White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies

White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies - first made November 2, 2005

Thought I'd continue the trend of blogging about the cookies where I don't mind if it's got nuts in them. Most of them are because the nuts are a crucial part of contributing to the cookie itself, not that you're just randomly adding nuts to cookie dough. For instance, it's hard to make White Chocolate Macadamia cookies without - well - macadamia nuts.

I love these cookies. White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies are fairly common. I like these because of the addition of coconut as well. They don't spread too much, the edges are crisp when the cookies are newly baked and cooled and the middles are soft and chewy. This recipe is from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. I typically will make the cookie dough first, portion it into dough balls and freeze the cookies. Then I'll bake the frozen cookie dough balls when I need fresh-baked cookies. As always, toast the nuts first. You can use white chocolate chips if you're in a rush but I like to buy a block of white chocolate (Trader Joe's has them at reasonable prices) and chop them into chunks. I never used to like white chocolate at all but I've found recipes I like that use them so I've learned to like it, especially paired with macadamia nuts or offsetting a dark chocolate brownie batter.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, and the salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, the milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat thoroughly. Stir in the white chocolate, the coconut and the nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
4. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Buttery Tea Balls

Buttery Tea Balls - first made many years ago

Remember when I said I don't like nuts in cookies or brownies? Well, this is one of those exceptions where you not only add nuts to these cookies but they taste much better with them than without, for both flavor and texture.

I got this recipe from my cousin Bernadette who lives in Canada and also likes to bake. The original recipe name for these are Buttery Tea Balls but they're also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes. Essentially, they're a buttery shortbread-type cookie with toasted pecans, rolled in powdered sugar while they're still warm, then rolled again once they've cooled. The powdered sugar not only adds sweetness but also gives this cookie a melt-in-your-mouth quality.

This cookie only takes minutes to whip up, is easy to make ahead of time, ships well, and looks good when served at parties, making them an ideal cookie for the busy holiday baking season. A couple of simple tips when making this recipe: First, toast the nuts to bring out their flavor. This cookie doesn't have a lot of ingredients so what you do use should be tasty. Second, don't overbake these as they will dry easily and be crumbly rather than melt in your mouth. Lastly, don't be afraid to roll them in powdered sugar. The first layer of sugar will almost melt into the cookie when they're rolled warm but that's okay. You'll roll them again once the cookies are cool and the second layer will adhere, giving them a pretty white coating. Don't roll them too much though - you don't want them completely whited-out. Let some of the cookie peek through the sugar coating. And sift the powdered sugar before rolling the cookies. Then you don't have to worry about pesky lumps of sugar sticking to the cookies.

½ lb unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, ½ cup sugar, vanilla, flour, salt and nuts until they form a dough. Roll the dough into 1” balls in the palm of your hand.
3. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly brown.
4. To coat: Place the remaining 3 ½ cups sugar in a shallow dish. Using a spatula, remove the balls from the baking sheets and while still hot, roll them around in the sugar. Let cool and roll again

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

(Note: while I'm on vacation from work this week, I'm not really doing any baking since I don't have anyone to give the baked goods to - instead I'll be blogging about stuff I've made in the past)

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies - first made July 2006

While a milk chocolate chip cookie consumed 10 minutes out of the oven probably ranks as one of my favorite desserts to eat, some days I just like the simplicity of a sugar cookie. It's plain and no fuss. A lot of sugar cookie recipes don't come out that well - they're often too sweet, too mushy/raw or sometimes too dry if they contain too much flour. Sugar is considered a liquid ingredient. While it may go into your batter dry, when sugar heats up, it melts, thereby contributing to the spread of a cookie. The problem I have with most sugar cookie recipes is they spread too much. They might taste good but they come out thin, especially if you don't have a convection oven which most regular home bakers don't.

I like this recipe because it doesn't spread too much and it has an excellent taste and texture. The edges are crisp and the centers are soft. It isn't blah like most sugar cookie recipes I've tried. This recipe is from Baking Illustrated, the same authors as Cooks Illustrated.

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

2 cups (10 ounces) lower-protein unbleached all-purpose flour, such as Pillsbury or Gold Medal
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar plus ½ cup for rolling dough
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375˚F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter, the 1 cup granulated sugar, and the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Place the ½ cup sugar for rolling in a shallow bowl. Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Dip your hands in the water and shake off any excess (this will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and ensure that the sugar sticks to the dough). Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1 ½-inch ball between moistened palms, roll the ball in the sugar, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, moistening your hands as necessary and spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using the butter wrappers, butter the bottom of a drinking glass and then dip the bottom of the glass in the remaining sugar. Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of the glass until they are about ¾ inch thick, dipping the glass in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking (after every 2 to 3 cookies).
4. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and their centers are just set and very lightly colored, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 3 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Boston baked goods

October 21-26, 2009 - I just came back from a trip to Boston and one of the things I like to do when I travel is check out the local bakeries and sample the local fare. I research ahead of time where I might like to go and they're based on a combination of recommendations from people I know, yelp, and sometimes cookbooks I have from those places. I end up eating a LOT of sweets - the pics above are just a sample of what I consumed in less than 5 days :).

