Category: Food
Whip It, Whip It Good (Coconut Whipped Cream)

Whip It, Whip It Good (Coconut Whipped Cream)

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We’re baaackkkkkkk!  In person meetings, dinners in restaurants instead of take-out, classes on campus instead of on Zoom, we are adjusting to living with COVID.  With midterms just around the corner, our political action group hosted a Democracy Dinner to re-engage and see folks in person.  What better way to entice folks to join us than with food!

Dinner was outside, we live in California, where grillin and chillin is a distinct possibility 24-7-365.  I stepped up to create a main dish and dessert for our Vegan dinner guests. The main dish was a no-brainer,  Spicy Noodle Salad, vegan, plus perfect with whatever came off the grill, protein or veggie. The only glitch was the original recipe called for honey in the dressing.  Made by bees, honey is on the no-fly list for vegans.  I substituted Agave Syrup for the honey which worked seamlessly.  Mission accomplished, onto dessert.

Pudding It All Together

The night of the last presidential elections, as I nervously watched the results roll in, I headed to the kitchen to make something to eat to calm my frayed nerves.  I landed on NYTcooking’s recipe for a Chocolate Pudding made with Oat Milk.  A snap to make, it was chilling in the fridge within minutes.  Intensely chocolate, which appealed to my grown-up tastebuds, while the smooth, creamy texture of the pudding made me feel like a kid again.  AND, it’s vegan, oh yeah. Dessert solved.

Nifty Thrifty Wow Factor

A layer of strawberry compote in between the chocolate pudding and a voluptuous coconut whipped cream on top gave the pudding a little more panache.   I rationalized splurging on expensive French yogurt by repurposing those cute little glass yogurt jars for the pudding.

Whip It, Whip It Good

I LOVE whipped cream.  So what’s a girl to do if she can’t have the perfect topping for vegan dessert?  Coconut Milk to the rescue.  A favorite vegan, gluten-free site, Minimalist Baker was ground zero for tips on how to make a delicious vegan whipped cream from coconut milk.

Start the day before you need whipped cream.  Why?  You need to chill the coconut milk to separate the cream from the liquid.  You will be using the cream part only.

My two favorite brands of coconut milk are Chaokoh and Aroy-D.  Having Aroy-D in my pantry, I placed a can in the fridge.  The overnight chill in the fridge is key to creating two distinct layers.  Aroy-D worked perfectly.  Both brands are found in most Asian Grocery stores.  Minimalist Baker likes Whole Foods 365 Coconut Milk, which might be more accessible.

Open the can, the solids will be on top, scoop all of the solidified coconut milk out and place in a chilled mixing bowl then place the coconut solids in a chilled bowl.  Whip for 30 seconds then add powdered sugar and vanilla.  I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar and it was pretty sweet. The range is 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup of sugar which you can to taste, definitely start with 1/4 cup and go from there.  Beat an additional minute or until light and fluffy.  Don’t overbeat as the cream will break down.

This is the perfect vegan substitute for regular whipped cream!  But, it is so good I would make it even if I didn’t need a vegan alternative.

Ridiculously easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies,Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, like Fred and Ginger, a perfect pairing with Chocolate Puddin

To half of the puddings I added a layer of strawberry compote. Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, it’s easy and delicious.  Think of it as additional bling.

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Coconut Whipped Cream

A great vegan option for whipped cream, so good you may want to use this vegan or not!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 day
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce can coconut cream or full fat coconut milk* (Savoy Coconut Cream, Aroy-D Coconut Milk, and Nature's Charm Coconut Whipping Cream work best!)
  • 1/4 - 3/4 cup icing/powdered sugar use organic to ensure vegan friendliness
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional

Instructions

  • Chill your coconut cream or coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight (see notes for top brands!), being sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage separation of the cream and liquid. See notes for more insight / troubleshooting.
  • The next day, chill a large mixing bowl 10 minutes before whipping.
  • Remove the coconut cream or milk from the fridge without tipping or shaking and remove the lid. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind (reserve for use in smoothies).
  • Note: if your coconut milk didn't harden, you probably just got a dud can without the right fat content. In that case, you can try to salvage it with a bit of tapioca flour - 1 to 4 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)- during the whipping process. That has worked for me several times.
  • Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla (optional) and powdered sugar (or stevia) and mix until creamy and smooth - about 1 minute. Avoid overwhipping because it can cause separation. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
  • Use immediately or refrigerate - it will harden and set in the fridge the longer it's chilled. Will keep for up to 1 - 2 weeks!
  • Coconut whipped cream is perfect for topping desserts like pie, hot cocoa and ice cream. It's also ideal for french toast, pie fillings, mousse, and even no-churn ice cream!
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Strawberry Sauce

Fresh strawberries in this topping for a quick, & easy topping that gives desserts that extra bling!
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword quick and easy, strawberries, strawberry sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 Tablespoons cold water
  • 1 lb strawberries hulled and sliced in half
  • zest and juice from 1/2 small lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved.
  • Place the cornstarch mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the mixture as it cooks. Break up some of the strawberries as you stir.
  • Bring it to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool. Add vanilla extract. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

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Finally, after months of being a COVID couch potato, I got off my duff and headed up to the reservoir to row again.  I had forgotten how nice it was to be on the water in the early morning, to get in a shell, grip the oars, press with my legs, and propel the boat through the water.  Gliding through the water I would catch glimpses of the resident bald eagles soaring then diving toward the water.  I live for these moments…


Who Am I Kidding?

