Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough April 21, 2013, recipe adapted from The Well Traveled Wife

Here's a slightly different twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie: coconut lovers, put on your running shoes and prepare to do some laps in case you want more than one.  This is different than the usual chocolate chip cookie, not just because of the addition of coconut but also because it uses coconut oil instead of butter.  I've never baked with coconut oil before so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  At a minimum, I guessed the cookies wouldn't spread very much because coconut oil is somewhat solid like shortening and anything with shortening instead of butter has less spread.  And yep, I was right on that one as these stayed nice and chubby.  By my math, chubby in a cookie = good.

The coconut oil has another purpose in the recipe in that it imparts - wait for it - yes, a coconut undertone to the cookie that's achieved even without adding the coconut itself to the dough as a mix-in.  I got a jar of coconut oil by that enabler of online shopping known as amazon, coupled with The Super Enabler known as prime membership and free two-day shipping.  However, if you're in a Trader Joe's, turns out they also carry it for even better instant gratification.  I saw a neat row of jars on the shelves above the refrigerated section in my Trader Joe's, near where the slabs of chocolate and plastic containers of ready-made cookies hang out.

If you love coconut, you'll probably like this cookie.  The nice thing about baking with coconut oil, at least in this recipe, is that it imparts that subtle coconut undertone but doesn't taste artificial.  I don't bake with coconut extract because it tastes artificial to me but I had no problem with the coconut oil in this cookie.  I still added coconut itself to the dough for both the taste and the chewy texture but if you left it out, you'd still get that coconut flavor from the oil.  This also wasn't greasy or leave a bad mouthfeel as some baked goods made with shortening sometimes do.  Overall, a nice change from the traditional chocolate chip cookie.

 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips   
1.5-2 cups shredded coconut 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a cookie sheet, or line with a silpat.  
2. In a mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the the coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla extract. 
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder with whisk.  Mix the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture a little bit at a time with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.  Add in the chocolate chips + coconut and mix well.  
4. Drop by small rounded spoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 8 - 9 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.

Cocoa Brownies

Cocoa Brownies - made April 20, 2013 from Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

This was the third and last dessert I included in my Boston care packages.  Can't have a care package without some kind of brownie, right?  For the brownie base, I used one of the recipes from my Fat Witch Brownies baking book.  Past recipes I've tried from the book shows they're pretty rich and decadent.  This recipe uses cocoa for the chocolate punch and, as long as you use a high-quality cocoa, you can usually count on cocoa-based brownies to offer a deeper, darker chocolate flavor than brownies made only with unsweetened or semisweet chocolate.  That being the case, I knew I could add my nutella crunch topping as a good counterpoint for sweetness and crunch to pair with the dark richness of the brownie.  Because the whole point of making brownies is to make them as decadent as possible.  Otherwise, the chewing effort and calories won't be worth it.

Make the brownies as directed below.  You can leave them plain or click on the link in the previous paragraph for the nutella crunch topping (start with a half recipe or 2/3 of it, depending on how thick you want the topping layer to be).  I've made it so often, I just wing it when I'm putting it together: usually equal parts Nutella and chocolate chips melted together with a tablespoon (or so) of butter then once it's all melted, add as many Rice Krispies as you can work into the mixture.  If you want a more gooey topping, skimp on the Rice Krispies but I prefer to cram them in there for maximum crunch. Once it's completely cooled, cut into small pieces, eat one and give the rest away or wrap them up and put in your freezer for future consumption (these freeze well).  There's something about a decadent brownie that's meant to be savored and enjoyed, just enough to leave you satisfied but not so many that you feel sick and guilty afterwards if you eat too many.  Plus, your waistline will thank me later.  

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup unbleached flour

½ teaspoon salt

1. Grease a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan with butter.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat just until it is melted, but not brown.  Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cocoa powder and sugar to the butter and whisk until well blended.  Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each until the mixture is smooth and shiny.  Add the vanilla and whisk until mixed well.
4. Measure the flour and salt and sift together into the batter.  Mix the batter gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.
5. At this point, if desired, stir in any extras like walnuts.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour.  Cut just before serving.

