The Ultimate Macaroon

Passover sweets are notoriously bad. Even with a host of cakes, candies and confections to choose from, the end result is always the same--regrettable. Fortunately, there is the macaroon. Simple and delicious, these cookies are light, chewy and nothing like the macaroons you find in the cardboard canisters. A virtual oasis in a kosher desert. Adorn with an artful schmear of chocolate and consider the cardboard canister ancient history.

Coconut Macaroons, Adapted from Ina Garten's Coconut Macaroons

1 (14 oz) bag of sweetened coconut

1 (14 0z) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites. Using two teaspoons, drop the batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

This is Not a Brownie

This is not a brownie. Sure it has the makings of a brownie with its creamy, dense center; nuts and chocolate chips, but this is not a brownie. There's no flour, no eggs, no baking soda. Unusual? Maybe. Brownie? Definitely not. Creamy, chewy and slightly sweet, it is the most satisfying little square you will ever lay your hands on. Perhaps this is beginning to sound a lot like a...nope, it's not. This is not a brownie. It's a dirty blondie.

Dirty Blondies

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (Honey Maid is best)

6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

1 2/3 cups of pecans, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

Method

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. If you do not have a mixer, you can cream it by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. The batter is very thick, so it's best to mix it by hand. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 11x7 pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the pan to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready. Do not bake them longer than 22 minutes. They will continue to set up once you take them out of the oven. Let cool for 30 minutes and cut into small squares. Enjoy these little bites warm with a glass of ice-cold milk or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

From Baking Dish to Bowl: Blackberry Cobbler

A proper cobbler consists of the following: a rich fruit filling topped with a golden, crisp crust. It is essentially a lazy woman's pie. No crimping required. With its tart blackberry filling and sweet, cinnamon sugar crust this cobbler is completely irresistible and the kind of dessert you will want to make again and again.

Method

Blackberry Cobbler

For the crust:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp kosher salt

For the cinnamon sugar:

Combine 2 tsp granulated sugar with ¼ tsp cinnamon.

For the filling:

4 ½ cups of blackberries, rinsed and picked over

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups white sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp butter, sliced

Beat the two sticks of butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, sift and add it slowly to the butter mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a flat 1-inch thick disk. Refrigerate the dough for one hour. While the dough chills, mix together the blackberries, lemon juice and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the blackberries and mix. Pour the mixture into a pre-greased 7x10 inch baking dish, evenly place bits of butter in the filling and set aside.

Once the dough has chilled, roll it out onto a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Using a floured jigger glass, cut the dough into small ½-1 inch rounds and cover the filling completely. Brush the dough with 1 tbsp of melted butter and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. If making ahead of time, wait to brush the dough with butter and cinnamon sugar until you are ready to bake the cobbler. Place the cobbler on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-1 hour or until golden brown and bubbling. Allow the cobbler to rest 5 minutes, slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Fall Baking

Last week, my mother and I baked a pie from scratch. I'll use the word pie loosely. Falling somewhere between a cobbler and a crumble, the results were rustic and less than picture perfect. Having examined our missteps and stumbles, we headed back to the kitchen determined and driven. I refused to be defeated by pastry. After finding a simple recipe for blueberry pie, it was time to go shopping.

Three groceries stores later and still no blueberries in sight, we opted for a blackberry and raspberry pie instead. The second attempt was far more successful. We rallied. Our grocery shopping complete, it was time to tackle the pie crust. Not wanting to recreate the horrors of my first encounter with pate brisee, I first made sure that all of my ingredients were extremely cold. I began by measuring the flour and butter and placing it in the freezer. This will ensure that you achieve the perfect, flaky crust and not something in between. A food processor is another invaluable tool. It processes the dough quickly, thereby preventing over-handling. Ours went from the food processor to the refrigerator in about two minutes.

After an hour in the refrigerator, it was time to roll out the dough. The dough rolled out with relative ease and given my last attempt, I was pleased to have crust in the pie pan. It's not that I have low standards, I simply revel in little victories.

