which will happen quite quickly.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Let me just reinforce what is the most important thing to consider in the recipe: if you try to squeeze the bag and it is too hard, STOP. Cover the metal tip with a paper towel and place the whole thing in the microwave, 50% power, for 10 seconds. Massage the bag, test to see if it is easier to pipe, if it isn’t do it again. Do not give yourself grievance and a sore hand. Just make sure you don’t warm the dough too much, and all will be fine. It must be easy to pipe, but still form the ridges of the open star tip.

These cookies are a little bit of work, but not too bad, and the pay-off is huge! The delicate almond flavor pairs well with the raspberry jam, and of course…. chocolate! Make it on a weekend when you are in that great Zen mode, and you will thank me later…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cole-Slaw with Almond Dressing

TWO YEARS AGO: Busy Bee Sugar Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Mincemeat Pies, when the third time is a charm

FOUR YEARS AGO: Shibari Bread]

FIVE YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four – January 2018

SIX YEARS AGO: Two Salads and a Blog Award!

SEVEN YEARS AGO: When Three is Better than Two

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Somebody Stop Me!

NINE YEARS AGO: Zucchini Pasta with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto

TEN YEARS AGO: Bran Muffins, Take Two

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Mogo Mojo

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Slow-Roasted Chicken Thighs: an Ice-Breaker

29Jul2022

A TRIO OF SUPERSTARS

Posted in Cake, Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Today my blog pays homage to three amazing bakers who put great effort into each post they compose. Their blog articles end up as detailed tutorials that allow even a beginner baker to tackle what might seem very intimidating at first. I share three recipes, in the chronological order I baked them in the past couple of months.

SUPERSTAR BAKER #1
HELEN FLETCHER
BLUEBERRY LEMON POKE CAKE

BLUEBERRY LEMON POKE CAKE

One of the tastiest cakes baked in our kitchen, and I am not exaggerating. Moist. Sweet to the perfect level. Luscious. Everything works in this cake. For the recipe and very detailed tutorial, visit Helen’s blog with a click here. You will make a blueberry jam to fill the cake, and I advise you to give enough time to allow it to set a bit, just to make it easier to work with…. Below, a little comparison between Helen’s neat work and yours truly… my jam was still bit too loose. No major harm done, though, I just thought it was funny to share.

Helen’s site and her cookbooks are a constant source of inspiration for me. Plus, she is tremendously helpful and whenever I get into trouble I drop her an email. She has rescued me more than once. A lot more than once (wink, wink).

Every once in a while, Helen offers online classes, and I’ve taken a couple of them. One of my favorites was last year, in which she taught how to make Chocolate Tartlets with a caramel filling. A thing of pure beauty and absolutely decadent! Make sure to subscribe to her blog, so you get notification of upcoming classes.

SUPERSTAR BAKER #2
CAROLINE
RED VELVET OREO STYLE SANDWICH COOKIES

RED VELVET OREO STYLE SANDWICH COOKIES

Absolutely delicious, you can make them without the cutouts if you’d like to simplify your life, but of course turning them into Linzer territory is not a bad move at all! For the full recipe click here. I made a very slightly modification adding strawberry extract to the filling and a touch of pink gel color. Other than that, I followed her recipe to a T.

You can modify the filling, use jam, or Nutella, the cookies are very flavorful and will be perfect no matter your choice of filling. Caro has countless baking lessons in her site, I highly recommend you pay her a visit and subscribe to be notified of new posts. Caroline is one of the moderators of a Facebook group with almost 18 thousand members, for lovers The Great British Bake Off, and that’s how I got to know her. I don’t know how she manages to do all she does…

SUPERSTAR BAKER #3
TANYA OTT
RED VELVET CAKE DONUTS

As you can see, I’ve been on a red velvet kick lately. These are spectacular and simple to make, especially if you follow the detailed instructions and the very helpful video available in Tanya’s blog. Essentially two bowls, no need for an electric mixer until you get into frosting territory.

Another example of a great baking instructor, Tanya’s articles are always carefully composed, and I am in awe of the amount of work she puts into the making of each of the videos often included in her posts. In case you don’t know, Tanya was one of the contestants in season 5 of The Great American Baking Show, and I shared the tent with her a few times. She even got a handshake from a certain guy with penetrating blue eyes…

That’s all for now, folks! I hope you visit my friends’ sites, and get as inspired
by their baking as I do…

ONE YEAR AGO: Turkey Meatloaf

TWO YEARS AGO: Prue Leith’s Smoked Salmon and Beetroot Blinis

THREE YEARS AGO: Mandioca Frita 101

FOUR YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Raspberry Dome Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

SIX YEARS AGO: Pickled Red Onions

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Mini-Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

NINE YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Grated Tomato Sauce

TEN YEARS AGO: A Taste of Yellow to Honor Barbara

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Gratin of Beefsteak Tomatoes

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Tour de France Final Stage: PARIS

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Snickerdoodles with a Twist

6May2022

A TRIO OF COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

As you may remember, I have a blog dedicated exclusively for cookies (click here), but it does not include recipes. It is a venue to document my path through cookie decorating. Come to think of it, check out my 3D macs that were published yesterday...) When I try a new, blog-worthy recipe, it will be shared right here. Today I offer you three recipes, all from bloggers I follow and love. They are listed in chronological order, the last one I made last weekend.

SPRITZ BARS
(from Helen Fletcher)

I made these cookies in October last year, and they were a huge hit. The instructions in Helen’s site are super detailed, and you’ll end up with little cookies that look very professional, uniform in size, the type of bake that makes me think of a certain tent of my past. For the full recipe, visit this post. I just love the use of Swedish pearl sugar.

CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
(by Tanya Ott)

When Tanya raves about a sugar cookie, I listen. She knows her cookies well… The addition of cream cheese tames the sweetness and gives it a wonderful texture. She mentioned they hold the shape well – notice the recipe does not call for leavening agents – so I put it to a harsh test, using a patterned rolling pin. As you can see, the recipe passed the test with no issues! This batch was made in November last year, right after Tanya blogged about it (for the full recipe, click here)

The cookies would be perfect without any adornment, but I could not resist brushing a little pink luster dust and then some pearl. Just because…

TOFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH BROWN BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FILLING
(from Josette, TheBrookCook)

If you read Josette’s post about it, you’ll understand why I jumped on making them right away. I was intrigued by the use of Toffee bits in the dough. Works like a charm. And the combination of cookie plus brown butter buttercream is outstanding. Make them, you won’t be disappointed. I changed the decoration to a drizzle of chocolate, but check her version for the authentic recipe (click here).