Lemon Coconut Bars

Lemon Coconut Bars - made April 20,2013 from My Baking Addiction

In case you haven't noticed, I'm going through a teeny, tiny lemon-coconut flavor combination obsession phase.  That would explain why I tried out yet another lemon bar recipe with coconut when I've stuck so long with my standby lemon bar recipe.  This one turned out okay.  The coconut I sprinkled over the lemon curd layer sank into the layer rather than staying on top which I expected so halfway through baking, I took it out and sprinkled more coconut on top to stay on top.  That worked but it still didn't come out as well as I had hoped.  This was more of a coconut lemon bar than a lemon bar with coconut.  I think I prefer the latter.  I also prefer Alice Medrich's crust and the method of baking the lemon bar with the pure lemon layer, glazing it with lemon royal icing and sprinkling toasted coconut on top.  The flavor was still good but the tartness of the lemon is more muted with the sweetness of the coconut.  I prefer more of a flavor contrast. 

Texture-wise, I always like the chewiness that coconut adds to any dessert so this was still good; it just isn't my favorite lemon bar recipe.  I know I sound like I'm damning by faint praise but remember I bake all the time and have a high bar.  My friends tell me my "okay" rating usually translates into a much higher-than-okay point on their food rating scales.  In fact, one of the people who partook of one of the Boston care packages rated this one her favorite amongst the three desserts in the package.  So it's all a matter of taste and preference. The nice thing about dessert?  There's no wrong answer.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cold butter 
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly.
3. Press into the bottom of baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Baking for Boston: Peanut Butter Pound Cake

Peanut Butter Pound Cake - made April 20, 2013 from Glimmer Twin Fan

Boston has been on my mind since the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  I've consciously avoided the news coverage on the perpetrators - I think justice should be done but I refuse to rubberneck over the darker side of humanity. It would keep me too focused on the horror people can do to one another and there's just too much of that in the news. I would much rather pay attention to and be inspired by the heroes the tragedy brought out: the first responders who rushed into the danger that others fled from, the bystanders who helped injured men, women and children, the police who worked to keep people safe, the journalists who sought to do responsible, accurate reporting despite the danger of their surroundings and so many more examples of courage, compassion and goodness.

Not surprisingly, one of my coping mechanisms to deal with tragedy is to bake.  Most importantly, it's also to share what I've baked.  Which is what I did with the next 3 recipes (the other 2 to follow).  My friends in Boston and in one case, the newsroom where one of them works, were the recipients of these.  I like to share and I couldn't think of a more deserving group.

What went into my Boston care packages

It's always hard to mail anything with frosting in a care package but I really wanted to make this cake.  I'd seen it on pinterest a little while ago and I knew pound cakes kept better over several days and are better able to survive being mailed.  It's hard to send a frosted bundt cake through the mail and expect it to make it intact after a 3000-mile journey though so I baked them in these paper loaf pans and left them in there to cool before I frosted them with the chocolate peanut butter frosting.  I kept the frosting fairly contained within the loaf pans and it was easy to completely encase them in plastic wrap, put each in a ziploc bag and line them up side by side in the mailing box, wedged in so they wouldn't move.  I covered them with those plastic air packs from my (many) amazon shipments so that there would be no space to move between the loaves and the top of the box.

