Frosted Chocolate Cake

Frosted Chocolate Cake - made June 12, 2015 from Delightful E Made

Loved the cake, thought the frosting was too sweet. That would sum up this recipe for me so I’m not sure what else to say about it.

In essence, it’s another version of Texas Fudge Cake. I think I’ve got chocolate cakes down to an art form as long as I can make it in a 9 x 13 pan and not worry about layers, stacking them or frosting them. This was a really good chocolate cake – great flavor and cakey texture that’s just right. Bake only until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs so you get that moist, fluffy texture. 

Some might like the sweetness of the frosting so I’ve included it as is below. If you’re like me and are not a frosting person, try substituting some of the sugar for unsweetened cocoa powder and thin with a little milk if it’s too stiff. The cocoa powder will give it more chocolate punch and temper some of the sweetness.

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (1 stick)
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup water
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting
¼ cup milk
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
½ cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows (or 10 large marshmallows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar and salt together. Set aside. 
3. In saucepan, add butter, oil, cocoa, and water and on medium heat, bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over dry ingredients and stir until combined. 
4. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk, and add to mixture. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool.
5. For frosting: In medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar, and butter stirring often. Promptly remove from heat after mixture comes to a boil. Add in chocolate chips and marshmallows, and beat until both are melted and smooth. Let cool for about 1-2 minutes, while stirring often. Pour frosting over cake, and let set. 

Pop Up Shop: Annie the Baker Cookies

Annie the Baker Cookies - pop up shop on July 2, 2015

I’ve written before about my culinary school classmate, Annie, who, after we graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in St Helena, went on to become the executive pastry chef at Mustard’s Grill then eventually opened her own business: Annie the Baker Cookies. She sells online and at local farmers’ markets in Napa Valley as well as supplies local businesses with her cookies.

I’m happy to say I was able to get her into our pop up shop at work as well. I love our pop up shop for exactly this opportunity it provides to small businesses to have a different avenue with which to sell their wares and get additional exposure. Annie went through the normal pop up shop vendor vetting process and set up shop the day before our 4^th of July holiday. I have to admit I was a little bit concerned about the timing as I didn’t know if a lot of people would be taking off early for the holiday and whether there would be enough people on campus. Annie bounced numbers off me on how many cookies she should bring – 400 or 500? She normally sells 300-350 cookies during a typical morning at the Napa Valley Farmers Market. I thought it was better to err on the side of caution, meaning it was better to have leftovers than to run short. Plus, let’s be honest, I’m a fan of Annie’s cookies so I would have been more than happy to buy up the leftovers. Because I’m a good friend like that….

It was the super busy period for my group but I managed to pop out early when Annie’s pop up shop was supposed to initially open at 11 so I could lend moral support and buy cookies for my hardworking team. They were just finishing the set up so I was her first customer and promptly bought an assortment of a dozen cookies. I had the double intent of sharing the goodness with my coworkers but also creating some buzz internally so if people liked her cookies, they could go to the pop up shop and buy some as well. I had also arranged for my friend K to come visit me for a late lunch that day as she’s met Annie and tried her cookies before so K could also provide some cookie business and moral support. 

It turns out all of my precautions and concerns were for naught. When K arrived around 1, Annie had been open for close to 2 hours. Pop up shop hours are 11-3:30. We stopped by to say hello and her cookie jars were about half full with most of the cookies and I knew she had backup containers to refill the jars so I figured we were fine despite the people now clustered around the pop up shop buying cookies. I was thrilled and relieved Annie was getting business and her pop up shop appeared to be a success.

Ha, turned out that was an understatement. When K and I returned after getting salads, we were greeted with only 2 cookie jars left that had any cookies. Everything else was sold out and it wasn’t even 2 o’clock yet. While we were standing there getting an update from Annie on how things went, more people kept coming by and buying up the last of her cookies. By the time we left (and we didn’t stay that long), she was down to a handful of cookies.Not surprising if you like great cookies and have tried Annie’s. She told me she had brought 425 cookies. She was sold out by 2:15 and had to close up shop early when she ran out of cookies to sell. K wasn’t even able to get her favorite (and mine) of the Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies as Annie had run out. Good thing I had bought the dozen earlier that morning as that was all I was able to get as well. No, I didn’t eat all 12 since I shared but I ate the Milk Chocolate Toffee before K had even arrived because – you know – cookie.

The cookies I bought to share

Annie and I are kindred spirits when it comes to cookies. We both believe they have to be chubby not thin, chewy not cakey and moist not overbaked. She prides herself on erring on the side of cookie dough more than baked cookie. Apparently she’s not alone because I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t like an Annie the Baker cookie. I’m hoping she’ll be asked back to have another pop up shop and the people who didn’t get to try them the first time will have another shot at it. If you’re not able to see her at the Napa farmers’ market, she does sell her cookies online and you can choose your own assortment. I will always go with the Milk Chocolate Toffee but it’s good to have choices. 