What I really look forward to is COFFEE after the row, lol.  After every row, we head to our favorite spot for coffee and something to nosh on.  Lately, that nosh has been a tasty apricot bar. It reminds me of an Apricot Oatmeal Bar I used to make when the kids were little…

The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Kids Cookbook, that bar was a family favorite once upon a time.  I decided to find it, dust it off, and make it again.

This is a naughty granola bar.  The bars are buttery, sweet, tart, dense, and chewy with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.  Just packed full of yummy stuff and calories (intentionally made in smaller font, lol).  Incredibly easy to make, all you need is a bowl and a spoon.  Toss old-fashioned oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour into a large bowl. stir to combine, then add melted butter, vanilla, and chopped apricots. Add nuts too if you like.

Bake, cool, and cut.  How easy is that?  These bars are great after a hard workout, a long hike, or anytime!

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Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Course bar cookies, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apricots, bar cookies, oatmeal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up
  • 1 cup firmly packed dried apricots
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped nuts of your choice like almonds pecans or pistachios (optional)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • soft butter for greasing pan

Instructions

  • Melt 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter in the microwave. Cut butter into pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl. ?Cover with a small plate or paper towel ( I use the paper the butter comes in) and set power to 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. If butter is not completely melted, continue at 50% power and 15-20 second increments. Or place butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
  • Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with a large piece of aluminum foil (some foil hanging over the edges is fine). Lightly grease the foil with the soft butter. YOu could also use parchment paper.
  • Cut apricots into about 1/2-inch pieces. (Use kitchen shears to snip apricots works like a charm)
  • In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a spoon or spatula until well blended and no lumps of sugar remain.
  • Add apricots, nuts if using, melted butter and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well blended. The dough will be moist and crumbly. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
  • Bake until the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven, set on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • Lift the foil and the oatmeal bars from the pan and place on a work surface. Peel away the foil from the sides and bottom. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the big square into 1 1/2-by-3-inch rectangles. Store in an airtight container. Makes 18 bar cookies.

Notes

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life Books, 2000).
Puttin’ On the Ritz…Chicken

Puttin’ On the Ritz…Chicken

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This past weekend the hubster went up to Tahoe to do maintenance on our cabin.  So I was flying solo at home with Sammy our dog who has a tough time traveling 😢 these days.

When dinnertime rolled around, I decided to open a bottle of wine and make myself a nice meal.  I had just seen Eric Kim’s recent post for NYTcooking, Ritzy Cheddar Chicken Breast and being a Ritz Cracker fiend, I immediately bookmarked the recipe.  This would be the perfect time to try his recipe.

Competitive Spirit

Aside from Carrot Cake and Good Cookies, if there is a meal that reigns supreme in our house, it is Wes’s Cornflake Chicken.  To be exact, Cornflake Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup.  How many of you remember your mom or dad fixing a version of this?  Come on, be honest, we have all had this precursor to Shake and Bake.  Instead of chicken perhaps pork chops?  Gotcha, didn’t I?

Being a card-carrying member of the ridiculous group “I am a foodie” and thus holding an unwarranted disdain for all foods I liked when I was twelve, I have never made cornflake chicken.  To this day, when the kids come home, they will request cornflake chicken or pork chops which Wes is more than happy to fulfill.

Could Eric’s version of chicken, marinated in sour cream, Dijon mustard and rolled in copious amounts of Ritz Crackers and Cheddar Cheese best the gold standard Cornflake Chicken?  I was determined to find out.

Easy Peasy, Chicken Cheesy

The prep for this dish is as easy and quick as Cornflake Chicken.  The chicken breasts are split in half and lightly pounded into cutlets then dropped into a marinade of Dijon mustard, salt, and sour cream which also tenderizes the chicken.

While the chicken marinates make your coating.  Crush a sleeve of Ritz Crackers, grate some sharp cheddar cheese, and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Next time I might just add more spices, maybe some paprika and thyme.  Finish with a glug of olive oil, which will help the coating stick to the chicken and crisp it.

Roll chicken in crumb mixture, really pressing it in so you have a nice coat.  If you have crumbs left, don’t waste them, sprinkle them on the chicken.

The chicken bakes at 450 (hot, hot, hot) and should only take about ten minutes (boneless, split in half, and pounded means quick cooking).

I made a salad of Romaine, ripe cherry tomatoes (thank you Snook), and Japanese cucumbers (very crispy and delicious) with a simple vinaigrette.

Sat down with a glass of wine and a gorgeous dinner plate in about 30 minutes.  How great is that?  Eric strikes again with another fabulous, easy, dish.  The cracker coating was crispy, cheesy and tangy from the mustard, the chicken was perfectly cooked, moist, and tender and the salad a nice counterpoint.

I know what you are all thinking…does this beat out Wes’s Cornflake Chicken?  Probably not.  Nothing beats a dish from your childhood.  Will I make it again?  Absolutely!

I saved the last 2 pieces of chicken, one for Wes to judge, and one which made an amazing sandwich for lunch…yummos!

