Category: Food
Japchae-Oppa! Korean-Style, Sexy Noodles, Op Op

Japchae-Oppa! Korean-Style, Sexy Noodles, Op Op

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I decided to throw a surprise birthday party for the hubby. Since it was an impromptu event, I kept it simple. Just a handful of friends on a Friday night to help him celebrate another year.  The menu included his favorites, cheesecake, apple pie, and sushi from our favorite place. Badabing, easy peasy-done.  Then I started to worry, what if folks don’t eat fish?  Then I thought, what if I don’t have enough food?  A cardinal sin…so I added a few more of his favorites, Korean short ribs, Galbi, Ceasar Salad, and Japchae, a delicious Korean noodle dish.

The Skinny on the Noods

Japchae is Wes’s favorite noodle dish.  It starts with sweet potato noodles also called glass noodles (당면 Dangmyeon) for their transparency.  The noodles have a bit more elasticity and bite than wheat pasta and absorb seasonings well.  Season the noodles with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar, which gives the noodles that characteristic delicious garlicky, sweet-salty flavor.

The beauty of this dish is its flexibility.  Serve Japchae as a simple side dish, banchan, or as a main dish made with protein and vegetables.  Vary the kinds of vegetables and protein, but always include shiitake mushrooms, yellow or red onions, and secret sauce (ok, not really a secret just the Korean quadfecta of soy, garlic, sugar, and sesame).

Beyond that, go CRAZY!

Add wood ears-fungi for crunch, carrots, spinach, zucchini, or watercress for veggies and chicken or beef for protein. Other additions include slices of fishcake and strips of scrambled egg.  Knock yourself out.

Wes’s birthday version included chicken, carrot, zucchini, wood ear mushrooms, and spinach.  Yummo.

The key to this dish is advanced prep work.  Julienne vegetables, cut chicken into bite-sized strips, and make the sauce.  Soak the noodles, shiitake mushrooms, and black fungus in water. The noodles should be soaked in room temp water for an hour or two, so start your prep early.  You could make this a vegetarian dish by omitting the protein and marinating sliced shiitake mushrooms or pressed tofu.

Korean Jap Chae

My go-to recipe for Japchae is from a favorite cookbook called Hawaii’s Aloha Recipes published by The Japanese Women’s Society of Honolulu.  My copy is food-stained, pages tattered, filled with handwritten notes.  In short, well worn and well-used.  It’s my favorite cookbook for down-home Hawaiian/Asian cooking. Wirebound with few photos, but filled with treasured family recipes and stories-books like this one were created by folks to raise money for their church, temple, or community.  A reflection of who we are and the foods we have eaten for generations.

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Aggie's Japchae, Oppa Korean-Style, Sexy Noodles Op Op

Classic Korean Noodle Dish, Japchae a family favorite
Course noodles, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword japchae

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of glass noodles sweet potato noodles
  • 1/2 pound flank steak or chicken cut into strips
  • 1 cup carrots julienned
  • 1 cup string beans French cut or zucchini strips
  • 1/2 cup yellow onions sliced
  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms soak in hot water until soft. Squeeze excess water, remove stem and julienned
  • 1/2 bunch watercress or spinach
  • 1/2 cup black fungus soaked and cut into strips
  • green onions

Seasoning for noodles:

  • 4 T soy sauce
  • 2 T sesame oil
  • 1.5 T granulated sugar
  • 1 T roasted sesame seeds
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Marinade for protein

  • 1/2 tsp fresh garlic minced
  • 2 T soy sauce
  • 3/4 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp prepared sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Soak noodles in room temp water for 1-2 hours until soft then drain. Alternatively boil for 7 minutes, drain and cool. Cut into 3-4 inch lengths. Set aside.
  • Cut beef or chicken or pork into strips. MIx seasonings and combine with protein. Set this aside too.
  • In a frying pan or wok, heat 1-2 T oil, add shredded carrots and fry just until tender. Don't overcook. Sprinkle with a little salt. Remove to plate.
  • Follow same procedure with zucchini or string beans. Add to plate with carrots.
  • In same wok, add 1 T oil and 1 tsp sesame oil, heat and add yellow onions, sir fry for approximately 1-2 minutes. Add chicken (beef), fry until half done, add mushrooms and wood ears and spinach, fry until meat is completely cooked.
  • Add noodles and sauce to wok, add carrots and zucchini to pan. Mix to combine.
  • Garnish with green onions and eggs.