While the crust chilled, I began making the filling. I adapted the filling from the blueberry pie I had intended to make, adding lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. I also adjusted the amount of sugar, increasing it from 1/2 cup to 1 cup, since berry pies generally trend toward the tart side.

Before placing my pie in the oven, I quickly brushed it with egg wash for a golden, glossy finish and set the timer. As the ruby red juices bubbled out of the pie, my parents and I hovered around the oven, anxiously waiting to take it out. It wasn't more than five minutes before we began digging into the pie. We served each slice in big bowls, the filling spilling out onto the vanilla ice cream to create the most lovely shade of pink. It was a messy, delicious concoction and it could not have been anymore perfect.

Blackberry & Raspberry Pie

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

Makes one 9 inch pie

All purpose flour, for dusting

Pate Brisee

8 cups of fruit (5 ½ cups blackberries and 2 ½ cups raspberries)

1 cup of sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon of milk

Directions:

1. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-glass pie plate, pressing it into edges. Trim dough to a ½ inch overhang all around. Fold edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner; transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Place fruit in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about ½ cup of the berries to get the juices flowing. Add sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Remove dough from refrigerator and place over the filing. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired.
3. Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and milk. Brush surface with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F with rack in the lower third of the oven.
4. Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating the pan halfway through, until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40-50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool.

The Triumphant Return of the Sheet Cake

Whatever happened to the sheet cake? Growing up, I remember them at every birthday party I ever attended. Then, at some point, the sheet cake disappeared. Undoubtedly usurped by other class favorites like cupcakes and cookies, it was soon forgotten. After careful thought and consideration, I decided to bring the sheet cake back. I simply had to find a way.

Earlier this week, my mom and I drafted our menu for our Rosh Hashanah dinner. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish new year and the meal commences with apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year and offers all the traditional favorites like brisket, challah and kasha, a healthful buckwheat grain best enjoyed soaked in gravy. Did I mention it's good for you?

With our menu nearly complete, the only question remaining was dessert. After rummaging through my mom's recipe box, we landed on a recipe for the 1886 Chocolate Cake. A rich chocolate cake topped with a decadent chocolate and pecan icing. Sweet with a little bit of crunch--truly, the quintessential chocolate cake. To make things even better, it was a sheet cake.

The preparation was simple enough too. Mix flour, sugar and salt with a mixture of melted butter, water and cocoa powder. Once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, add eggs, vanilla, baking soda and buttermilk. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes and spread a thick layer of chocolate icing on top. Remarkably simple, scrumptious and fast, victory is sweet with the return of the sheet cake.

1886 Cafe and Bakery Chocolate Cake

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 3 quart mixing bowl, sift together and set aside:

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour-sifted

1/2 tsp salt

Melt in a heavy saucepan and add to the above:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup water

4 Tbsp cocoa

Mix well.

Add and mix with the above:

2 eggs, beaten with a fork

1/2 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in it

1 tsp vanilla

Pour into a lightly greased an floured pan. Bake as follows

13" x 9": 25-30 minutes

15" x 10 1/2": 15-20 minutes

For the Icing:

Melt in a heavy saucepan:

1 stick unsalted butter

4 heaping Tbsp cocoa

Add 1/3 cup milk and heat to nearly boiling

Add:

1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

pinch of salt

Mix well and pour over cake. Cake freezes well or can be stored in the refrigerator. Stays moist if tightly covered with foil or plastic wrap.

Sweet Rewards

After spending the entire week reorganizing my Nana's old recipes, I felt it was high time to reward myself. Having had a craving for cookies all week, the choice was clear. I decided to try my Nana's recipe for sand tarts. In theory, these crunchy, crumbly cookies are the perfect sweet little bite. In practice, the sand tart is often dry and practically flavorless. Appalling is it not? Never one to serve up a bland cookie, I took up the challenge with relish.

