Michelada Brunch: Austin, TX

A few weeks ago I made my way down to Austin, TX for the second time in as many years. My last trip was to celebrate the marriage of two of my favorite folks and bake them a wedding cake, on a ranch no less! This go-round was a more urban adventure because I was lucky enough to tag along with my boyfriend when he went down to work at SXSW.



He and his crew had lots of work to do recording bands during the day, so I busied myself listening to music, eating tacos and bbq and drinking Micheladas wherever I went. I also dutifully stood by the gear while the guys went to get the van and occasionally fed the parking meter, you know, to earn my keep.

Instead of a hotel, we all stayed together in a little cabin compound with cool modern furniture, outdoor showers for the adventurous and a white fluffy rug whose fibers I am still finding stuck to my clothes, like sand from a beach vacation. Tough life, I know.



After a long week of work, those guys earned themselves a boozy, bacon filled breakfast and since we were staying in a house with a full kitchen and I love cooking a morning meal for a crowd,  I was happy to oblige. It's always a little disorienting cooking in someone else's space so I decided to keep it simple: soft scrambled eggs, a heap of crispy bacon, my favorite fluffy buttermilk biscuits, some Texas citrus, and lots of coffee and Micheladas. Have you ever had a Michelada? They are spicy beer cocktails that I've had a pretty serious love affair with since the last time we visited Texas.

I spent the rest of our trip falling so in love with a man named Sam, some Moonpies, the White Horse and beer koozies that I'll forgive Austin for what it's humidity did to my curly hair. Can't wait to see you again, Austin.



Bonus dog photo! You can call him Dude, or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. Special thanks to Shawn, Pete and Ellie for taking some of these photos while I was cooking for the crew.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Alton Brown
yield 1 dozen

2c flour (White Lily brand if you can find it)
4t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
3/4t salt
2T butter, chilled
2T non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter), chilled
1c buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450º

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. With your fingers, or a pastry cutter, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk, mix until just combined. The dough should be sticky.
4. Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface and gently fold the dough over itself five or six times. Pat the dough out 1'' thick and cut with a 2-3'', floured biscuit cutter.
5. Place biscuits, barely touching, on a sheet pan and bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Michelada (Beer Cocktail)
Serves 1

This isn't really a recipe, but this is how I like to make them.

Take a chilled pint glass and rim it with salt (lime salt would be great here if you have it), if you have something larger than a pint, even better. Fill the glass half full of ice cubes and add a few tablespoons of tomato juice, the juice of a lime, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as many shakes of hot sauce as you can stand (I like Cholula or Tapatio), a few grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Top with a 12oz Mexican beer (I like Modelo Especial) and half of one of the limes you squeezed for their juice, give it a gentle stir and enjoy. You won't be able to fit the whole beer in a pint glass, so if you use one just add the rest of the beer in as you drink the cocktail. I've also heard a few shakes of Maggi Seasoning are a delicious addition, but haven't been able to find it.

Orange Almond Upside Down Cake

I've been taking myself on more adventures lately. Nothing big or fancy, just a short jaunt every now and then to somwhere I've never been before.  I love this city, but the Northwesterner in me longs for more green stuff and fresh(er) air.

I had the afternoon free last Friday and a new camera to test out so I grabbed some film, a snack and hopped an uptown train to visit Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters at the upper tip of Manhattan. The Cloisters house a collection of medieval art and architecture including some damn fine unicorn tapestries and beautiful gardens full of trees and plants depicted in the art. Pretty neat stuff. 

It was cold and bright that day. When I got off of the train I noticed here were very few other people in the park, save a class of kids having lunch and a grounds keeper or two. The quiet was nice and I wandered through the park, following all of the stairways and paths I came across until I got to the museum. 

Admittedly, winter wasn't the best time to visit as there wasn't much going on, but there were signs of spring popping up in the form of crocuses and hyacinths spread throughout the enclosed courtyards. There were even a few citrus trees (maybe mandarins of some sort?) full of fruit in varying stages of ripeness.

It was a wonderful, inspiring afternoon and on my way back through Fort Tryon Park I walked slowly and savored a juicy Sumo Mandarin and let my mind wander a little bit. I'll be sure to visit later in the Spring and Summer when things are a bit greener and to see the fig, quince, and apple trees heavy with fruit.

With the scent of citrus oils on my hands, I thought all of the way home about baking something light and orangey. I knew this simple gluten free cake I spotted on Simple Bites a few weeks ago and was the perfect thing to cap off the day.