Optional:

  • Fry 1 well beaten egg in an oil pan. Tilt pan to spread egg mixture into a thin sheet. Turn once. Remove and cool. Cut egg into thin strips.
  • Dish can be served warm or room temperature.
Rice Krispy Treats (Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun)

Rice Krispy Treats (Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun)

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Oh Snap

It’s the last day of January and in order to avoid total embarrassment… here is the last cookie to complete my 12 Days of Cookies list. I give you the stupid easy, childhood favorite- Rice Krispy Treats!  Wait, do not roll your eyes and think “lame”. This is not your mama’s, on the side of the Snap, Crackle and Pop box, recipe. This is Rice Krispy Treats with a twist that is not for the faint of heart.

Little Crackle

No, there isn’t booze in these treats.  The recipe comes by way of Smitten Kitchen (love that site).  I had been looking for a way to jazz up this childhood favorite (not just add multi-colored sprinkles) and bring a bit of pizazz to them.  I found a couple of recipes that were just crazy, too much stuff, too complicated, just yuk. At the end of the day, a riff on Rice Krispy Treats should still transport you back to the ones you ate as a kid but at the same time your brain should be going “holy cow-what did she do to these!”

The Pop

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…

SALTED BROWN BUTTER RICE KRISPY TREATS

Yep, the exact same ingredients as the original recipe plus a sprinkle of flaked salt and well, DOUBLE the amount of butter. Yep, mo’ buttah, mo’ betta.

And if that wasn’t enough, you kick it up another notch by browning the butter!  Great balls of butter!  You end up with a Rice Krispy treat that is gooey, sweet and salty, nutty and buttery.  YES, scream it from the rooftops, DOUBLE BUTTER!

Up your Krispy Game, reserve half the salt to sprinkle on the treats at the end.  Use Fleur de Sel or grey salt, your hipster friends will ooh and aah.  Oh, snap.

That’s it folks, cookie number 12. Drop the mic, done.

Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats
These went to a Bake Sale for a Bird Sanctuary that would be obliterated by Trump’s stupid wall. Jason renamed them Double Buttah “R-aah-ce”  (he’s from Tennessee!) Krispy Treats.
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Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats (Smitten Kitchen)

Not your mama's Rice krispy treats! Brown butter and more marshmallows madke these devilisly delicious
Course bar cookies, cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword rice krispies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter 4 ounces
  • 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon flake salt such as Fleur de Sel or Grey Salt or coarse kosher salt
  • 1 10 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows DO NOT BY FANCYSCHMANCY ONES, they don't work
  • 6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

Instructions

  • Butter a 9x9 inch square pan, set aside.
  • In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, The butter will begin to foam and the milk solids will start to brown. Watch it like a hawk, you don't want it to burn. It will smell nutty and toasty. Serious Eats has a great tutorial on brown butter
  • Remove pan from heat, add marshmallows and salt. Stir continuously until the marshmallows melt and blend with the butter into a homogenous mixture.
  • Add Rice Krispies and stir until well coated.
  • Pour into 9x9 inch prepared pan and press firmly to compress. If you want, decorate with Sprinkles on top.
  • Cool, run a knife around the perimeter of the rice krispies, invert pan and tap the bottom. The rice krispies should release fairly easily from the pan. Cut into approximately 2 inch squares.
  • Enjoy!
Want A Bakehouse Pecan BLONDIE – CALL ME

Want A Bakehouse Pecan BLONDIE – CALL ME

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I can see the light at the end of the tunnel…Cookie #11 and it’s a good one. Bakehouse Pecan Blondies from Zingerman’s Bakehouse Cookbook.

Ipso Fatto posted her review of these delicious Pecan Blondies which then began the usual dance in my head I like to call the Cookbook Tango.  Like mental Pong, do I or don’t I, should I or shouldn’t I?  Really, I don’t need another cookbook… but it looks so good. Well, I could “kick the tires” so to speak beforehand, try some of the recipes, see if I like it.  Okay, I’m gonna be tough and really scrutinize the book before getting it. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Who am I kidding, it took one recipe and I caved.