At first glance, everything seemed to be in order. Sifted flour to keep the cookies light, loads of pecans for added crunch and a healthy dusting of powdered sugar for extra sweetness. However, as the dough came together, it became clear that it needed a little help. There is nothing more disappointing than flavorless dough and we all know where that road leads--flavorless cookies. I started with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, which added a layer of warmth and complexity to the cookies, followed by the addition of plain old sugar. It's amazing what a little sugar can do, elevating the recipe from blah to brilliant. After 12 short minutes in the oven, my sand tarts were ready for the final touch--a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon for the ultimate sweet finish.

Sand Tarts

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter

4 tsp sugar

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted and divided

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and baking powder. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is fully incorporated. Fold in the pecans. Give the dough a quick taste test. If it needs additional sugar, add it one teaspoon at a time until you achieve the right level of sweetness. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Sift together the remaining cup of powdered sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon. Set aside. Shape the dough into crescents and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. While the cookies are still warm, cover them in powdered sugar. Since the cookies are rather delicate, I use a mesh sieve to sprinkle the powdered sugar over the sand tarts. That way, you avoid the always upsetting sight of broken cookies. Yields 2 dozen.

Perfect Blueberry Sauce

After much research and taste-testing, I managed to concoct what I believe to be the perfect blueberry sauce. Like any basic fruit sauce, you begin with a base of equal parts sugar and water. To that I toss in a generous helping of fresh blueberries and let the magic begin. I add pure vanilla extract in combination with lemon juice and lemon rind, which gives the sauce a sweet, slightly tart bite. I use both the lemon juice and lemon rind to develop a more complex lemon flavor. The oil from the rind renders a concentrated flavor, while the juice is much milder in comparison. Both of these ingredients are fabulous flavor boosters and you can use the zest virtually anywhere you use the juice. Plus, you don't even need to break out your zester, just toss it in the pot and let it go. I learned this trick courtesy of the fabulous Ina Garten. Now who says television can't be educational? But I digress--back to the sauce. The final ingredient that takes this sauce from good to great is ground nutmeg. If you can get your hands on freshly grated nutmeg, it will be all the more delicious. All you need is a pinch, but it rounds out the flavor perfectly. The end result is a beautifully rich, deep purple sauce, loaded with antioxidents--albeit slightly hidden ones.

Perfect Blueberry Sauce

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

1.5 cups of fresh blueberries

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 whole lemon rind

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour blueberry sauce into a fine-mesh sieve and press on the blueberries to extract all the juices. Discard the solids. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate+Orange

It's around Christmas time that I especially look forward to noshing on a few sweet treats. Every year, my family and I drive to Lubbock, Texas to visit my grandparents and spend the week in a veritable food coma. Stacks of cookie tins line the kitchen counter, while my grandfather sneaks off to uncover the canister of homemade fudge he has been stashing away all week. As I sift through the tins, I find all of the familiar favorites: buttery sugar cookies topped with red and green sprinkles, homemade toffee and chocolate espresso cookies dredged in powdered sugar. I can feel the sugar high already. Of course for me, the sweetest treat always awaited me at home. As the car pulled back into the driveway, my brothers and I raced into the living room and ceremoniously dumped the contents of our stockings onto the living room floor. There lay three oranges, nuts galore and my absolute favorite Christmas treat--the chocolate orange. Now, I realize that not everyone appreciates the magic of the chocolate orange. There are those that find this flavor combination odd. Unusual flavor combinations aside, I believe there is one thing on which everyone can agree--whacking them open on the countertop is absolutely fantastic. You just can't do that with a fruit cake.

As I was reflecting on all these Christmas memories and my beloved chocolate orange, I began toying with the idea of turning my favorite Christmas treat into a cookie I could enjoy year round. I combined toasted pecans with orange zest, dark chocolate, and a pinch of cinnamon. The end result is toasted pecan, orange, and chocolate cookies--the perfect treat to hold you over over until next Christmas.

Toasted Pecan, Orange and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1.5 tsp orange zest

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

½ - ¾ cups of dark chocolate chips (depending on your level of chocolate obsession)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the pecans for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily! Remove the pecans from the oven and chop them up. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and both sugars together. Mix in the egg, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk all the dry ingredients together and add the dry ingredients in thirds. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 12 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. After they've cooled, grab a few cookies, a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!