Orange Almond Upside Down Cake
adapted from Simple Bites

For the Topping

1 thinly sliced navel orange
2T butter
1/3c sugar

For the Cake

8oz soft butter
8oz sugar
8oz finely ground almonds
3 eggs
1t vanilla extract
2T lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
3oz fine cornmeal
1t baking powder
1/2t salt

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and line a 9'' cake pan with parchment paper. I obviously didn't line my pan and the cake stuck a bit, not too bad, but not good either. So don't be like me, line your pan.

For the Topping

In a medium skillet melt the butter then add the sugar. Over medium heat, cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then arrange the sliced oranges on top of the butter/sugar mixture in a single layer. You may have to slice your slices in half for this.

For the Cake

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3min. Add the almonds and mix thoroughly.
2. Add in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla, zests, and lemon juice.
3. Fold in the cornmeal, baking powder and salt making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the batter is mixed well.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Slide into the oven and bake for 40-45min or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10min, then invert onto a plate or platter to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temp.

Notes:

- This blog is a great resource for fun day trips from NYC that are accessible by subway, train and car: nycitycures.com
- The Cloisters Gardeners keep a blog too: The Medieval Gardens Enclosed

Curried Cheddar Gougéres

I've been trying to write this post about curried, cheesy party snacks for two days, but all I can think about is how I just became an aunt! Two times over! I've been thinking about how my brother is a father to two beautiful girls and my parents are now grandparents and my sister-in-law is a superhero for carrying around those little ladies for nine months. I keep thinking that there are two sweet new babies that I get to go to visit in Seattle to smother in kisses and cuddles as often as I can make it. I keep thinking that I should have made a mountainous birthday cake a few nights ago instead of these curried cheese puffs, but here we are, with party snacks instead of birthday cake. Things could definitely be worse. These tasty little gems are made by mixing together simple ingredients in time tested proportions, then spiced up, cheesed up, heated up, and eaten up, preferably with an icy cold beer.

Curried Cheddar Gougéres
yield about 36 gougéres

1c water
8T butter, cut into slices
1c flour
1t curry powder
1/2-1t aleppo pepper
1/8-1/4t cayenne pepper
1/2t salt
1/4t black pepper
4 large eggs
1 1/4c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats

1. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the butter and water to a boil then lower the heat a bit.
2. Add the flour, salt and spices and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a smooth mass and smells a bit toasty. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture occasionally until it is cooled slightly, about 3min.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each egg is thoroughly mixed in to the flour mixture. Then add 1c of the cheese and stir well to combine.
4. Using a piping bag with a large round tip or two spoons, portion the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets in to tablespoon sized mounds about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4c cheese and bake the gougéres for 5min then turn the oven down to 375º and continue to bake until they are golden brown, 20-25min. Serve warm.

Notes:

- These are great snacks that can be prepared in advance. Just pipe the goúgeres onto lined baking sheets freeze until firm enough to handle, then place them in a zipper bag and freeze. Cook as directed above, allowing a few more minutes of cook time.
- You can also bake them in advance, freeze them and warm them in a low oven when your guests arrive.

Chocolate and Bergamot Cookie Sandwiches

To be honest, these cookies did not start as the deep dark chocolate sandwiches that they eventually became. I had been hemming and hawing about what to do with my very first bergamot for awhile and when I finally decided that some powdered sugar tea cookies would be the way to go, my plan hit a little snag I like to call, "not really reading the recipe before cooking." Rookie mistake. I had my butter and sugar creaming in the mixer and I opened the pantry to find myself undeniably short on flour. So, I grabbed my trusty Callebaut cocoa powder and a little cornstarch, upped the salt and squeezed in some bergamot juice and turned these cookies into a chocolate and citrus pairing. I am normally not a fan of chocolate and fruit together, so I decided to up the chocolate flavor by sandwiching the cookies with a bit of melted chocolate and it worked perfectly to mellow the acid in the fruit. That said, if you don't feel like taking the time to make cookie sandwiches, don't! The cookies bake up crisp and tasty on their own and they are perfect with a nice hot cup of earl grey.

Chocolate and Bergamot Sandwiches
yield about 15 cookie sandwiches

1c softened butter
3/4c powdered sugar
1t vanilla extract
zest of one bergamot orange
2T bergamot orange juice
1 1/2c flour
1/2c cocoa powder
2T cornstarch
3/4t salt
2T cacao nibs (optional)
6oz chocolate to fill the cookie sandwiches

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Set aside
2. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and zest in a medium bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined, then stir in the bergamot juice.
3. Add in the flour mixture and the cacao nibs and stir until just combined. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30min before rolling. While the dough is chilling preheat your oven to 350º.
4. Remove half of the dough from the fridge and roll out on a well floured surface or between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment paper, the dough should be between 1/4''-1/8'' thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on lined baking sheets. If your dough has warmed up a bit, chill the cut cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before baking. Repeat with the other half of the dough and make sure to save and re roll the scraps. Bake for 12-15min, rotating the pans half way through the cooking time, until the cookies appear completely dry and are firm to the touch.
5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10min, then remove to a rack to cool completely. The cookies should be crisp when done. If you find your cookies are a bit soft and crumbly put them back in the oven for a few minutes until they are baked all of the way through.