In my defense, Bakehouse Pecan Blondies are absolutely fabulous and justifies my quick surrender.  Why?  You take pecans, toast them in butter and salt, then toss them in a simple sugar-water caramel.  Once the pecan-sugar mixture cools and hardens it literally turns into pecan crack. Chop it up and fold the pieces into the blondie batter and shazam, deliciousness is born!  Pecan praline the zinger in Zingerman’s blondies.

Zingerman's Pecan Blondies

The batter is simple and comes together quickly-melted butter, eggs, brown sugar (you can use dark brown sugar for the Muscovado brown sugar) and flour.  Fold the pecans in, bake, dunzo.  It’s not as dense as a brownie and not as airy as a cake.  It’s just right.

Let’s get busy baking!

This is a beautiful book, filled with great stories about the bakery and the folks that are or have been a part of Zingerman’s tradition.  This is not cutting edge, new wave fou-fou food, more like all-American homey food, desserts and artisanal bread done really well and with love. Photos for most recipes are included and informative crib notes on the side.  The recipes are organized well and include both volume and metric weight measurements (yay!). Definitely making more treats out of this book soon!

 

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Want A Bakehouse Pecan BLONDIE – CALL ME

Ingredients

Praline

  • 2 Tbs 57gm unsalted butter
  • 1 cup 115gm pecan pieces
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbs 27gm water
  • 1/2 cup 115gm granulated sugar

Blondies

  • 1 cup + 3 Tbs 230gm packed Muscovado brown sugar
  • 1 cup 230gm unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-1/2 cups 200gm all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

For the praline

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees, spray a 9x9 square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
  • Brown the butter: Haven't done that? Serious Eats step by step is really good
  • When butter is browned, remove from heat and add pecan pieces, salt and vanilla and toss to coat nuts.
  • Toast the pecan mixture on a sheet pan at 325 degrees for approximately 12 minutes until they are toasty brown. Start checking at 8 minutes. Set aside.

Caramelize the sugar: Stir together sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring until it is caramelized to a rich reddish-brown. Careful not to burn or go to dark, it will take on a bitter taste. Immediately add the pecans and stir to combine and then spread pecans evenly in the prepared 9x9 pan. The praline will start to harden so work quickly and spread as thin as you can. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove pecans from pan and chop into small irregular pieces, 1/4-1/2 inch size. The praline can be made ahead and stored in a cool, dry spot.

    Blondies!

    • The easy part of this recipe
    • In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is homogenous and thick.
    • Add dry ingredients to butter-sugar mixture and stir to until it is homogenous. Add the chopped pralines, stir to combine.
    • Pour batter into prepared 9x9 pan, spread evenly and bake for approximately 45 minutes until puffed in the middle and golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
    • Cut into rectangles and serve with ice cold milk, coffee, tea..just about anything and wait for the smiles.

    Mui-road trip to Ann Arbor from Minneapolis is on the bucket list!

     
    Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

    Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

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    Happy Gougere!

    What?!  Too cheesy?

    I had writer’s block when I sat down to compose this post.  Staring at my screen, fingers poised on the keyboard, sipping a glass of wine and munching on these cheese puffs I had just pulled out of the oven, I was drawing a blank. Then my cell phone rang, “Happy New Year!”  blurted a voice at the other end. Ta-da! Blogger’s block gone.

    Continuing with my exploration of the Bouchon Bakery book I ooh-ed and aah-ed my way through the chapter on pate a choux (aka cream puff pastry).  Dreamy cream puffs with a crackle finish, Chocolate Eclairs, Paris Brest-all looked exquisite. I wanted something simpler plus I had a wedge of Comte cheese in the fridge so I chose his recipe for the humble Gougere.  Cheese, finely shredded, is added to choux pastry to create a savory, airy, small bite, perfect with wine or champagne.  My next happy hour nibbler board will definitely include these little gems.