Peanut Butter Extreme

SugaRainbow

Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Semisweet Chocolate Chip

Tuxedo Cookies

Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookie

Annie the Baker, almost sold out

This cookie got sold while we were standing there

SugaRainbow

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough June 6, 2015 from Big, Soft, Chewy Cookies by Jill Van Cleave

Second recipe I tried from Soft, Thick, Chewy Cookies and this one fared better than the standard one for Chocolate Chip Cookies. It’s all about adding that second “Chocolate” in the title and in the dough. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to mix together for the dough. The trick is in the baking. You don’t ever want to overbake cookies (or they’ll be dry) and you don’t especially want to overbake chocolate cookies. Because, you know, what a waste of chocolate.

But it’s easy to do since you can’t go by the color of the cookies as they’re baking because, yeah, they’re chocolate. “Golden brown” on a chocolate cookie just doesn’t work. I time chocolate cookies but I confess, sometimes I forget how long a batch has already been baking so I default to the appearance test. You want to bake the cookies only just until the middle no longer looks raw and shiny. The cookies will be puffed up but there shouldn’t be too many cracks yet. It’s okay (more than okay) if the middles sink a little after you take the cookies out. If they stay puffy, chances are you’ve overbaked it. It’s okay to underbake chocolate cookies since the chocolate will set as the cookies cool and that’s how you end up with a moist fudgy texture.

These weren’t super-duper chocolatey (see Essence of Chocolate Squares for my chocolate standard) but were chocolatey enough to earn their moniker. They did live up to the source cookbook title in that they were soft, thick and chewy. 

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Set aside to cool. 
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, milk and vanilla and blend. 
3. Add melted chocolate and stir until just combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 
5. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, cover and chill or freeze until firm, several hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and space dough balls evenly. 
7. Bake until middle no longer looks raw, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Big Soft M&M Cookies

Big Soft M&M Cookies - made dough June 27, 2015 from Pinch of Yum

I had to use up the rest of the bag of red, white and blue M&Ms, right? No better time than now to try out this recipe for M&M cookies. I almost didn’t choose this recipe to test out because they had no butter in them, just shortening. I am not a fan of shortening. Butter girl here.

I recognize the value of shortening in a cookie recipe, don’t get me wrong. It helps the cookies keep their shape better and don’t add the same melting properties of butter. But when it comes to flavoring a cookie, it ain’t butter. And I’m snobby enough not to go with butter-flavored shortening because – shudder – the only thing worse than not having a butter flavor is having a fake butter flavor. Fake butter. Let’s not go there.

Those prejudices aside, this turned out better than I expected. Loved the thickness and texture. Wasn’t as enamored of the flavor of course but still, it was fairly decent. The M&Ms add the chocolate component and the candy shell gives it a bit of crunch without having to add nuts (nuts in most cookies = all kinds of wrong). Plus they’re seasonally correct and they look cute.

Happy Birthday, America.

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2½ cups flour (+ 2-3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups M&M's

1. In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, white sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixers on low speed until well mixed. 
2. Add the 2½ cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
3. Add the extra tablespoons of flour until the dough feels thick and almost dry to the touch. Stir the M&M's into the dough. 
4.  Roll into large balls and press extra M&M's into the tops. Chill or freeze until thoroughly chilled.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and space frozen dough balls evenly. 
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes (they will be slightly underbaked). Remove from cookie sheet after a few minutes and place on cooling rack. Cool completely.

Pop Up Shop: Chantal Guillon (macarons)

Chantal Guillon - June 4, 2015

Next to Cream in Palo Alto is a French macaron shop. I normally wouldn’t pay it any attention since I’m not a fan of macarons but my friend Lisa raved about them and said they were really good. I always intended to go by there “someday” and check it out but parking is a pain in that part of Palo Alto and I never really made the effort to go.

But the pop up shop at work is fantastic because the shops come to us. All I have to do is step outside my office building, walk some yards and there I am. Since such little effort is required on my part, I had to at least try a couple even though I still have such a prejudice against macarons. Just about all of the ones I tried have been too sweet for me and that includes the height of macaron uppity-ness, meaning Laduree of Paris.

When it comes to my prejudice of the hapless (and to me, over-hyped) macaron, I am clearly in the minority. The Chantal Guillon pop up shop turned out to be quite popular and one of the most well-patronized pop up shops I’ve seen. Even though I went fairly early, there was already a line, one which had grown longer by the time I made my purchases and left. Good for them.

I decided on two macarons – the red velvet and the salted caramel. They had a bunch of other flavors but those were the only two I wanted to try. I liked the macaron cookie part of the red velvet macaron; the outer layer was crisp with just the right amount of chewiness. The flavor was good too. But alas, the filling was too sweet for me. 

With the salted caramel, I had the opposite evaluation. I loved the salted caramel filling but the cookie part was too sweet and didn’t have the crispiness of the red velvet cookies. In essence, my perfect macaron would have been the red velvet macaron with salted caramel filling. 

I’m glad I tried them and I’m glad the pop up shop did so well but I have to admit, I still don’t get the hype around macarons. However, if you’re going to have one, it’s ideal to have them from someplace good and apparently Chantal Guillon is one of those good places.