To Fill the Cookie Sandwiches

1. Turn half of the cookies over to expose the smooth underside.
2. Chop the chocolate very finely and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave. Let the chocolate cool until it is the consistency of mayonaise, about 15min, then use a spoon or pastry bag to fill each cookie with about 1t of chocolate. Top each chocolate topped cookie with another cookie, smooth side down and press gently. Let the chocolate harden completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes:

-Bergamot is the floral, citrus flavor used in earl grey tea.
- If you find that the bergamot flavor is too strong, let the cookies sit for a day or so. The flavors mellow and blend really nicely.
- I haven't tried yet, but I think these chocolate cookies would make an excellent homemade oreo base.
- If you can't find bergamots in your area you can substitute an orange zest and juice.

A Chocolate Cake fit for Celebrations

I take birthday cakes pretty seriously, in fact, I think it is one of my adult culinary responsibilities to be able to make kick ass birthday cakes. They can be tall and chocolatey and covered with fluffy frosting like this one or a bit more humble, maybe without any frosting at all. All I care about is seeing my pals smile and make a wish for themselves while bathed in flattering golden light from a mass of burning candles poked into the top. Can you think of anything more magical than an edible monument of joy that we are encouraged to stick with candles and set on fire? Me neither.

The recipe below is for my go to chocolate cake and my favorite chocolate frosting which I admit is a bit more labor intensive than American style buttercream. I won't blame you if halfway through you are standing over your mixer cursing me, but I promise if you see it to the end you will be rewarded will the smoothest, creamiest chocolate buttercream you've ever tasted.

Chocolate Cake
yield 1, 3 layer, 10'' cake

4c sugar
3 1/2c flour
1 1/2c cocoa powder
1T baking soda
1T baking powder
2t salt
2c milk
1c canola oil
1/2c sour cream
4 large eggs
1T vanilla extract
1 1/2c strong coffee

Preheat oven to 350º and prepare 3, 10'' cake pans by buttering, flouring and lining with parchment paper (see note for other size options)

1. Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Put the sifted ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer (or very large bowl) and stir well to combine.
2. In a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk together the milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stop the mixer, scrape down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, then turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
3. Turn the mixer back down to low and slowly pour in the coffee. Stop the mixer and scrape down to the bottom of the bowl and finish the stirring by hand.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean. Double layers of cake will take 35-40min to bake.
5. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 min then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
yield, enough to fill and frost a 10'' cake, plus a little extra

For the Ganache
18oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2c heavy cream
1T vanilla extract
1T strong coffee or espresso
1/4-1/2t salt, depending on your taste

For the Meringue Buttercream
5 egg whites
1 1/4c sugar
1lb butter, room temp
pinch salt
1T vanilla extract

To Make the Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan heat the heavy cream over medium heat until just before it boils. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the mixture sit for 5 min, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, coffee and salt then set aside the mixture to cool until it is cool but still soft. Don't let it harden completely or you will not be able to whip it into the frosting.

To make the Swiss Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch, 5-7min.
2. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 10min.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to low and add the salt then add butter a few tablespoons at a time and beat the frosting until smooth. During this step it is very likely that the frosting will "break" and you will think you messed up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks sometimes too. All you have to do is turn up the  speed on your mixer for a few seconds and the frosting comes back together. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated then add in the vanilla.

To Make the Chocolate Swiss Buttercream

1. Whip the room temperature ganache into the meringue buttercream until no lumps remain. The finished buttercream will be glossy, smooth and fluffy.

To Assemble the Cake

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and trim the cakes so the tops are flat. Place one layer onto a serving platter or pedestal and spread about 1 1/2c of the frosting onto the cake in an even layer. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Finish by placing the last layer on top, trimmed side down so the top of the cake will be nice and flat and crumb free. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30min. (My apartment was so cold when I did this step, I just put my cake by the window for a few minutes, ha!) Pull the cake out of the fridge and add a second, heavier coat of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with cacao nibs and chocolate sprinkles. Serve at room temp. Store any extra frosting in an airtight container in the freezer where it will keep for a few weeks.

Notes

- I usually bake this cake in 3'' tall pans. I fill one about 2/3 full and trim it cake into 2 horizontal layers, the remaining batter is used to make the other layer.

