TWD: World Peace Cookies

I really need to be doing my work work.  I am completely procrastinating, which is so typical of me.  But, I really can't spend much time on this blog entry as I have yet to start working on all the work I should have started 2 hours ago!  

These cookies from Dorie Greenspan's book were AWESOME!  They're a sable-type cookie, so they have an interesting, sandy texture.  The flavor is a nice combination of chocolate and salt, from the fluer de sal.  I may even add more fleur de sal next time!  I can definitely see why they have the potential to create world peace if distributed to the appropriate people!

Daring Bakers: Tuile Cookies!

This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was Tuile Cookies.  The hosts this month were Karen aka Baking Soda at Bake My Day (from the Netherlands) and Zorra aka Kochtopf at 1x umruhren bitte (orginally Swiss, now in Spain).   In addition to making the cookies, you were required to come up with a "light" accompaniment.  I chose to go with the standard tuile flavor that was given to us.  The cookies had an excellent flavor, like a really good fortune cookie.  The only problem I had with mine was in shaping.  They were too hot to handle, but in order to shape them I had to do it when they were RIGHT out of the oven.  Any advice on this?   I paired the cookies with a berry sorbet that was based on this recipe from Epicurious.  Here's my version:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups frozen berries (I used 1 1/2 cups blueberries and 1 1/2 cups raspberries), thawed

1/8 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and salt.  Cook, stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 3 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes.

2. In a blender, puree the thawed berries with the syrup and the lime juice until very smooth.  If desired, strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture (I didn't, but it probably would have been a good idea).  

3.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.  I didn't chill it any more than 30 minutes (because I'm impatient).  Also, since I used thawed frozen berries, they were still very cold.

4.  Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.  

The sorbet was awesome!  It went really well with the tuile cookies, because the sorbet was tart and the cookies very sweet -- they complimented each other.

Following is a recipe taken from a book called "The Chocolate Book", written by female Dutch Master chef, Angelique Schmeinck:

Recipe for tuiles:

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example, I used circles)

Preparation time for batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

65 grams/ 1/4 cup/ 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted, but soft)

60 grams/ 1/2 cup/ 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner's sugar

1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)

2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)

65 grams/ 1/2 cup/ 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of your choice

Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Oven 180C/350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) cream butter, sugar, and vanilla to a paste.  Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites.  Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste.  Be careful to not overmix.  

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.  (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as a butterfly.  Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread batter.  Leave some room between your shapes.  Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored.  Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.  Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape.  These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm again.  (Haven't tried that).  Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open.  The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.  

If you don't want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip.  Pipe the desired shapes and bake.  Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones, etc.

TWD: French Pear Tart

Unfortunately the weather and lighting have not been cooperating for me lately, and I haven't been able to take food photographs.  However, I did make the pear tart for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie.  It was delicious!  I especially loved the sweet tart dough, I probably could have eaten that by itself.  I'm not much in the blogging mood right now, but hey, I'm not much in the mood for anything lately.  What can I say, we're  in the depths of winter and I'm trying not to eat the things I love the most (sweets) -- how much more depressing does it get?!

TWD: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

Ok, so this post is WAY late, and I've already missed another TWD assignment for this week.  But, I have an excuse!  Every year my mother-in-law and I get together to bake Christmas cookies.  Well, I had to save this recipe for the day we were to make our cookies!  Plus, I was hoping the stuff I ordered on Fancyflours.com would arrive in time to make the cookies, so I could make cute little snowflake sugar cookies.  But, no such luck.  However, this cookie recipe was so wonderful, I will definitely be making snowflake sugar cookies using Dorie's recipe soon!  Everyone in my family who was over for cookie-making agreed that this recipe was the best sugar cookie recipe!  The pictures are of my little cousin, Ella, after decorating her sugar-cookies.  I used a special cookie-mold pan to make these.  The pan made the cookies come out really thick and chewy-cakey, which was really a delicious texture and flavor!

Thank You Milwaukee Cupcake Queen!

I want to say thank you so much to Sandy over at mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and FancyFlours!  I randomly was selected as a winner of a $100 gift certificate to Fancyflours.com, thanks to a contest Sandy was hosting.  I got pretty excited by all of the cool stuff I could order on this website, I actually had to delete a bunch out of my cart, because I went way overboard.  I will definitely be shopping their site again!  Here is a picture of all of the items I purchased with my gift card.  I paid a little over my gift card amount, but it was worth it!

Iron Cupcake: Chocolate with a Twist!

This Iron Cupcake challenge was more challenging than you might think with an ingredient like chocolate!  While chocolate is very easy to incorporate into a cupcake, it's not quite as easy to be original, because your mind has to get passed the typical pairings for chocolate.  My initial thought was peppermint chocolate, because I love this combo.  But, after a few other combination musings I decided on orange-chocolate.  It is during this time of year that you really start to see those delicious chocolate oranges that give you the satisfaction of smashing something.  Also, I have memories of my mother always including an orange in the bottom of my stocking for Christmas.  She did this either to A: continue the tradition of fruit as a Christmas present, from back in the day when fruit was virtually unavailable during the winter or B: she needed something to fill the space to make it look like we had more presents.  I think it was A.

Honestly, these cupcakes are amazing, and I don't usually toot my own horn.  I will safely say that these are the best cupcakes I have ever made.  Anyway, this is a competition, so please vote for me here.  I could win the following fantabulous prizes:

-an original work of art from Betty Turbo

-a pair of cupcake earrings from Lots Of Sprinkles

-a piece of artwork from Cakespy

-limited edition cupcake pincushions by Moda Home, complements of Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery and Cupcakery Supply

-Head Chefs by Fiesta Products

-Hello Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

-Jessie Steele Aprons

-the Cupcake Courier

-Taste of Home books

-sponsored by 1-800-FLOWERS

And, without further ado, let me present you with my recipe for this month's challenge!

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart's Chocolate Cupcakes):

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

Zest of one large orange

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 teaspoons orange blossom water + 1-2 tablespoons for topping baked cupcakes

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

2.  Into medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add orange zest and mix.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla and 1-2 teaspoons of orange blossom water..  With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of cream.

3.  Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

4.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Brush tops of cupcakes with more orange blossom water; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with orange-chocolate chip buttercream frosting (recipe follows).

Orange-Chocolate Chip Buttercream (adapted from Wilton's buttercream recipe):

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of 1 large orange

2 teaspoons orange blossom water

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb)

2 tablespoons cream

3/4 cup chocolate chips, chopped into small pieces

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.  Add vanilla, orange zest, and orange blossom water.  Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.  When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.  Add cream and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Mix in small bits of chocolate chips.  Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

  

TWD: Linzer Cookies

This week we made Linzer Cookies for our Tuesdays With Dorie baking endeavor.  They were much simpler than I had anticipated!  They were also very delicious!   It was actually perfect timing, because I had left over hazelnuts from the linzer-based wedding cake I made in the previous post, as well as raspberry preserves left over from that same cake!  I was so happy to not waste anything, for once!  It seems I often have left over ingredients that I forget about and when I do remember them, it is too late!  Not this time!  Thanks TWD!  By the way, if you can't tell, the windows are turkeys.