    The recipe is straightforward. Be sure to have all your ingredients out and prepped before you begin. Water and butter are heated to which flour is added and stirred until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, blend briefly to release heat and moisture and add eggs a couple of tablespoons at a time. NOTE: TK uses weights for measurements in this book.  Very helpful to have a scale.

    The batter will look like this after adding eggs and blending.

    I cheated. I didn’t have the silicon round pan so I used my non-stick donut hole pan instead (yay, I used it for something!) It worked well though they needed to sit a couple of minutes before I could remove them easily.  I also didn’t have a pastry bag handy so I used a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and snipped off a corner.  Piping directly onto parchment or a Silpat probably works just as well.

    Next time I make these I may change up the type of cheese (gruyere cheddar), add chili pepper instead of black pepper and add chopped chives or green onions, yum!  The batter freezes well so you can keep a supply of shaped ones in the freezer for impromptu get-togethers.

    Stretching the boundaries, I’ve decided to make this Cookie #10 on my 12 days of holiday cookies list. They’re small and bite-size just like a cookie.  I’m tackling Bouchon’s Cream Puffs one of these days!

    Bouchon’s Gougeres

     

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    Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp water
    • 2.2 ounces unsalted butter 4.5 Tablespoons
    • 1/2 + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
    • 0.3 grams freshly ground pepper
    • 1/2 cup + 2 1/2 tsbp all purpose flour
    • 150 grams eggs approximately 2 eggs-crack eggs into a bowl, blend eggs and weigh out amount
    • scant 1 cup aged shredded gruyere cheese
    • options: Add chopped green onions or chives to batter 2 T, sprinkle tops with additional shredded cheese

    Instructions

    • Combine the water, butter, salt, pepper in a medium saucepan, place over medium heat and stir until butter is melted. Once the butter has melted, increase heat to medium-high and then bring to a simmer, then remove pan from the heat, with a wooden spoon, stir in all the flour.
    • Continue to stir for 1 1/2 minutes until the mixture has a paste-like consistency, then place over medium-high heat and stir rapidly for 1 minute, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean. The dough should be glossy and smooth but not dry.
    • Immediately transfer the dough to a mixer bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to release some of the moisture. Slowly begin to add the eggs, 50 grams at a time, beating until each addition is completely absorbed before adding the next one. Continue adding the eggs, mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl pulled with the paddle but immediately grabs back on again.
    • Increase speed to medium for 15 seconds to ensure that all the eggs are incorporated. Stop the mixer. When the dough is lifted, it should form a bird's peak- it should hold it's shape and turn down on itself but not break off. Add the cheese and pulse to incorporate (I used my mixer and blended the cheese in quickly)
    • Put batter into pastry bag. Pipe into molds (I didn't have molds, I used my donut hole pan) Or pipe little free form balls, slightly less than 1 inch in diameter onto a baking sheet, spread about 1 1/2 inches apart. When finished piping, I used my finger dipped in water, to push down and get rid of the little tip that is left on top of each one from the piping.
    • Freeze the gougeres for about four hours until firm.
    • If you want to bake some right away. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
    • If you are baking from frozen: Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with frozen gougeres, leaving about 1 inch between them. Spray lightly with water. Place in the oven, immediately lower temperature to 350F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

     

     
    Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

    Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

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    This month’s Food52 Baking Club pick is Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery Book. A gorgeous, very heavy (a workout just lugging it around) opus on all things delicious. My copy has languished on a shelf for quite some time but this gave me a reason to take it off the shelf and dive in.  Let the baking games begin.

    I start with a cookie recipe. After all, I still need to complete my holiday cookie list (wow, that’s embarrassing). I open the book and what do you know, the first chapter of the book is all about cookies. Fate. I peruse the chapter and settle on, drum roll, please……..Bouchon’s SHORTBREAD cookie. Surprised? Didn’t think so.

    This is a tall order as I am convinced I already make the perfect shortbread.  A recipe saved from the long out of print Cuisine magazine has become a non-negotiable tradition in our house. The recipe was accompanied by the story of the author’s father making shortbread each Christmas.  An homage to her father and to traditional Scottish shortbread.  Crisp at first bite, meltingly tender, slightly sweet, and oh so buttery.  The perfect cookie.