- You can also make a nice tall 9'', 3 layer cake with this amount of batter. For this option you will need  3'' tall cake pans. If you don't have 3'' tall pans I suggest you divide the batter between 4 pans instead of three. Confusing, I know. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, apt2bbakingco(at)gmail(dot)com.
- This chocolate cake tastes equally great with a simple vanilla buttercream if that is more your speed.- I used Cordillera Cacao nibs that I got from the Pantry at Delancy to garnish this cake and they are the most delicious nibs I've ever used. If you are anywhere near Seattle, you should pick them up and try to take a class while you are at it!
- The sprinkles came from Seattle Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. which is an incredible hole in the wall shop with a very helpful and knowledgable owner. Again, if you are in Seattle and you need any cake or cookie decorating supplies, this is your spot. You can find similar sprinkles online here.

Parsnip Macaroons

I know that I am not alone when I say that I love parsnips because when I posted the bouquet of them that I happily carried home from the grocery store yesterday, I got quite the response. Ok, a percentage of those responses were from a certain family member of mine (hi mom!), but still, Parsnip Lovers Unite! With cookies! I know it sounds a little bizarre to bake with something usually used in savory preparations but I find that if you choose the right specimens, parsnips are just as sweet as carrots with a more complex flavor profile. The inspiration to bake them into macaroons came from Alice Medrich and her Spicy Carrot Macaroons that I've been meaning to try for ages. With a few substitutions they baked up into little golden haystacks perfect for teatime. The parsnip flavor is subtle, like a spice note in the background that pairs really nicely with sweet maple syrup, crunchy almond and chewy coconut.

Parsnip Macaroons
inspired by Alice Medrich's Spicy Carrot Macaroons
yield 18-20 cookies

2 egg whites
3.5oz unrefined cane sugar
2oz maple syrup
1t vanilla extract
1/4t lemon zest
1/4t salt
3oz unsweetened shredded coconut
4oz finely chopped almonds
4oz peeled and finely shredded parsnip (or carrot) make sure to choose small, slender parsnips as they are sweeter than their larger counterparts.

Preheat oven to 350º

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest and salt until frothy.
2. Add in the coconut, almonds and shredded parsnip and stir well to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the sugar to melt and soften the coconut.
3. Set the bowl over a double boiler or in a skillet of simmering water and stir the mixture, making sure to get down to the bottom of the bowl. Cook until the mixture is very hot and the liquid in the bottom of the bowl has thickened and turned slightly opaque, 5-7min.
4. Using firm pressure, form the mixture into heaping tablespoon sized pyramids and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The mixture will be quite loose and it helps to wet your hands to form the cookies OR just use a cookie scoop. Slide the sheets into the oven and bake the cookies until they are deep golden brown on the edges, 20-25min. Make sure to bake them thoroughly, mine may have been a bit underdone.
5. Let the cookies cool completely on the parchment sheets, peel them off carefully and store at room temp, covered loosely for 3-4 days. As they age they will become softer and the lemon zest flavor more pronounced.

Rice Pudding with Old Fashioned Oranges

It's easy to hibernate in New York in the winter. It's cold and grey, the wind whips through the buildings straight to my bones, and the walk from my warm cozy apartment to the subway seems immeasurably long. This season, in an effort to spend more time together and keep ourselves from getting too lonely, some pals and I are going to make an effort to have a Sunday meal together a few times a month, a Sunday roast if you will. I don't know about you guys, but I will pretty much always show up when someone invites me for dinner, public transportation and weather be damned. Our inaugural dinner was a few weeks ago and I offered to bring along a sweet something to end the meal. I knew I needed something that was easy to transport and I wanted it to be both comforting and light, so I turned to the most comforting dessert I could think of then lightened it up with a healthy dose of citrus. Then, because it's winter, I put some booze in it. These chilled, boozy oranges are the perfect foil to creamy rice pudding and the perfect thing to share with friends, elbow to elbow, in someone else's warm cozy apartment. Now, getting up from the table and heading home is another story.

For the Pudding
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts

1c arborio rice
4 1/2c milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2c sugar
pinch salt
1 cara cara, navel or blood orange
3/4c heavy cream
1 egg yolk

1. In a medium bowl zest the orange directly in the sugar then scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds into the sugar mixture. Rub the sugar, zest and seeds with your fingers until it is all evenly distributed.
2. Supreme the orange over a bowl, and squeeze the membrane to extract as much juice as possible. Strain off the juice and reserve for later, you should have between 1/4-1/3c of juice. You will use the orange segments later as well.
3. In a medium saucepan combine the rice, milk, salt, sugar mixture and vanilla bean pod. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30min. Remove the vanilla bean pod, rinse it off and save it for another use.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolks and reserved orange juice. Slowly add the hot rice mixture while whisking constantly. Return the entire mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the mixture boils and thickens, about 10min. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving. This can also be served room temperature or chilled. If you find the chilled rice pudding is too firm, loosen it up by stirring in a few tablespoons of milk or heavy cream.