That was the practical aspect of mailing them.  Now for the taste.  This made a lot of batter so I was able to get 5 paper loaf pans and a ramekin out of them.  The ramekin was important since that was my taste test serving.  First, let me set up that I'm indifferent to peanut butter.  I like it well enough but if I had to prioritize a list of flavors, peanut butter wouldn't prevail over chocolate, caramel, coconut or lemon, for instance. Second, I've previously mentioned I'm not a big fan of frosting.  I either like my cakes plain or with just the barest smidge of frosting. I've been known to scrape frosting off of cakes and just eat the cake, no matter how many times my frosting-loving friends roll their eyes at me.  Now that I've done that set up, let me tell you......OMG, I loved this cake.  The texture was amazing and the peanut butter flavor wasn't overwhelming.  I also - OMG - really loved the frosting.  There, I said it.  I loved the frosting.  Not too chocolaty, not too peanut butter-y but a perfect blend of the two flavors.  Plus it was a nice creamy texture that went well with the cake.  Love.  I did discover later that I had likely underbaked the loaf pans a tad (I kept one back to bring to work and mailed out the other 4) but, based on the feedback from my recipients, I don't think it was too underbaked as they seemed to like it.  I got a flurry of very nice thank you emails from the newsroom - it's always nice to hear people enjoyed what you sent them :).  That was my tiny, tiny little part in trying to do good for others after that tragedy.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
5 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk, whole or low fat (I used whole milk)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Prepare a large tube or bundt pan by greasing and flouring it. Set pan aside. Update: A couple people have commented that their cake overflowed while baking. This recipe makes a large cake and I used a large tube pan. Only fill your bundt/tube pan up about 3/4 full. Don't let the extra batter go to waste though, make some muffins or a small loaf.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and peanut butter and continue mixing. Add the eggs, one at a time. Wait until one egg is fully mixed in before adding the next one. Add vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture. Alternate between the flour mixture and the milk, using about a fourth of the ingredient at a time. Always begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix completely.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 - 70 minutes (adjust baking time based on your pan size(s). Start checking to see if it is done at 60 minutes using a wooden toothpick. Continue checking every 5 minutes to make sure it does not overcook. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then remove it from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Dust with powdered sugar or frost as desired.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter, creamy
2 cups powdered sugar
Milk (amount varies based on consistency desired)

1. Cream butter and peanut butter.
2. Add powdered sugar and milk while mixer is set on low. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you are happy with the consistency.
3. Pour over the top of the cake.

For Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting, melt 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate squares, cool slightly, and add to the butter and peanut butter mixture. Proceed with the rest of the instructions.  Don't worry if the frosting is too thick or thin, just add small amounts of milk to thin, or powdered sugar to thicken.

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies - made April 19, 2013 from Chef in Training

I've had this recipe pinned forever and had yet to make it.  It was an intriguing concept: cinnamon rolls in sugar cookie form?  The basic principles are the same: you make a sugar cookie dough (actually, it's more like a sour cream cookie in that it's more cakey than chewy), roll it out, smooth a cinnamon brown sugar "filling" over the dough, roll into a log and cut into rounds.  When I first made this, the dough was really soft.  I mean, really soft.  It took some doing and a bit of flour to coax it into a log and wrap it in parchment paper to chill in the refrigerator.  Then, even after it was chilled, when I cut it, I could barely see the filling and it certainly didn't look like there was any kind of spiral action going on.  Fortunately, however, once it baked, the spiral filling did make itself seen.  Mine didn't have the neatest cinnamon-roll appearance but since you frost it with cream cheese frosting, that doesn't matter too much.  I liked the taste of these cookies.  They're a bit cakey while I prefer my cookies chewy but they were pretty good and really are reminiscent of cinnamon rolls without the bother of yeasted dough and rising times.

Although the recipe says to place the cookies in the refrigerator after you frost them and before you serve them, that's more to preserve the frosting.  Refrigerating cookies tends to dry them out.  If you're not serving these right away, I recommend leaving the cookies at room temperature and making the frosting and frosting them right before serving.  I would also recommend baking these the same day you serve them for freshness' sake.  You can always make the dough through the step of rolling the cookie dough with filling into a log, wrap in waxed paper and place in a freezer bag.  Freeze until the day you're serving them.  Let the log thaw (very) slightly before cutting and baking.  I baked a half recipe of these cookies in two batches on two separate days for different occasions and the cookies slice better and bake to better appearance after the dough is frozen at least overnight.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Roll Center
8-12 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, divided

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk, to thin icing

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12" x 5". Spread each rolled piece of dough with 1-2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Alternatively, instead of refrigerating, you can bake a batch the day you're going to serve them and frost at the last minute.