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Ritzy Cheddar Cheese Chicken Breasts

A quick and easy baked Crispy Cheddar Chicken Breasts
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword baked chicken, cheddar cheese, chicken breasts, easy recipe, ERic KIm, Ritz Crackers, sour cream
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Da Marinade

  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt Diamond Crystal, use at least 1 teaspoon. For reg salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon

Da protein

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers about 100 grams
  • 2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing wire rack
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, paprika or chili powder optional

Instructions

  • Position rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place an ovenproof wire rack over a sheet pan. Dab a folded-up paper towel with olive oil and rub it over the wire rack to grease it or use a brush. Place rack in oven to preheat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg white and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt. Set aside.
  • Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board and carve each breast in half horizontally so you end up with four thin cutlets. Add the chicken to the sour cream mixture, and smear the sour cream all over the chicken.
  • In a large bowl, crush the Ritz crackers into coarse pieces with your fingers. Some crackers will turn to rubble while others turn to dust. Leave some chunks, which will crisp up nicely in the oven. Add the cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil (add some thyme and or paprika, 1/2 t each if you like) . Season with ½ teaspoon salt and toss until evenly distributed.
  • Hold chicken cutlet by its thinner end, add to the bowl with the crumbs, and using your hands, press the crumbs onto the chicken to create a thick coating. Transfer the breaded chicken to the rack in the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. If you have leftover crumb mixture, sprinkle if on chicken before baking.
  • Bake the cutlets until the outsides are crispy and the insides are no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes (check at 10!!!). Let the chicken cool slightly so the coating can set, about 5 minutes, before transferring to plates.
  • Serve with with a nice crisp salad!
“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

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Are you like me? Our farmer’s market in the summer is like a candy store and I’m the kid in it, running around and grabbing baskets of berries, peaches and whatever looks delish.  The past few weeks I’ve come home with way too much fruit for the hubs and me.  Thankfully, Dorie Greenspan came to my rescue with a recipe for a  Drop-Biscuit Peach Blueberry Cobbler.  It is so good and so easy, I have made this more times than I can count this summer.

Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble…explained

I LOVE pies…but even I have to admit, when I want an easy dessert, pies do not come to mind.  Enter the 3 Cs, cobbler, crisp and crumble, easy, homey and delicious.

First, a cobbler is your choice of fruit baked with a biscuit topping.  Second, a Crisp is fruit covered with a streusel topping that contains butter, flour, sugar, and oats.  You can find me making Apple Crisps in the fall to chase away the summer is over blues.  A crumble is the English version of a crisp and does not usually have oats in the streusel. But it can, as in this Strawberry Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble that I adore!  Finally, from Vivian Howard of  A Chef’s Life, her  Blueberry Cobbler with a Cornmeal-Sugar Cookie Crust is so amazing and worth the calories.

So, get thee to a Farmer’s Market now.

Dorie’s original recipe calls for peaches and blueberries. I’ve used all berries, berries plus peaches, nectarines, and mangoes-it’s all scrumptious.  Berries and fruits with a lot of moisture will need cornstarch to thicken the juices.  Adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit (and to your taste of course).  Add lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest, for a refreshing citrus zing.

Biscuits Until I Drop

The biscuit dough is essentially a cream biscuit and comes together in a snap, no butter to mess with!).  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir in the buttermilk and heavy cream.  The fat in the heavy whipping cream stands in for butter.  Mix just until combined without any dry spots, try not to overmix.  The dough will be wet and loose. Use a large ice cream or cookie scoop (about 2-3 T) to drop the dough onto the fruit.  Leave a bit of space between dough scoops (aesthetics).

Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.  The biscuits will be tender, light, and cakey, the perfect foil for the delicious fruit compote underneath.

Spoon out warm, just baked wedges into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  It doesn’t get much better than this although my family would beg to differ.  They actually like it straight out of the fridge the next morning.  The biscuit has had time to absorb some of the lovely juices, the fruit has a toothier bite.  It’s all good in my book.  Let me know if you like this cobbler straight out of the oven or fridge!

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Drop Biscuit Berry Cobbler from Dorie

A quick, easy and DELICIOUS Cobbler perfect for the summer fruit season! Berries, mangoes, peaches, or nectarines all work beautifully in this summer dessert. Thanks Dorie!
Course Berries, Biscuits and scones, Cobbler, Dessert, Stone fruit
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, cobbler, Cream Scones with peaches, drop biscuits, strawberries, summer fruits
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

Da Fruit- Use whatever fruit you like! You will need 6 cups of cut fruit.