Old Fashioned Oranges (like the cocktail)
Adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

4 cara cara, navel or blood oranges (plus the one from the rice pudding)
2/3c sugar
3T whiskey

1. Zest the oranges into a medium sized bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut away the tops and bottoms of the oranges then using a sharp knife, cut the white pith away from the fruit and discard it. Over the bowl with the reserved zest, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane and seeds, letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl, add the reserved orange segments and juices from the rice pudding. Add the whiskey, then arrange the fruit and juices in a shallow dish, something like a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Spread the sugar into a large, dry skillet over medium heat and cook without stirring until the sugar starts to melt into a clear syrup. Turn the heat down a bit and continue cooking the syrup without stirring, you may shake the pan a little to distribute the sugar evenly.
3. When the syrup begins to color, stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to make sure it colors and cooks evenly. When the syrup is amber in color, remove it from the heat and stir until the syrup is a reddish amber color, the color of medium dark honey.
4. Immediately pour the hot caramel over the oranges, they may spit and sputter a bit. The caramel will harden when it comes into contact with the oranges. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 2 days. In that time the caramel will slowly melt into a syrup, perfect for drizzling.

To assemble:

Layer the rice pudding and oranges in small dishes and garnish with chopped pistachios, I forgot to add them in these photos.

Notes:

- The host made some chocolate espresso cookies that we served alongside the pudding and it was a fantastic combo.

Saffron Vanilla Sugar Cookies

I like to keep the spice cabinet open while I cook dinner so I don't forget that I have a whole mess of things that can make my meals more interesting, but it's a dangerous mess in there. Every time I add something new I vow to clean and organize the damn thing. Maybe 2012 will be the year I do it; especially after the little episode that led to the making of these cookies. Let's just say the spice cabinet is above the sink, I pulled something out, turned away, and when I turned back there was an entire container of saffron floating in a bowl of (clean) water. Cue sad trombone. I fished out as much as I could with a tea strainer, switched gears and got to work making a very saffron heavy meal. Lemonade out of lemons, right? These cookies were inspired by the legendary Saffron Snickerdoodles sold by Blue Bottle Coffee Co., but as I was putting them in the oven I realized a handful of things that I should have done to make a more accurate representation. That said, these aren't much like the cookies from Blue Bottle, but they have crispy edges, soft centers and a really pleasing complex flavor.

Saffron Vanilla Sugar Cookies

2 3/4c flour
2t cream of tartar
3/4t baking soda
1/2t salt
8oz softened butter
1 1/2c plus 1/4c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
large pinch saffron threads

1. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
2. In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron into a powder with a small pinch of sugar.
3. Add the saffron and vanilla bean seeds to the sugar and rub the mixture together with your fingers to distribute the seeds evenly.
4. Cream the sugar with the softened butter until very light and fluffy, about 5min. Add the eggs, one at a time, then slowly add in the flour mixture.
5. Form the cookies into 2T sized balls, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, cover and chill overnight. You can bake the cookies immediately if you like, but I find the cookies spread less after a night in the fridge which helps them have crisp edges and thick, soft middles.
6. When you are ready to bake, heat your oven to 400º. Roll the cookie balls in the remaining 1/4c sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it) and place them 2'' apart on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12min, rotating half way through the baking time. When they are done they will be very light golden on the edges.

Notes:

-My mom informed me that you shouldn't consume too much saffron at one sitting because it slows your heart rate, we all survived this time...
-Rumor has it that the Blue Bottle Cookbook will be out in 2012
-If you can't commit to using saffron in cookies (I understand) these cookies are a great base to add other flavors, try some citrus zest or spices.
-I might attempt these cookies again, using a different base recipe. I'll post my findings on the end of this one.

Gingerbread Cookie Clouds

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you may have noticed that I have been spending a bit of time away from APT 2B. There was just too much exciting stuff happening without me back home in Seattle so I decided to spend a nice chunk of time with my family and friends out west this holiday season. So here I am, in the great Northwest making wreaths and pine cone garland and chasing my parent's chickens around the back yard. It is glorious. I get to cook and bake for all of my favorite folks who I don't get to see too often and I have had lots of time to tackle some of my favorite holiday recipes. I usually make these gingerbread cookies to decorate the mantle in our apartment, but they are just as good for tea time. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you all get to spend time with the folks you love most.

Gingerbread Cookies
from Simply Recipes
yield about 3dz, 3'' cookies

3 1/4c all-purpose flour
3/4t baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1T ground ginger
1T cinnamon
1/4t ground cloves
1/2t finely grated nutmeg
1/4t finely ground black pepper
1/2t salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then the molasses.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. You may need to use your hands to finish the mixing as the dough is quite stiff. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

When you are ready to bake heat oven to 350°.