    Yep, tall order.

    The trial:

    I used a European butter for it’s higher fat content after reading several comments that the dough was dry and crumbly. With a little kneading (in a Ziploc bag), it came together nicely.

    The The recipe calls for shaping the dough into a 5×5 inch block and chilling it before rolling it out.  I opted to roll the dough into the final 9-inch square before chilling as the dough was easier to work with at this stage.  After chilling the dough, cut it into 2-1/4  x 1-1/2 inch pieces.

    Use a pizza cutter and ruler to cut the dough, you could get fancy and use cute cookie cutters instead.  Though the recipe calls for granulated sugar, I used sanding sugar which gave the cookies a nice sparkle. Sugar bling.

    The verdict:

    Buttery? Yes. Crisp? Yes. Sweet? Yes. The dusting of sugar adds sweetness and a delightful crunch.  Better than the shortbread I already make? No, but I am biased.  I might try this with salted butter to see if it adds even more depth of flavor. These cookies are simple and sophisticated. Totally worth making a batch to enjoy with a cool glass of milk or a hot cup of tea depending on your mood! *The flavor improved, this was a better cookie a day later than right after baking.  

    Bouchon's Shortbread

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    The Path of Least Resistance TK Shortbread

    Buttery, sandy texture, melt in your mouth Shortbread from Bouchon
    Course cookies
    Cuisine American, European
    Keyword biscuits, butter, cookies

    Ingredients

    • 180 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 6.3 ounces
    • 90 grams granulated sugar 1/2 Cup
    • 2 grams Kosher salt 5/8 tsp-3/4 tsp
    • 5.9 grams vanilla bean paste 1 tsp
    • 270 grams all-purpose flour 1-3/4 Cup plus 3 T
    • 2 to 3 Tbsp sanding sugar for sprinkling

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until smooth. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
    • Add half of the flour, and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the second half of the flour.
    • Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and mound the dough on top of it. Form the dough into a 5 inch by 5 inch block. Wrap it with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
    • or
    • Roll dough into 9 inch square in between parchment, or in a Ziploc bag. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
    • Roll the dough out to a 9 inch by 9 inch square between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. You may have to pound it a bit with your rolling pin to get it to roll out. If it gets too soft, you can put it back into the refrigerator to firm up.
    • When ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
    • With a sharp knife, and using a ruler, score the dough into four 2 1/4 inch wide horizontal strips. Next, score the dough into six 1 1/2 inch vertical strips. Sprinkle the dough with sanding sugar or granulated sugar.
    • Cut the dough along the scoring into 24 individual rectangles. Place the rectangles about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet.
    • Place sheet in oven and bake, using convection, for 13 to 15 minutes, or if not using convection, for 17 to 19 minutes.
    • Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
    Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies Revisited

    Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies Revisited

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    I reserved some of the  Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookie dough to bake knowing I would be going to Monday morning coffee with the moms. Who can resist freshly baked cookies?  Having scooped out all my dough on the first day, I had cookies ready to bake in the fridge.  I came home from the gym (New Year’s Resolution number 1), turned on the oven, plopped the little doughboys on a sheet and popped them in the oven.  Easy peasy-freshly baked cookies in a jiffy.  I had lined the cookie sheet with a Silpat and whoa, what a difference.  This latest batch was much more reminiscent of a Mrs. Field’s cholate chip cookie (who remembers those, lol), a bit denser, definitely softer and lacking that lightness and crispy edge from the first day.

    The moral of the story: If you like crisp and light, bake on parchment and after 12 hours of chilling.  If you like a classic chewy cookie, bake on Silpat and chill the dough for longer.  The next time I bake these I will test my theory again.

    Cookie on the left baked after 12 hours of chilling time and on parchment.  The cookie on the right after 48 hours in the fridge and baked on a Silpat mat.

    But do bake these cookies, they are absolutely scrumptious!
    “Open Sesame” Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookie Revealed

    “Open Sesame” Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookie Revealed

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    Holiday Cookie List: Number EIGHT. Very LATE. But worth the WAIT!