  • 3 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled or not, your choice. about 1 1/2 kg
  • 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste 50 grams
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, and zest of 1/2 -1 lemon Zest is optional but I love the flavor zest imparts
  • 1 cup blueberries 150 grams
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch and up to 1-2 tablespoons for juicy fruit

Biscuit Top

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 204 grams
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt reg table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream 240 ml
  • 1/2 cup cold buttermilk (shake well before measuring) 120 ml
  • Ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional, although in my universe this is not optional)

Instructions

  • Center rack in oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and put it on the baking sheet.
  • If you want peeled peaches, cut a shallow X in the base of each peach. Blanching makes peaches very easy to peel. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the peaches a few at a time, leave for about 15 seconds, lift out and transfer to a bowl filled with very cold water and ice cubes. Leave for a couple of minutes, then drain and peel.
  • Cut the peaches into bite-sized chunks or slices and toss them into the pie plate. Taste and decide how much sugar you want and then, if you’d like, add some lemon juice. Add the blueberries and then make a decision about the cornstarch: It’s only a tiny bit, but it will thicken the juices a little. If your peaches are very ripe, I’d add it. Give everything a good stir and set aside.
  • To make the biscuit topping: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the cream and buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and, using a table fork, stir until the flour is evenly dampened and you’ve got a moist batter.
  • Using a medium (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity) scoop or a tablespoon, dollop the topping over the fruit — leave a little space between each pouf of batter.
  • Bake the cobbler for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are boiling under, and maybe up, through and over, the biscuits.
  • Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, or until the cobbler reaches room temperature, before serving, with or without ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

You can vary the cobbler according to what fruits are in season and within reach: Keep in mind you need about 6 cups of cut-up fruit, sugar to taste and juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon. For an all-berry cobbler — mix whatever berries you can get and, if you want, cut in some ripe mango; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the berries — they’re very juicy. I've used 3 cups of halved strawberries, 2 cups blueberries and a cup of mango, delish.  Let your imagination go...plums make a pretty cobbler and work well with peaches or nectarines. Early summer, try rhubarb and strawberries (and some cornstarch).
STORING: The cobbler is best the day it is made. You can keep it covered overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

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I am always on the lookout for mochi recipes.  Aside from being downright delicious, it is nice to have gluten-free options in your arsenal.  The blog, Little Fat Boy caught my attention with a recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi.  Holy moly, dessert with not just one but TWO of my favorite foods, mochi and cereal, I am all in.

Bad, Bad Mom

I’m going to admit, I was one of those crazy militant moms about snacks and cereals.  The only cereals that graced our table included Special K, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Rice Krispies.  BORING.  The grams of sugar had to be in single digits for any box to make the cut.  Hostess was not part of our family’s vernacular.   To this day, I’m not sure if my kids have had a Hostess Twinkie.

Eventually, I came clean to my kids, and the flood gates opened.  They rolled their eyes with righteous indignation as I rattled off my favorite childhood snacks and cereals-Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, HoHos, Milk Duds, BigHunks…lol.  Hey, I was a latch-key kid…unlike them…so lucky to have a mom to constantly police, I mean, watch over them!

Welcome to Adulthood

The perks of growing up, my days of being their sugar police are long over.  In fact, during their college days, care packages with Dad’s Good Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and candies were sent on a regular basis.  We made up for years of deprivation.

All Things Mochi

Ground Zero for mochi recipes is Butter Mochi Muffin, adapted from Snixy Kitchen (a gorgeous blog featuring gluten-free recipes), and still the most popular recipe posted on 3Jamigos.  Variations followed, Mango Mochi Muffins, Chocolate Mochi Donuts and Brownies, and Misugaru Mochi Muffins…in fact mochi has its own category on 3Jamigos.  This is the latest in my mochi mania recipes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi. Remember the cereal milk at the bottom of your bowl you savored when you were a kid?  Yep, use it to make your mochi.

Soak the cereal for a minimum of an hour in one and a quarter cups of milk, stirring occasionally.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and half a can (200ml) of coconut milk.  The cereal will absorb some of the milk, after soaking, if there is less than 1 cup of milk, add extra coconut milk to bring it to 1 cup.

For the first batch, I followed Little Fat Boy, made them in a pan, and cut them into squares.  For the second batch, I made muffins because everyone deserves their own sweet treat.

To further crisp the Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping, I used Christina Tosi’s method to make cereal crunch.  Toast crushed cereal bathed in butter in the oven.

Delicious, sweet, with cinnamon and caramel undertones and the characteristic gooey, springy texture of mochi, this is a keeper.  Add this to your bucket list.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi flavored with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Another delicious, gluten-free treat!
Course Cake, Dessert, Muffins
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Hawaiian
Keyword butter mochi, cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, coconut milk
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

Wet Stuff

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1.25 cups milk, I like whole but lowfat, skim and alternative milks will work to soak Cinnamon Toast Crunch
  • 1/2 can of coconut milk 200ml I prefer full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or Golden Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Dry Stuff

  • 1/2 box Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) 254 g
  • 1 cup brown sugar preferably dark brown
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1-1.25 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal to soak in milk

Topping

  • 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal for topping
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • unsalted butter to grease pans

Instructions

  • Soak 1.25-1.5 cups of milk with Cinnamon Toast Crunch for at least an hour or overnight. Strain milk into a measuring cup. You should have 1 cup. If it is less than this, use extra coconut milk to make up the difference,
  • Preheat an oven to 350° F. Generously butter an 8x8 baking pan. For muffins, butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Mix wet ingredients in large bowl, 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk (soaked in Cinnamon Toast Crunch), coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
  • Slowly pour dry ingredients into a bowl of wet ingredients, whisking as you pour until it becomes a smooth batter. Mix in melted butter into the batter until incorporated, then pour batter into the buttered pan. If making muffins, pour batter into each muffin tin approximately 7/8 full. Should fill 12 cups. Tap pans on the counter to release air bubbles.