Salted Caramel Nutella Chocolate Tartlets

Chocolate Caramel Tartlets - made April 19, 2013, recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

I had one of those baking weeks where I had two key ingredients on hand (a quart of milk and a little sour cream) but was missing other key ingredients (buttermilk, heavy cream). So naturally when I was looking for something to make when I met my cousins for dinner last Friday, I kept coming across recipes that needed buttermilk and heavy cream.  Honestly, it's like going to a black and white ball and you've got the strappy shoes and the little black dress but only eye-searing pink or lime green accessories. You either make do or you go without. I had no time to go to the store or I was being stubborn and wanted to use up what I already had before I bought something else.  Or I was just going to improvise.  Which is what I did with these tartlets. 

I had all the ingredients for the tartlet dough so that was easy enough.  The dough turned out somewhat soft so I chilled it for 30 minutes first before rolling into dough balls, dropping in mini muffin tins and using my tart shaper from Pampered Chef to make the tart shells.  I love this thing.  It's such a huge time saver and makes neat little shells, not to mention it minimizes working the dough too much with your hands.

Since I didn't have heavy cream to make the caramel, I used ready-made salted caramel from Williams Sonoma which I warmed up slightly for easier pouring and filled the cooled and baked tart shells with the caramel.  I also couldn't make the ganache because I didn't have heavy cream so I topped off the caramel with a layer of nutella, also warmed slightly for easier pouring.  A few sprinkles of fleur de sel and ta da! - Salted Caramel Nutella Chocolate Tartlets were born.  These may not have been what David Lebovitz had in mind (his original recipe is below) but it worked for me.  If you need a little chocolate, caramel and/or nutella fix, these are bite-sized goodness.  The tart shell was chocolaty but not sweet so it made for the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the caramel topped with the hazelnut chocolate of the nutella.  Plus the sprinkling of fleur de sel brought a bit of the salty to go with the sweet.

Chocolate Dough
4 ounces (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (110g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (35g) rice flour
(or use 1 cup, 140g, all-purpose flour, total)
6 tablespoons (50g) cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process

Salted Caramel Filling
4 ounces (115g) soft, salted butter caramels
3 tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream

Ganache
4 1/2 ounces (130g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (90ml) heavy cream
flaky sea salt

1. To make the tartlet dough, beat the butter and the sugar just until smooth in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cocoa powder, then mix it into the creamed butter.
2. Butter the indentations of two mini-muffin tins with 12 places in each, or one mini-muffin tin with 24 places. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll each into a 3/4-inch (2cm) ball. If the dough is too soft at this point, chill for 30 minutes.  As you work, put the dough balls in the indentations of the muffin tins. Take your thumb and press the dough down in the center of each indentation, then use your thumb to press the dough up the sides (or use tart shaper if you have one).  Freeze the pans of dough for 20 minutes (I refrigerated instead of freezing and that worked fine).
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
4. Bake the tartlet shells for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough appear dry and cooked. Remove from oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to widen and smooth the inside of the little tartlet shells (or use the tart shaper if you have one), pressing the dough that’s puffed up somewhat firmly against the sides. Let cool completely, then remove the tartlet shells from the muffin tins – the tip of a paring knife might be needed to help aid them out – and set them on a wire cooling rack.
5. Make the caramel filling by warming the cream with the caramels in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Divide the caramel into each of the tartlet shells.
6. Make the chocolate ganache by heating the cream in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then whisk the chocolate into the cream until the mixture is smooth.
7. Top each tartlet with some of the ganache and take a butter knife or small metal spatula and swipe off the excess. Sprinkle each tartlet with a few grains of sea salt.

Caramel & Chocolate Chip Brownies

Caramel & Chocolate Chip Brownies - made April 13, 2013, recipe adapted from The Whimsical Cupcake

I've hit 200 followers - woo hoo!  I know that's probably a modest number compared to other bloggers but considering how busy I am and how I have to squeeze in time to work on my blog (mostly on weekends), I'm pretty happy with it.  Now I have almost as many followers as baking books, lol. 