    My friend Mel mentioned a recipe she had tried recently from the NYTimes for Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies.  She could not stop raving about them, light, crispy, buttery, hint of sesame, they sounded scrumptious. Always on the lookout for riffs on classic cookies, I immediately made a mental note to put the recipe on my Cookie Bucket List.

    I checked out NYTcooking and noticed the recipe contained only granulated sugar which may account for its crisp texture.  I like a crispy and chewy chocolate chip cookie so I googled chocolate chip tahini cookies.  Judging by the number of recipes that popped up in my search, this cookie is a winner. The grand dame for this cookie recipe appears to be from Danielle Oron’s Modern Israeli Cooking: 100 New Recipes for Traditional Classics.  I settled on Davie Lebovitz’s version which calls for both granulated and brown sugars.  Perhaps the moisture in the brown sugar would add a bit of chewiness to the cookie.

    Sherlock Wanna Be

    My aspiration to be an ATK food investigator.  I baked the first sheet of cookies on parchment paper and the second on Silpat.

    The difference was small but noticeable.  The cookies baked on parchment were just a bit thinner and had a crackly top.  The Silpat cookies did not spread as much and the top did not have the crackly appearance.  Both were delicious and texturally quite similar.  Of note about a minute before the cookies were done I rapped the pan on the rack which causes the cookies to deflate giving them the signature crackly top. The parchment-baked ones appeared to have more cracks.  A trick I learned from SaraBeth’s Kitchen baking book.

    Cookies on the left were baked on parchment, the cookies on the right on Silpat

    It is super important to chill the dough.  The dough is very soft and light and benefits from the time in the fridge.  I used a 2 tablespoon scoop for a bit smaller cookie and baked the cookies for approximately 12 minutes.  As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, sprinkle them with a mix of fleur de sel or flaky salt and black and white sesame seeds.  Cool on a rack.

    BAKE THESE COOKIES NOW

    They are delicious. Crispy edges, a little bit of chewiness in the center, buttery, chocolatey (there’s my fake word again) with a subtle hint of sesame. So, so, good.  The Tahini seems to lighten the cookie.  If you want a crisper cookie I would use granulated sugar only.  A definite keeper.

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    “Open Sesame” Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookie Treasure Revealed

    A delicious twist to chocolate chip cookies by adding tahini
    Course cookies
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookie, cookies
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes

    Ingredients

    The Stuff to be Creamed First

    • 8 tablespoons 115g, 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1/2 cup 120ml tahini, well stirred
    • 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup 90g packed light brown sugar (For a crisper cookie omit brown sugar and use 200gm granulated sugar or 1 cup)

    The Wet Stuff

    • 1 large egg at room temperature
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    The Dry Stuff

    • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons AP FlourThe 150g
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon kosher Diamond Crystal or sea salt (DL uses a french sea salt which is similar to a kosher salt, it is not like our sea salt, if using table salt use 1/2 teaspoon, if using Morton's kosher salt use 3/4 teaspoon)

    The Bling

    • 2 cups 280g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks (I used TJ's chocolate chunks)
    • flaky sea salt such as Maldon or fleur de sel
    • black and white sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher or sea salt, set aside.
    • 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, tahini, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy.
    • 3. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the egg, the yolk, and vanilla, and continue to mix for another minute, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl during mixing
    • 4. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just combined, then add the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
    • 5. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.
    • 6. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
    • 7. Form the cookies into rounds using an ice cream scoop. For small cookies make each 1 1/2-inch (3.5cm), for larger cookies, 2-inches (5cm) diameter. Place them evenly spaced on the baking sheets, 3-inches (8cm) apart.
    • 8. Bake one sheet at a time, so you can keep an eye on them, use themiddle rack of the oven.
    • 9. Bake the cookies, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still pale in the center. For small cookies, about 12 minutes, for larger cookies, about 14 to 15 minutes.
    • 10. Remove from the oven, sprinkle cookies with a bit of flaky sea salt and sesame seeds.
    • 11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
    • Storage: These cookies will keep for two or three days at room temperature, but are definitely better the same day they're baked. The unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to one week, and frozen for up to two months.
    Tartine’s Lemon Cream Tart P-Squared, Pie Perfection

    Tartine’s Lemon Cream Tart P-Squared, Pie Perfection

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    The kids were home for the holidays and have now gone back to school.  It was nice having them home although our house looks like a tornado blew through.  When home, Jordan catches up on sleep while Jamie bakes and watches her favorite TV shows.  Marathon sessions of The Crown and The Great British Baking Show were interrupted only by the beep of the timer signaling something yummy was ready to come out of the oven.