Topping

  • Crush the extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a small bowl and add melted butter. Stir to coat cereal with butter. Pour onto a small baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Remove and cool.
  • Sprinkle toasted cereal on batter just before baking. You can forego the toasting of the cereal but you lose some of the crispiness.

Da Finish

  • Cake pan mochi: Bake for approximately 60 minutes until golden brown and set. Stick a toothpick or bamboo skewer in, it should go in smoothly and come out without any sticky stuff. If you like your mochi a little more set bake a bit longer. The less time you bake the gooey-ier your mochi will be.
    For muffins bake approximately 40-45 minutes.
  • Once cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on mochi before serving. Slice cake into squares like brownies and serve.
  • Will keep a couple of days at room temp. Do not refrigerate. Mochi is freezable.
Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

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I have taken over tomato duties from the hubby who has given up on becoming an urban farmer.  We just haven’t had any luck with turning our garden into a summer veggie paradise.  My bounty from 5 tomato plants so far has been a grand total of 4 tiny red orbs 🤦🏻‍♀️

FORTUNATELY

We have a wonderful farmer’s market in town.

My haul from last week’s farmer’s market included a variety of cherry tomatoes including Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes (pictured on the right above) from Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. We have been buying Live Earth produce since my kids were toddlers and they’re in their twenties now!  The Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes are simply AH-MAZING.  Sweet, tomatoey, delicious.

Tomato Trifecta

I am a big fan of Eric Kim.  He writes regularly for New York Times Cooking and just published a wonderful cookbook, Korean American.  It is hands down one of my favorite books. His recipes are easy and delicious and his writing is even better.  You can also find him on YouTube making many of his recipes, he’s funny, personable, and charming.  I went to his book signing at Omnivore Books in SF, fun, I’m such a food groupie.

I love his Grape Tomato Quick Kimchi which I make all the time.  Serve as Banchan (side dish-pictured on the right above) one day and as a sauce over noods the next day.  It is downright delicious.  As soon as I saw his Cold Noodle with Tomatoes recipe I jotted it down on my MAKE ASAP list.  It is so easy and incredibly delicious.  It should go on your list too.

Start with cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, and sprinkle with salt.  Let the tomatoes sit in the bowl while you put together the rest of the dish.  No need to use a strainer as the juices from the salted tomatoes become part of the broth.  Mince garlic, get out the rice vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and sesame oil, and toss it all in a bowl along with the tomatoes.  Next, add cold-filtered or bottled water to the bowl (use water that tastes good).  Add diced scallions, and slices of radishes (the little red ones) or cucumbers to the broth. Set the broth aside.

Here’s the Hard Part

How to cook your somen.  DO NOT COOK YOUR SOMEN while you are getting the other components together. Make the broth and set it aside.  Focus on the noods so you don’t overcook them.  For somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles), start with plenty of unsalted water.  Somen has salt in it. If you use too little water, the noods will absorb too much water because of the salinity. Watch them like a hawk, and stir them with chopsticks or tongs while cooking to separate the noodles, this takes 3-4 minutes TOPS.  Remove from heat, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain well.

Before serving, twirl noodles into a bundle and place them in a bowl.  Add crushed ice to the tomatoes and pour it over your noodles.  Garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds.  It’s so refreshing, the perfect summer meal.  Carnivores, feel free to add shrimp or chicken or half of a hard-boiled egg.   Serve asap on a hot summer day.  Sooooooo good.

BONUS,  Ottolenghi’s Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt.  Yes, my trifecta of tomato recipes.  Tomatoes, roasted with thyme, cumin seeds, lemon, and garlic,  served over yogurt or Labneh. It’s my go-to party appetizer, especially in the summer.  It’s “lick the bowl clean” good.  A showstopping, easy dish.  Make it, you’ll thank me.

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Cold Noodles with Tomatoes

Refreshing, delicious, and easy to prepare, Eric Kim's Cold Noodles with Tomatoes
Course noodles, one bowl meal, pasta, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Korean
Keyword cherry tomatoes, Cold noodles, Cold Noodles with Tomatoes, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

The Star

  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

The Noods

  • 12 to 14 ounces somyeon somen, capellini or other thin wheat noodle

Soup and Seasonings

  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce Kikkoman, Sempio 501 or 701 or LKK Premium Soy
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cups cold filtered water or bottled water of your choice.
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

The Garnishes

  • 2 radishes thinly sliced, or cucumbers work in a pinch
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced at an angle
  • 2 cups crushed or cubed ice

Omnivore Options

  • cooked shrimp or shredded chicken
  • hard boiled eggs, but not too hard-boiled lol

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes and salt. Let sit until juicy, about 10 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. See post for how to cook somen noodles.
  • Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and sesame oil to the tomatoes, and toss with a spoon until well combined. Stir water into the tomatoes and sprinkle the surface of the broth with the sesame seeds, radishes and scallions.
  • Right before serving, add the ice to the broth. Divide the noodles among bowls, and ladle in the broth and any unmelted ice, making sure each serving gets a nice sprinkling of tomatoes, radishes, scallions and sesame seeds.
Napa Cabbage Salad-Summer’s Here

Napa Cabbage Salad-Summer’s Here

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The dog days of summer are here, the perfect time for salads to be the star of any meal.  Ok, maybe not breakfast, but any other meal.  I don’t like making salads, but the convergence of hot weather and gorgeous produce at our local farmer’s market trumps the drudgery of making one.