This is the third and last dessert I made for our family get together last weekend.  The original recipe from The Whimsical Cupcake (click on the recipe title to take you to her blog post) used Oreos in the brownies.  I opted to use caramel and chocolate chips.  I used her brownie recipe though as it looked so thick and scrumptious on her blog.  Hers came out thicker than mine.  I think I need to use a slightly smaller pan next time if I want that thickness.  This is essentially a cocoa brownie and the chocolate flavor you get is entirely dependent on the type of cocoa you use.  For deep, dark chocolate flavor - and there's almost no point in eating a brownie that doesn't have it - use high quality cocoa like Scharffenberger or Pernigotti.  You want a dark cocoa for that chocolate flavor.  If you're ever in any doubt about the quality of the cocoa and the richness of its taste, compare the colors of a Hersheys or other "grocery store" cocoa against Pernigotti or Scharffenberger.  The difference in color is remarkable.

This is a good brownie to pair with caramel because the dark chocolate of the brownie is complemented nicely by the sweetness of the caramel.  Although the directions say to mix until just combined, do mix it enough to make a glossy thick batter.  As long as you're mixing it by hand, there's little risk of overmixing and making a cakey texture but you do want to mix it enough to emulsify the melted butter into the batter.  Otherwise your brownies will be greasy as the butter will run out if it's not mixed enough.

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
⅔ cup cocoa powder (measure then sift to get rid of lumps)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup salted caramel sauce (homemade or store bought - I used the one from Williams Sonoma)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9×13 baking pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Leave an inch hang-over on each side for easy removal once the brownies are done.
2. Melt butter in a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Measure flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Stir the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time until each is combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from oven, drop dollops of caramel over the hot brownie and smooth thinly over top layer (it doesn't have to be even). The caramel should melt over the hot brownie. Scatter chocolate chips on top of the caramel. Let cool to room temperature, then cut into squares.

Brown Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles

Brown Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles - made April 13, 2013 recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pods

I've done Brown Sugar Snickerdoodles, Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles, Snickerdoodle Blondies, and I could've sworn I've done Brown Butter Snickerdoodles but apparently I haven't.  Let me rectify that.  And I'll throw in some caramel while I'm at it.  Because I used the Kraft caramel candies, the caramel was more chewy than melt-y once the cookies had cooled.  It was still good though and added to the chewiness of the cookie.  It was hard to get a clear picture of it but you can see it in the inside of the cookie below.

One thing I did find challenging: I always form the cookie dough into balls and freeze them overnight before I bake them.  Before I baked these, I rolled them in the cinnamon sugar but had a hard time getting the cinnamon sugar to adhere to the frozen dough.  I don't know if that's because of the composition of the dough with the brown butter in it but it was unthinkable to have a snickerdoodle that wasn't covered in cinnamon sugar so I persisted.  Through trial and error, I discovered letting the dough balls thaw for even a few minutes allowed the coating to stick more.  So I would suggest you take the dough balls out of the freezer right before you turn on your oven to preheat, then roll them in the coating right before your oven reaches the desired temperature.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (I used sour cream)
1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's

For Rolling the Cookies:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Form the dough in a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Measure out 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a disk.  Place caramel in the center of the dough and wrap the cookie dough around the caramel, covering it completely.  If freezing the dough balls, place in freezer bags and freeze for several hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the slightly thawed dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on a large baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookie tops with sea salt if desired.
7. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. The centers will still be soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Pecan-Crusted, Coconut-Topped Lemon Bars

Pecan-Crusted Coconut-Topped Lemon Bars - made April 12, 2013, recipe adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

I don't often try new lemon bar recipes since I already have one that I like but they're one of the desserts I'm asked for most often and when I get tired of making the same recipe, my recipe ADD tendencies kick in and I go sniffing around for a new one to try.  I needed these for a family picnic but wanted to kick things up a notch from the typical lemon bar.  I was still smarting from overbaking the Lemon Coconut Blondies so I wanted redemption.  I modified this recipe from Alice Medrich, using her crust recipe but making the lemon layer more in line with my tried and true lemon bar recipe.  Then going the extra pound mile with a lemon royal icing glaze sprinkled with toasted coconut.

