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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Cakey)
My favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie is cakey and thick. It is a chewy and warm and can reliably be purchased at Levain's Bakery in New York City. In my twenty-three year life span, I have endeavored several dozen recipes to achieve this end at home. But over the weekend, when I made scones, it occurred to me that I might adapt that scone recipe to create a cookie of a similar consistency.
The key to maintaining the shape? Using butter that is extremely cold. And using much less butter than the canonical Toll House recipe.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice butter into edamame-sized pieces, then stick it in the freezer.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until fluffy.
- Rub the butter into the dry ingredients quickly using your fingertips until no pieces larger than a pea remain.
- Add the cream and egg to the dry ingredients, and mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips, and knead a few times if necessary.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop even sized portions of cookie dough onto the parchment paper, leaving about 1.5 inches of space in between each scoop of dough.
- When you put the baking sheet in the oven, lower the temperature to 375.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and firm.
- Enjoy.
25 minutes prep time, 1 hour total. Makes 16 cookies.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach, etc.
When I was living in California, a friend told me that she only made pasta dishes that were mostly not pasta. Her saying this came as a revelation. Using pasta as a vehicle for more nutritious ingredients, like vegetables and proteins, not only removes the negative connotations around an otherwise carb-heavy dish but also transforms the meal into something more balanced. What a notion.
Today was cold and windy, and I wanted something relatively healthy that didn't take too much time to prepare: butternut squash ravioli with spinach, toasted almonds, and sautéed garlic. And while I used much more raw spinach than uncooked pasta, the spinach wilted down so much that the volume ratio ended up being almost 1:1. Anyway, it was delicious.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 box of refrigerated butternut squash ravioli (I used one from Trader Joe's.)
- 1 tbs of salt (+ a bit more for sprinkling)
- 2 tbs of olive oil
- 2 tbs. of sliced almonds
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lb. of baby spinach (Make sure the spinach is fully dried after washing.)
- Optional: Parmesan cheese and a dash of pepper
Directions:
- Set a pot of water to boil. Add the salt.
- Chop the garlic cloves into pieces about the size of a pea.
- In a sauce pan, combine the olive oil, almonds, and garlic. Sprinkle with salt. Set on medium high heat. Swirl around with a wooden spoon.
- When the pot of water is boiling, add the ravioli to it.
- When the garlic and almonds begin to brown, add the spinach to the pan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cover with a lid. Leave it covered for 1 full minute.
- After 1 minute, remove the lid from the pan, and incorporate the spinach, almonds, and garlic with a wooden spoon.
- When the pasta is done (reference the box's directions for cook time), drain the pasta and add the ravioli to the sauce pan.
- Cook over low medium heat for about a minute.
- Add cheese, pepper, and salt as desired.
- Serve.
30 minutes total time. Feeds 2.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
White Russian Scones
When you have a dozen leftover white chocolate strawberry “ghosts” from your spooky Halloween dinner party, que faire? For me, on a cold rainy gray day, the answer was obvious: white chocolate strawberry scones, warm-out-of-the-oven, bright, delicious nuggets of perfection that would brighten my day and lift my Halloweengria hangover.
The recipe follows, but the success of this late morning breakfast-in-bed treat taught me how well desserts can be repurposed. And this kind of thinking leads to boundless possibilities of creative and delicious weekend breakfasts.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 eggs (1 for the dough, 1 for an egg wash)
A dozen white chocolate covered strawberries OR 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 12 strawberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice butter into edamame-sized pieces, then stick it in the freezer.
- Dice strawberries and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until fluffy.
- Rub the butter into the dry ingredients quickly using your fingertips until no pieces larger than a pea remain.
- Add the cream and egg and mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Fold in the strawberry chunks and knead a few times if necessary, but DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH.
- Lay parchment paper on your cookie tray before adding the scone dough
- Pat the dough into an inch-thick circle.
- Beat remaining egg and gently brush over the dough.
- Cut into eight equal wedges, then gently separate the individual scones, leaving an inch of space between them.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and firm.
25 minutes prep time, 1 hour total. Makes 8 scones.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
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