Define Salad

Back in the day when I was dating a poor medical resident (now the hubster) we went out for dinner at the famed Angeli Caffe on Melrose Ave in LA.  If memory serves me, this quite possibly was our first solo date (without our mutual matchmaker friends-LONG STORY).  This was back in the day of a burgeoning dining scene in LA.  Think Spago, Mauro’s, and Michael’s.  I was a fledgling foodie, and friends with benefits for me meant they had an expense account for dining, LOL.

We ordered a Caprese Salad and a pizza with olives, onions, and sausage.  The salad arrived and my now hubster looked at it, then at me, and asked quizzically, where’s the lettuce?  I’ll save the pizza story for another post…

Winner, Winner, Salad Dinner

Tasked with making a salad for dinner at my kid’s place (I’ll do anything for smoked brisket), I took stock of what was available in the fridge, Napa Cabbage, red cabbage, scallions, carrots, and my laptop (not in the fridge).  I mashed together a couple of recipes found online and on Tik Tok (haha) and badabing-badaboom…my quick and easy version of an Asian Napa Cabbage Slaw was born. Stir sesame oil, a touch of soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar together for the dressing and you’re done.  It’s very adaptable so add whatever veggies and or herbs that float your boat.  I like bell peppers, cilantro, mandarin oranges and nuts, peanuts, or almonds.  This is vegetarian BUT if you would like to add protein, shredded chicken is the bomb in this.

Why Napa Cabbage?  I usually cook Napa cabbage but rather recently discovered it is delicious raw.  Used as a wrap for  Korean bbq or Bosaam, it’s delicious.  It’s milder and sweeter than regular cabbage and is pretty nutritious, think fiber, and anti-oxidants.  It is crunchy, refreshing, and versatile.  You might see little black specks on the leaves, NOT to worry, not bugs, but rather a reaction with light that causes spots, it doesn’t affect the taste.

The dressing is a simple soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil blend.  Whisk all the ingredients together.  I add a bit of regular vegetable oil to give the dressing a nicer mouthfeel.   You can omit it if you want.  Garnish with additional sesame seeds, don’t forget a couple of grinds of black pepper when serving.

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Asian Napa Cabbage Salad

A refreshing napa cabbage salad with a soy-sesame dressing perfect for summer!
Course dinner, lunch, Salad
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword napa cabbage, napa cabbage salad, sesame dressing, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 cups napa cabbage thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1/2 red bell pepper julienned
  • 1/2 cup carrots shredded
  • 2 stalks green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal

Options

  • 1 cup Red cabbage shredded, replace 1 cup of the napa cabbage with this
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, optional
  • 1/2 cup Mandarin oranges or oranges segmented
  • 1/4 cup almonds or peanuts chopped

Dressing

  • 3 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1/2 T honey can substitute sugar
  • 1/2-1 tbsp toasted sesame oil to taste, I love sesame oil, I use 1 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil you can leave this out but it gives the dressing a little more body
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds + extra for garnish

Instructions

  • Cut Napa cabbage in half lengthwise. Slice leaves crosswise into thin strips. Rinse and dry cabbage and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, julienned bell peppers, shredded carrots, red cabbage, and half of the green onions.
  • Place dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour into the bowl of cabbage and other ingredients. Toss, and garnish with remaining green onions, cilantro, and chopped nuts/sesame seeds
BBQ Pork Hand Pies (叉燒酥) Char Siu Soul

BBQ Pork Hand Pies (叉燒酥) Char Siu Soul

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My best description/translation of a favorite Chinese pastry, 叉燒酥 (Char Siu Sou) is Chinese bbq pork hand pie.  Flaky, tender pastry surrounding a sweet-salty filling of bbq pork, and onions. Char Siu Sou can be found in tea houses serving dim sum and in Chinese bakeries.

Surprisingly, there is quite a selection of pastries made with the Chinese version of puff pastry.  More often than not, they are savory.  Traditional Chinese pastry is made with two doughs, wet dough and a short dough, laminated together.  Folks used lard back in the day which made for a very flaky and flavorful crust.

E-pie-phany

One of my favorite recipes from King Arthur Baking is their Blueberry Hand Pies.  The dough made with sour cream is easy to work with and makes a tender, super flaky, buttery shell.  When I make hand pies this is my go-to pastry recipe. I’ve used fresh peaches, strawberries, and preserves for the blueberry filling.  “Hands” down, a winner.

Char Siu Soul-  I Did It My Way

Instead of the traditional Chinese pastry dough, I decided to make the hand pie dough recipe.  It’s fewer steps and WORKED like a charm, flaky, buttery goodness, callin’ it Char Siu Soul.  Visions of the possibilities like curry beef, Bulgogi, or Vietnamese Caramelized  Ground Pork as fillings danced in my head.  Yum.

Good Things Come in Pastry Packages

The dough comes together easily.  If you are a novice, check out King Arthur Baking’s Martin and Arlo video on making hand pies.  The keys to success are cold butter, working quickly, not overmixing, and letting it rest. The crust can be made by hand, by pinching the butter with the flour mixture.  You’ll end up with butter flakes coated with flour, a key to creating the flaky layers.