Oh my. This may be one of my favorite versions of lemon bars.  You may want to double the recipe below and bake in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Yep, they were that good.  I'm normally not an advocate of nuts in baked goods but chopped toasted pecans in the crust was an inspired touch (thank you Alice Medrich). Don't cheat and not toast the nuts or you won't get that good toasted flavor.  I made several desserts for our family gathering (to follow in the next couple of posts) but I think these were the hands-down winner amongst my relatives.  It got the highest accolade not just from my parents but also my aunt and uncle: "it's not too sweet".  High praise indeed.

Crust
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted nuts (I used toasted pecans but you can also use hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, etc)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (please don't use that bottled stuff, you want a real lemon for optimal flavor)

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, just enough to make the glaze a runny consistency
1/2 cup toasted coconut

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust: Place the flour, sugar, salt and nuts in a food processor.  Pulse until the nuts are finely ground.  Add the melted butter and vanilla and pulse just until the dry ingredients look damp and the mixture begins to clump around the blade.  Remove the dough and knead it a couple of times to be sure it is evenly mixed.
3. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is fully baked, well browned at the edges and golden brown in the center.
4. For the topping: Whisk sugar, flour and baking powder together.  Add eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice, whisking until smooth.  Pour over hot crust and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the topping no longer jiggles when the pan is tapped.  Set on a rack to cool completely in the pan.
5. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, whisking until smooth.  Pour evenly over baked lemon bars and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Let glaze set and lemon bars cool completely before cutting.

And for your viewing pleasure, some of the other food we had at the family gathering:

My uncle caught this fish - 25 inches and 9 pounds - it was tremendously delicious

My mom's shrimp pesto pasta

My mom's BBQ ribs - they were the first to go

My cousin's fried rice

My cousin's chicken satay skewers - always a favorite

Crock Pot French Toast

Crock Pot French Toast - made April 12, 2013 from 366 Days of Pinterest

I normally use my crock pot for savory dishes and have yet to try a dessert recipe in it.  I've been leery about it given how watery anything I've made has come out in the slow cooker and I'm not in favor of watery desserts.  But I had discovered a family-owned grocery store several miles from me and in my quest to buy local, I also found that they sold challah made by a bakery just a few towns south of me.  I tried it and unfortunately it wasn't as good as the challah I buy from Trader Joe's. On the bright side though, I was able to let this loaf sit on my counter untouched for a few days with the intent of using it for bread pudding.

I found this recipe on pinterest (of course) and decided to give it a whirl.  It's just as easy as any other crock pot recipe I've tried, maybe even easier.  You cut the bread, mix the custard and let the bread soak in the custard mixture overnight.  It took even less time to mix the pecan topping the next morning to pour over the bread mixture in the crock pot.  This only took a couple of hours on the high setting.  The edges were a little firm but not dry and it was really good bread pudding (or call it French toast if you prefer).  It's always hard for me to get a good picture of bread pudding.  But this tastes better than it looks.

If you want to plan ahead, I would recommend this for a Mother's Day brunch - just set it to cooking in the crock pot a couple of hours before you need it then serve with no muss, no fuss.  Whether you're the mom who doesn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on your day or the kids/hubby who want to make something special for your mom on her day, this is a good option.  The original blog I got it from mentioned bringing it to a potluck brunch and it easily works for that as well since you can serve it warm out of the crock pot.

1 loaf of bread sliced or diced (I used a 1-lb loaf of challah)
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping
1/4 cup butter softened or melted
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Dash of nutmeg

1. Whisk together eggs, milk and cinnamon and pour over diced bread in a large bowl. Cover an let it soak overnight in the fridge or at least 4 hours. I soaked mine overnight.
2. When ready to bake, spray the inside of the Crock Pot (4-6 quart sized works best) to avoid sticking. Pour in bread mix.
3. In a small bowl mix together butter, brown sugar cinnamon, pecans and nutmeg. Crumble of the top of the bread mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and serve.