    GBBS

    Thanks to Jamie I am now HOOKED on The Great British Baking Show.  Between the hosts, Sue and Mel, 2 quirky, hilarious women (Ready, Set, BAKE!) and the judges, Paul Hollywood (I know-Is that really his name?) and Mary Berry (BBI-British Baking Icon), this is Epicurean TV at its finest.  To top it off, amateur contestants are expected to bake their way through cakes, biscuits, laminated doughs, and bread.  Pressure in spades and yet they manage to stay so polite and endearing.

    I now understand the meaning of the British phrase “Keep a stiff upper lip”.  In contrast, American TV food shows remind me of a cooking version of Game of Thrones.

    Inspiration

    Inspired by GBBS, Jamie and I got busy in the kitchen.  Good thing, as we were tasked with desserts for our holiday family celebrations.  Both of us LOVE pie and Tartine’s Lemon Cream Tart is hands down, our absolute favorite.  Everything we love rolled into one FABULOUS, LUSCIOUS dessert.

    The foundation of the tart is the sweet, cookie-like crust, a pate sable’.  The filling, a lemon cream, starts as a curd to which GOBS of butter is added. The butter emulsifies with the lemon curd to create a deceptively light, silky, lemony filling. TOTALLY worth the gazillions of calories that I am sure it has.  It is that good.

    Don’t want to make a tart crust?  Make this cream, divvy it into pretty little glasses or jars and serve with buttery shortbread cookies and fresh berries.  Winner, winner, dessert for dinner!

    The recipe for the tart dough makes enough for 4 9-inch shells but can be easily halved.  It can be kept in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month.  Similar to cookie dough, it is made in a mixer, gather in a ball and chilled.  Work quickly when rolling out the dough as the sugar in the crust causes it to soften fairly fast.  If this happens, toss it back in the fridge to chill again.

    The dough is easy to work with, can be re-rolled and works equally as well with Tartine’s Banana Cream Pie (I found the recipe link on a blog I just discovered and really like, The Little Epicurean, check it out!), the next best thing to their Lemon Tart.  Bananas embedded in rich pastry cream, chocolate ganache, topped with whipped cream, shards of chocolate, and a drizzle of caramel. It is BEASTLY, don’t get me started.  Make sure you dock the crust before baking so it doesn’t bubble.  Pre-bake the shell to a golden brown and have it ready when you make the cream.

    Curd-i-Licious

    To make the cream Use an immersion blender to add the butter to the curd.  A countertop blender would work also.  As soon as you finish adding the butter, pour the lemon cream into the shell.  It starts to thicken quickly,  so for a smooth, even, shiny, surface, work quick. Chill and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

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    Tartine's Lemon Cream Tart P-Squared, Pie Perfection

    Tartine's Lemon Cream Tart-TO DIE FOR, it's that good
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword cranberry curd tart, Dessert, lemon cream tart, lemon curd, Tartine

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup 2 tablespoons lemon juice Meyer or regular
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter

    Sweet Tart dough

    • 1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature 9 oz/255 g
    • 1 cup granulated sugar 7 oz/200 g
    • 2 Large eggs at room temperature
    • 3-1/2 cups All-purpose flour 17-1/2 oz/500 g

    Egg Wash (optional)

    • Large egg 1
    • Salt pinch

    Instructions

    Directions for Lemon Cream

    • Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Combine the lemon juice, whole eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl that will rest securely in the rim of a saucepan over, not touching, the water. (Never let the egg yolks and sugar sit together for more than a moment without stirring; the sugar will cook the yolks and turn them granular.)
    • Place the bowl over the saucepan and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 180° F on a thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. If you don't have or trust your thermometer, don't worry. It should thicken to the point that your whisk leaves a trail through the curd.
    • Remove the bowl from over the water and let cool to 140° F, stirring from time to time to release the heat.
    • Meanwhile, cut butter into 1-tablespoon (15-ml) pieces. When the cream is ready, leave it in the bowl if using an immersion blender, or pour it into a countertop blender. With the blender running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition until incorporated before adding the next piece. The cream will be pale yellow and opaque and quite thick.
    • You can use the cream immediately, or pour it into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
    • To use after refrigeration, if necessary, gently heat in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water until it has softened, whisking constantly.