If using your hands to mix the butter and flour, cut the butter into slices instead of cubes. Much easier to pinch. If using a pastry blender cubes are fine.
Add sour cream and stir until mixture is shaggy. Don’t overmix! Pour onto a counter or flat surface to press the dough into a rectangle.  Roll out to form an 8×10 rectangle.
Fold the dough in thirds, like an envelope.  Helps to use a pastry or bench scraper to gather, fold and square off the dough.

Fold the dough a couple of times and then CHILL the dough until set or firm. If you are making the dough early, take it out of the fridge and allow it to soften just enough to make it easy to roll out.

Make any shape you want. Rectangles, squares or triangles work well, no leftover scraps of dough. Cutting out circles will leave scraps of dough that can be re-rolled (more work).  Place approximately 1 heaping teaspoon of filling, egg wash the edge, fold one side over and crimp the edges.

Cha Cha Char Siu

Trust me, you don’t have to make your own char siu or bbq pork.  Plenty of Chinese delis make delicious bbq pork.  But it’s not hard to make, I have 2 versions to make your own, oven-roasted or braised BBQ Pork.  Make a batch, you’ll have plenty for Char Siu Soul and for Pork Buns, Fried Rice, sammies, scrambled or steamed eggs.  It freezes well, so make a big batch.

The filling is easy to make.  Make sure it is cool before filling the pastry. Dice the char siu small, don’t mince.  You don’t want a mushy filling. You can use either yellow or white onions or shallots for the filling.

Use a handy dandy fork to crimp the sides. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I’m Okay, It’s Okay (A Nod to the K-Drama)

Need these delightful pastries in a hurry or on short notice?  Feel free to start with frozen, pre-made puff pastry or pie crust (won’t be quite as flaky) for the pastry.  Finally, buy Char Siu, Chinese delis make fantastic bbq pork, a huge time saver.  It’s okay!

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Char Siu Soul (BBQ Pork Pastry)

Classic dim sum or tea house dish, bbq pork filling encased in a tender, buttery, flaky pastry.
Course Biscuits and scones, dim sum
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword Bbq Pork Pastry, Char Siu Sou
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling time for dough (min) 30 minutes

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (8-1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter 16 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup cold sour cream

Char Siu Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion or shallots
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
  • 4 ounces char siu Chinese BBQ pork finely diced (homemade or store-bought)

Instructions

To make the pastry: 

  • Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, working it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture. Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.
  • Add the sour cream, and stir until the mixture starts to come together in chunks. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.
  • Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.
  • Flip the dough over, give it a 90° turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Fold it in three again.
  • Wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

Char Siu Filling:

  • In a small bowl, stir together the water, sugar, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir the flavoring sauce into the onion and heat for 30 seconds or until bubbly.
  • Give the cornstarch mixture a final stir and add to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds longer, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the char siu and remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature.

To Assemble and Bake:

  • To assemble and bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the prepared dough into approximately 14-inch square.
  • Using a ruler, trim off the uneven edges to make a 12-inch square, then cut the dough in thirds crosswise and quarters lengthwise to make 12 (3-by-4-inch) rectangles.
  • Place 1 tablespoon* of the char siu filling across the center of each square leaving about ½-inch border on either side for sealing. Overlap the dough over the filling (like enclosing a photo in a letter). Press down to seal in the filling on all sides. If the dough isn't sticking together easily you may dab the inside edges of the pastry with water before folding it closed.
  • Flip the pastry over so the seal is on the bottom, and use the tines of a fork to seal the short edges. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling, spacing pastries 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.
  • Brush the pastries with egg wash, then sprinkle them with sesame seeds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool briefly on a wire rack. These are best served warm, but are good at room temperature.
  • Reheat in a toaster oven at 350 for approximately 5 minutes.

Notes

The pictured pastries are approximately 2 x 3 inches.  Use a generous teaspoon of filling for this size.
The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

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I have been a big fan of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s books for a very long time. I went to my bookshelf to see just how many of her books I have, I counted six. Of these six, my absolute favorite is Rose’s Christmas Cookies. I can’t recall a Holiday Cookie Tin that has not featured at least one of her cookies.  I was eager to take a sneak peek at her newest book coming out, The Cookie Bible.

See below for the recipe for Lemon Madeleines.

 The Layout

  • Intro – brief description and a memory or an anecdotal story for the cookie.
    Temperature, baking time, and equipment – organized into a table.
    Ingredients – listed in volume and weight measurements also organized in a table, easy to see and follow.
    Directions
  • Mise en place-steps that need to be done before making the dough ie. taking out butter to soften or bringing eggs to room temp.
  • Making the dough-If a particular cookie can be made in either a food processor or stand mixer, both methods are listed. I love this.  Followed by:
  • Forming cookies
  • Baking cookies
  • Cooling cookies

All her cookbooks are organized this way, meticulous and thorough. It’s like getting a Master Baking class in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Each recipe finishes with Baking Gems, MORE valuable tips, and tweaks!

The Recipes

I flipped through the book to earmark recipes I wanted to try. This is where I felt like the book came up a bit short. The selection of cookies seemed just a bit dated. Today’s cookies include new flavors and spices and eye-catching colors created by using freeze-dried fruits.