1. Place one half of the dough on a lightly floured board, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4'' thick if you prefer chewier cookies, 1/8'' thick if you prefer crunchy. Use a cookie cutter or stencil to cut out desired shapes. If you find the dough is too soft to cut into shapes, try refrigerating it on a sheet pan for a few minutes, then proceed to cut out your desired shapes.
2. Place the cut outs onto ungreased sheet pans or pans lined with silicone mats. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have just barely begun to brown. Cool the cookies on the pans for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cook completely. Decorate as desired.

To Decorate

Royal Icing
from Simply Recipes
yield, enough to decorate about 3dz, 3'' cookies with lines and dots or about 1/2 that amount if you are filing in the cookies completely

1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1. Combine all of the ingredients and beat with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until stiff peaks form. See this link over at Simply Recipes to learn how to cook this icing to make it safe for pregnant ladies, old folks and kids. I used the microwave method because I know my pregnant sister in law was going to eat these cookies and the icing turned out great.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a #2 or #3 round tip and the stiff icing to add lines, shapes and dots to your cookies. You can also use this icing to outline cookies you plan to flood completely, as I did with my clouds. To fill the clouds, simply dilute the icing with a few drops of water or lemon juice and fill in the outlines you've made. For more detailed instructions, I have linked to a video below.

Notes
- For detailed decorating instructions I have to defer to my girl Martha. I've linked to a video where Martha and Aisha Tyler decorate sugar cookies, but all of the techniques are the same. Fast forward about 1/2 way through to get to the decorating part.
- I've made the Martha Stewart gingerbread cookie recipe in the past, but I find that the one above makes for a chewier cookie due to the slightly higher fat to butter ratio. I also prefer this combination of spices which is a bit milder than Martha's.
- These make great cookie ornaments, just pierce a hole in the top of the cookies before baking, decorate and put them up on your tree (or mantle). Remember to bake the cookies thoroughly and the cookies will puff a bit so make sure to make the hole big enough to put a string through.
- I got my incredible, handmade cloud cookie cutter from Herriott Grace.

Edible Holiday Gifts: Spicy Caramel Cashew Corn

Every year around this time I try to take up knitting. I've always wanted to give hand knit hats and scarves and chunky cowls as gifts, but every year I get about 20 rows into the same scarf and give up. Patience for learning new tasks is hard for me to come by these days. The thing is, I really love to give hand made gifts. So after giving up on knitting and purling I inevitably end up in the kitchen stirring boiling hot pots of sugar, rolling out cookie doughs and pulling the sprinkles down from the top shelf to decorate cookie ornaments. Over the years I've built up quite a repertoire of tasty gifts and this caramel corn is one of my favorite snacks to bring to a holiday party. It also looks oh so cute packed up in little jars or bags for party favors. It is salty, sweet with just a hint of heat from the cayenne pepper and it is totally addictive. I use mushroom corn here which is a super fluffy variety of popcorn that is just perfect for holding lots and lots of tasty caramel and can handle the stirring without breaking, but good old fashioned jiffy pop works too.

Spicy Caramel Cashew Corn
yield about 2 quarts of finished caramel corn

3T oil
1/2c popcorn kernels (mushroom corn if you can find it)
2c sugar
3T butter
1T salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t cayenne pepper
1t cinnamon
1/2t freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups salted cashews

To Pop the Corn

Use an air popper OR if you are like me, do it on the stovetop

1. Heat the 3T of oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat, drop a few un popped kernels in there while the oil is heating. When the kernels pop, the oil is ready to go.
2. When the oil is hot, toss in the 1/2c of popcorn kernels, put on the lid and shake the pan back and forth a few times to coat all of the kernels with hot oil. As the popcorn pops, shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent the bottom kernels from scorching. Once the time between "pops" slows down to a few seconds, it's done. Immediately turn the popcorn out into a large bowl.
3. When the pop corn is cool, carefully go through and remove all of the un-popped kernels then pour the cashews on top of the popcorn, without stirring them in.

For the Caramel

1. Lightly oil 2 wooden spoons or spatulas (these will be used to stir the caramel into the popcorn) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly oil it (this will be used to cool the caramel covered corn).
2. In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat add the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2c water. Bring the mixture to a boil (without stirring) and let it boil vigorously until it turns a light golden caramel, 10-14min.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the spices and baking soda. The baking soda will make the mixture foam and expand so make sure you are using a large pot. The spices will cause the caramel to darken in color.
4. Immediately and carefully pour the caramel over the popcorn and cashews, grab your oiled spatulas and start gently tossing the mixture together. Keep stirring until the corn and cashews are evenly coated, then turn the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and gently separate the kernels. You don't need to go crazy here, but try to get it in an even layer.