    Directions for Sweet Tart Dough

    • Bring eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl and running lukewarm water over them for about 5 minutes.
    • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
    • On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1/2 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
    • To line a tart pan, place a dough disk on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all directions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes, dusting underneath as necessary to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm.
    • Cut out a circle 2 inches larger than the pan. If the dough is still cool, carefully transfer the circle to the pan, easing it into the bottom and sides and then pressing gently into place. Do not stretch the dough, or the sides will shrink during baking. If the dough has become too soft to work with, put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up before transferring it to the pan. If the dough develops any tears, just patch with a little extra dough, pressing firmly to adhere. Trim the dough level with the top of the pan with a sharp knife. Place the pastry shell in the refrigerator or freezer until it is firm, about 15 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Dock (make small holes in) the bottom of the tart shell with a fork or the tip of a knife, making tiny holes 2 inches apart. Place in the oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes for a partially baked large shell. The pastry should be lightly colored and look dry and opaque. Check the shell(s) during baking and rotate the pans if necessary for even color. If you want to brush the shell(s) with a glaze (see headnote), beat the egg with the salt in a small bowl. A minute or two before the desired color is reached, remove the shell(s) from the oven and lightly brush the bottom and sides with the glaze. Return the shell(s) to the oven and bake until the desired color is reached and the glaze is set.
    • For a fully baked shell, proceed as directed for a partially baked shell, but bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.
    • Let cool completely on wire racks. The pastry shells will keep, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
    • Any leftover dough can be used as a simple cookie dough. This dough keeps exceptionally well, so make some for use now and freeze the rest for future use (it will keep for up to 3 weeks), either in disks or in rolled-out rounds. If you roll out all the rounds to freeze for future use, place a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between them to prevent them from sticking to one another when you thaw them.
    • This recipe can be easily halved.
    Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake (An Apple A Day, Have It In Cake)

    Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake (An Apple A Day, Have It In Cake)

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    I have been eyeing Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake for awhile and finally found the perfect occasion.  A New Year’s Eve gnocchi party hosted by friends Pam and Paul.  I could hardly show up empty-handed when they were going to teach me how to make gnocchi.  I love gnocchi, feathery light pillows of pasta dough, a dish I have only when dining out.  That was about to change.  Yes, HOMEMADE gnocchi, so excited. If I bring dessert maybe I’ll get to take some home!

    This apple cake is homey, reminiscent of a rustic country dessert, the perfect ending to our gnocchi dinner.  The cake comes together quickly. Dorie suggests using a variety of apples for flavor and texture.  I used a combination of Fuji, Mutsu, Jonagold and Golden Delicious. The batter made of butter, flour, eggs and flavored with vanilla and rum serves to bind the apples together. The apples are the star and definitely shine in this cake.

    The cake can be served warm or at room temperature.  Served with whipped cream or ice cream, so delicious.

    Yep, scored gnocchi to take home!  Thanks Dorie!

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    Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake (An Apple A Day, Have It In Cake)

    An easy, delicious apple cake to take advantage of apple season
    Course Cake, desserts
    Cuisine European
    Keyword apple, Apple Cake, MArie-Helene's Apple cake
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour

    Ingredients

    The Main Attraction-Cut and cubed in 1-2 inch pieces

    • 4 large apples if you can, choose a variety

    Dry Stuff-Combined in a small bowl

    • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
    • Pinch of salt

    The Wet Stuff

    • 2 large eggs
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 3 tablespoons dark rum
    • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

    Instructions

    • Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
    • Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.
    • Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
    • In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they're foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it's coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it's evenish.
    • Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
    • Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it's fully opened, make sure there aren't any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature.
    • The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream.
    Gnocchi!