Few recipes in this book jumped out at me and shouted MAKE ME!  Quite a few recipes in the book are also in Rose’s Christmas Cookies. Recipes I already make and love like Cloud Cookies, Meltaways, Lion Paws, and Spritz Cookies.  If I didn’t have Rose’s Christmas Cookies I might have been putting Post-Its on those very pages.  Recipes have been scaled back in the new book to yield smaller batches of cookies, a good thing, as it limits how many cookies I can eat.

 

Read through the recipe before making it.  I found this book even more detailed than her older books.  Explicit directions like when to take the butter and eggs out before making the dough or what type of flour to use for each recipe.

If only I had taken my own advice and read the recipe first

I plowed through the first recipe, Dream Chocolate Chip Cookies, only to be stumped when I found I hadn’t added the egg. Turns out that twenty minutes before making the dough, I was supposed to crack the egg into the mixer bowl, add the vanilla, and cover it so it can come to room temp first. The egg should have been in the mixer when I creamed the butter and sugar.

Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines were next up.  Once again, detailed instructions produced a tender sweet-tart Madeleine.  Next time, I would reduce the poppyseeds, a bit too much crunch.  I actually liked them more the next day as the syrup had time to absorb so the cookies weren’t sticky to touch and the tartness had mellowed.

The Verdict

With all that being said. Here is my take. If you do not own a Rose Levy Berenbaum Cookbook, this would absolutely be a lovely addition to your kitchen.  This book will make you a better baker.  Filled with invaluable tips and technique information, it takes that extra step of explaining why specific ingredients and techniques work in a recipe.  Although there isn’t a photo for every cookie in the book, the photos included are gorgeous.

Happy baking!

I reviewed The Cookie Bible via NetGalley

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Lemon Madeleines

From Rose Levy Beranbaum's upcoming book, The Cookie Bible
Course cookies
Cuisine American, French
Keyword easy recipe, leomn poppy seed madeleines, madeleine, rose levy beranbaum
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

Oven Temp 350f/175c. Baking Time: 14-15 min for large madeleines Special Equipment: Madeleine molds-lightly coat with baking spray with flour. Disposable pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-1/2 inch pastry tube. 2 baking sheets lined with plastic wrap and lightly coated with nonstick spray.

Batter

  • 8.5 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons, unsalted butter 120 grams
  • 2 large eggs 100 grams 1/3 cup plus 1 T, (94ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 5ml
  • 2 tablespoons milk 30 grams (30ml)
  • 1 cup bleached cake flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off 100 grams
  • 1/2 cup sugar, preferably superfine 100 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar 5.25 ounces = 150 grams
  • 2 teaspoons loosely packed grated lemon zest 4 grams (from about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, optional 19 grams I would use a little less

Lemon Syrup

  • 1/4 cup sugar 50 grams
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained 47 grams

Instructions

Preheat Oven

  • 20 minutes or longer before baking, set oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Set oven to 350°F.

Mise En Place

  • 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set on the counter to soften.
  • 30 minutes ahead, into a 1 cup/237 ml glass measure with a spout, weigh or measure the eggs. Whisk in vanilla. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set on counter.
  • Wash lemons with dishwashing liquid, rinse, and dry before zesting. Finey grate lemon zest. Freeze any extra for future use.

Make the Batter

  • Add the milk to the egg mixture and whisk it in.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and optional poppy seeds on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
  • With the mixer off between additions, add the remaining egg mixture in two parts. Beat after each addition, starting on medium-low speed and gradually raising the speed to medium, then beating on med speed for 30 seconds, to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Pipe the Batter into the Molds

  • Fill the prepared pastry bag about 3/4 full with batter. Pipe the batter into the molds. filling them about 3/4 full (4gms for each mini-mold, 16 gms for large cavity). No need to smooth the batter. Refill the bag as needed.
  • Ok, I didn't pipe I just used two spoons and scooped the batter into the molds.

Bake the Madeleines

  • Bake the mini-madeleines for 10-12 minutes, large ones for 14-15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out completely clean and the madeleines spring back when pressed lightly in the centers. While they are baking, make the lemon syrup.

Make Lemon Syrup (1/3 cup/95gms/79ml)

  • In 1 cup/237ml glass measure with a spout, stir together the sugar and lemon juice. Heat in the microwave just until the sugar is dissolved. (Or use a small sauce pan over medium heat.)

Brush the Medeleines with Syrup, Unmold, and Cool

  • As soon as the madeleines come out of the oven, place the pans on a rack, poke the madeleines all over with a wire tester, and brush it with 1/3 of the syrup.
  • Metal molds, use a toothpick or pin to carefully dislodge them from molds and then invert them onto the prepared cookie sheets (this prevents sticking)
  • Brush madeleines with remaining syrup and allow to cool completely. Let sit for 2 hours for syrup to distribute.
  • STORE: Airtight one layer; room temp, 3 days; refrigerated, 5 days; frozen, 3 months.

Baking Gems

  • Use superfine sugar for the best texture
  • After coating with baking spray with flour, brush molds with pastry brush to remove excess spray to prevent air bubbles from forming in the fluted tops of the madeleines.
  • If you do not have enough molds to bake all at once, chill batter in fridge until ready to use.
  • When done, madeleines will spring back when pressed lightly in the center even before they are done.