To give as gifts

Package a few cups of the corn in a mason jar, weck jar, or pretty glassine bag tied with a ribbon and a label.

Notes

- To wash all of your caramel covered bowls, spoons, and pots just soak them in really hot water and all of the sugar will just melt off.
-You can buy your own mushroom popcorn kernels here. I've ordered from JustPoppin.com quite a few times and their customer service is great, plus I really like their name.

Quince Frangipane Tartlets

I know I just mentioned it, but my family really does send the best care packages. Last week I got a sweet smelling box full of quince straight from my ma and pa in Seattle. If you've never had the pleasure, quince are a magical little fruit. They are lumpy and bumpy, sometimes covered with fuzz and totally inedible when raw, but when cooked they turn a rosy hue and taste kind of like a tropical, floral pear. Fancy! Theses guys were a little worse for wear from the trip across country so I took the prettiest of the batch and simply poached them to use in these fab tarts. I know frangipane sounds complicated, but its really just some ground almonds mixed with sugar and eggs, and the tart dough is a cinch to put together too. Just mix up the ingredients in a food processor or with your hands and pat it into a tart pan, no rolling required. Oh, and the gnarliest quince of the batch became a preserve perfect for the Thanksgiving table that I will share soon.

Poached Quince
makes enough for the tarts, plus some extra for snacking

5c water
2c sugar
1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4'' wedges
1/2 vanilla bean or 1t vanilla extract
4 medium quince, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

Over medium heat, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon, vanilla bean and quince and stir gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook the quince gently until they are soft and fork tender, but not mushy. This can take from 20-40 minutes depending on how ripe your quince are and how thickly they are sliced

Store the quince in their syrup until you are ready to use them. Serve the extra with yogurt or ice cream, or enjoy them as they are.

Pate Sable, Sweet Tart Dough
from Dorie Greenspan
for 1, 9'' tart or 6, 4'' tartlets

1 1/2c flour
1/2c confectioner's sugar
1/2t salt
9T cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk (save the white for later)

1. In the bowl of a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the yolk and pulse until the mixture begins to clump a bit.
2. Lightly butter your tart pan or pans and gently press the crumbly dough into the pan. Make sure to evenly coat the bottom and the sides while being careful to not compact the dough too much. You may have a bit of extra dough, save it just in case you have to repair any cracks later on. Freeze the tart shell for 30min.
3. Preheat your oven to 375º and bake the tart shell (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden, repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough. Cool the shell on a rack while you prepare the rest of the tart.

Frangipane, Almond Filling
Again from my girl, Dorie Greenspan

6T soft butter
2/3c sugar
3/4c ground, blanched almonds
1 egg plus one egg white (leftover from making the dough)
2t flour
1t cornstarch
1t vanilla extract
1t almond extract
pinch salt

In the bowl of the food processor, combine the butter and sugar and pulse until smooth. Add the almonds and blend. Then add the flour and cornstarch followed by the egg and egg white and finally the extracts and salt. Mix until just combined.


To assemble

Spread the frangipane into the cooled tart shell or shells, it should come up just below the edge of the shell. Remove the wedges of quince from their poaching liquid and lightly drain them on a paper towel. If you are making mini tarts, I suggest slicing the wedges even thinner before placing them on top of the frangipane in a decorative pattern. If you are making one large tart, arrange the quince wedges in a decorative pattern on top of the frangipane, you will need about 2 total quince for this.

Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350º oven until the crust and frangipane are golden and set, 20-30min for tartlets and 45-50min for a large tart. Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Notes:

- I always grind the almonds for the frangipane in the food processor before making the dough and I don't bother washing out the bowl in between recipes. A little ground almond residue won't hurt the crust at all and then get this, I make the frangipane in the same bowl without washing it. So now you know my little secret, I hate doing dishes in my teeny tiny sink.
-This recipe is also fantastic with poached pears instead of quince.
-Do you love quince too? Here is another great quince recipe from the archives.

Emmer Wheat Bread

In our apartment, each season comes with it's own pattern of light that travels across the floors and up the walls as the days get shorter and shorter. There were a few choice shots on the last roll of film I took that proved, despite this weird warm weather we have been having, fall is here in earnest. At last, it's time to wear sweaters and eat soup and bake lots and lots of bread to eat with all of the lovely jams that we put up all summer. I ate these hearty rolls with apple butter and made some pretty excellent tomato sandwiches with the last of the summer tomatoes.

Emmer Wheat Bread adapted from Beard on Bread
yield: 2 small loaves or 16-20 dinner rolls

4 1/2t yeast
1T sugar
2c warm water (110ºF-115ºF)
4T butter
2T molasses
1 1/2T salt
3c hard wheat flour (I used hard red wheat)
2 1/2-3c emmer wheat flour (whole wheat would work here too)
1 egg beaten, for egg wash
oats or seeds to sprinkle
2T melted butter, if making rolls

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2c of the warm water and let proof while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, remaining warm water, molasses and salt. Then add the yeast mixture.
3. Add the whole wheat flour and 2c of the emmer wheat flour to a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, then stir in the yeast mixture. If the dough seems very sticky and soft add more emmer flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until you have a soft and tacky, but not sticky dough. I used an entire cup of additional flour.
4. Continue to knead the dough in the stand mixer or by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and let rise in a warm, draft free area until doubled in size, about an hour.
5. After it has risen, gently press the dough to remove air bubbles, at this point you can divide the dough into two loaves, or 16-20 rolls.
6. To make the rolls, divide the dough into 16-20 even portions and roll into balls. Roll the balls in melted butter and place them in a 13x9 baking dish and cover loosely with a towel to rise. To form loaves, pat each 1/2 of the dough into a rectangle about 6'' wide and 8'' long on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough from the short side, away from you, pinching the crease each time the dough meets itself. Gently place each loaf into a lightly greased loaf pan, seam side down, and cover loosely with a towel to rise. For both loaves and rolls, let the dough rise in a warm draft free spot until doubled in size. While the dough is rising a second time preheat your oven to 425ºF.
7. After the dough has risen a second time, brush the loaves or rolls with an egg wash and sprinkle seeds or oats on the top to garnish. Slide the bread into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 375ºF and bake the loaves for an additional 20-30min until they are browned and sound hollow when tapped. The rolls will need about 10-15 minutes at 375ºF and are done when they are nicely browned on top. Let cool before slicing.

Notes:

My brother and sister in law are excellent gift givers and they sent me a box chock full of fun, food goodies including a variety of flours including the hard red wheat and emmer that I used in this recipe. Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour for either or both, although you may need more water than is called for here. Also, emmer flour is quite low in gluten and the bread will rise less than traditional whole wheat dough.

Brown Butter Apple Pie Bars

I'm a big fan of the portable dessert: brownies, cookies, hand pies, things that can be eaten with your hands and are easy to transport and share. I made these bars from a mishmash of recipes for a friend's work shop opening/birthday shindig/end of summer extravaganza where there was a whole roast lamb, grilled corn on the cob, coolers full of frosty cold ones, and lots of revelers. When I unwrapped the dishtowel protecting these babies, the call of brown butter must have been irresistible because they were gone before I could even get a photo of them in the pan. I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys this, but sometimes food tastes best when scooped up with a plastic fork and washed down with an icy cold beer, napkins optional of course.


Brown Butter Apple Pie Bars
yield: one 13''x9'' pan, 24-30 bars
Note (9.10.2012): I have made these bars quite a few times since originally publishing this recipe and have found that you can reduce the butter in the crust to 12T, omit the butter in the filling, and substitute up to 3/4 whole wheat flour in both the crust and the crumb topping with no adverse results. In fact, I think the addition of whole wheat flour makes these bars taste better!

For the Brown Butter, Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust
adapted from Alice Medrich

14T butter, cut into cubes
1/2c brown sugar
2t vanilla extract
1/2t salt
2c flour

Preheat your oven to 350º and line a 13''x9'' baking dish with greased foil or parchment paper.

1. Brown the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn light brown and the butter has a nutty fragrance. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. When the butter has cooled a bit add it to a medium bowl and add in the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir. Add the flour and mix until completely combined, don't worry if the mixture seems a little greasy. Press it into the prepared pan and bake it until it is golden, about 20 minutes. Set the baked crust aside to cool.

While the crust is baking and cooling prepare the filling

Apple Filling
adapted from CakeSpy

2T butter
1/4c brown sugar
6 large apples, peeled and cut into thin slices (I used ginger golds and macintosh, but any pie apples would work)
1T cinnamon
1/4t freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt

1. Melt the butter and the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples stirring occasionally until they have softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the spices and salt, then stir well to combine.

Crumb Topping
adapted from CakeSpy

1 1/2c oats
1c flour
3/4c light brown sugar
1t cinnamon
1/4t baking soda
3/8t salt
12T butter, softened

1. In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, then add in the butter and mix with your hands until it holds together in clumps.

To Assemble

Spread the apple mixture evenly over the prepared crust, then top with the crumble mixture and press down lightly.
Bake the bars at 375º for 30-40 minutes until the crumb topping is golden. Cool completely before cutting into 24-30 squares.