The first picture is from Ye Olde Pepper Companie Candies in Salem, MA whose sign boasts that it's the oldest candy store in America, having done business since 1806. They've certainly been around long enough to get it right. The candy I bought included a caramel milk chocolate truffle, milk chocolate toffee and a cashew milk chocolate turtle (no surprise, I'm a big milk chocolate fan). Every single last one of them was divine. I also got a piece of fudge (not pictured) that was fabulous. Ye Old Pepper Companie can brag as much as it wants - it deserves every kudo. The truffle was a creamy well of soft caramel enrobed in smooth milk chocolate, the turtle was a wonderful combination of cashew nuts, caramel and chocolate, the fudge was just the right texture and richness without being overly rich or overpowering and the toffee was pretty good.

The second picture is from Rosie's Bakery - there are several of them in Boston and I went to the one in Cambridge. What I like about Rosie's is it's what I consider a homey bakery. Not too fussy or high end and seems to focus on basic comfort sweets. These types of places are a gem because you can usually find their stuff tastes good as opposed to a more high end place with a lot of beautiful looking desserts but aren't necessarily tasty. The plate holds an M&M cookie, a chocolate chip shortbread cookie and a piece of German Chocolate cake. I had the cake first (as breakfast :)) and it was good - moist, despite the fact that I had a corner piece (I generally prefer middles, not edges or corners for the moistness factor) and the coconut topping was excellent. Unlike most german chocolate cakes, this didn't contain nuts in the frosting but that didn't detract from the taste or texture of the cake. The weakest of the bunch was the chocolate chip shortbread cookie. It looked good but I didn't think the taste was anything special. I love shortbread but shortbread cookies, as opposed to the more traditional shortbread baked in pans and cut, sometimes aren't the same - this one had a dry, crumbly texture without the "snap" of good, crisp shortbread. The chocolate chips and nuts also interfered with the taste of the butter which is the point of having shortbread in the first place.

The bottom picture is from Finale's and is their Boston Cream Cake, a version of Boston Cream Pie. It's probably the prettiest dessert I had in Boston but I wouldn't say it was the best. We made beautiful desserts like this in culinary school so I know exactly how this was put together. It was gorgeous but I'd give it only a B for taste.

Fudge Brownies with White Chocolate and Toffee

Fudge Brownies with White Chocolate and Toffee - October 19, 2009

The original recipe name is Fudge Brownies with White Chocolate, Toffee and Pecans but since I don't add nuts to brownie batter (most of the time), I'm taking the liberty of changing the name. This recipe is from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook and its ingredients are more traditional than the last brownie recipe I tried from this book so I had high hopes for this one. It didn't disappoint.

You’ve heard me say before that I normally like to make a recipe as is to see how the author(s) intended for it to turn out then I make my own tweaks afterwards. With this recipe, I decided to tweak it a bit in the first trial. Nothing material to really change the actual brownie but more to make it more accommodating to my preferences. First, since it called for another 12 x 18” pan, meaning lots and lots of brownies, I cut the recipe in half and used an 8” square baking pan. If I was going to work tomorrow, I would’ve baked the full recipe and given the brownies away but since I’m on vacation and already have 2 other batches of brownies to take on my trip to Boston to my friends, I decided I didn’t need that many brownies.

It actually worked out pretty well though to cut the recipe in half and use an 8” baking pan since the brownies came out to just the right thickness. I also omitted the nuts (you know why). When the brownies were done, I sprinkled chopped up chunks of white chocolate on top, returned the pan to the hot oven for a few minutes until the white chocolate had softened then I spread them as a layer on top of the brownie. While the white chocolate was still soft, I sprinkled the toffee bits on top so they would adhere when the brownie cooled. Once the white chocolate sets, it should be more firm than frosting and provide a nice contrast to the dark fudginess of the brownie. I have to confess I didn’t/couldn’t wait for the white chocolate to set and just had a piece while the brownie was still warm and the white chocolate was still melt-y. YUM.

Brownie
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping
¾ cup toffee pieces
¾ cup chopped pecans
1 ½ cups white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 12 x 18-inch jelly roll pan.
3. To make the brownie: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and mix in the sugar, the eggs, and the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the toffee and the pecans evenly over the batter. Bake 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of pan comes out with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake.
5. Let cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the white chocolate chunks over the brownies.
6. Allow to cool to room temperature, or overnight, before cutting and serving.

Midnight Brownies

Midnight Brownies - October 19, 2009

These brownies probably got their name because they're both a dark chocolate brownie as well as the add-ins are Midnight Milky Way bars. But you can add almost any kind of candy to them as they're pretty versatile. This is one of my favorite brownies because of their taste, texture and how thick they come out of the pan.

The recipe is from The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle and I've gotten some consistently great recipes from this cookbook. Sometimes Midnight Milky Way bars are hard to come by so I substitute regular Milky Ways (for the nutless version) and/or Snickers bars. Around Halloween, these are great to make since those candies are abundantly available and often go on sale. After Halloween, I'm always stocking up on bags of Halloween candy that I can bake with.

This brownie also travels well. I cut them into individual portions, wrap them in plastic wrap, stick them in the freezer then pull them out when I'm packing my suitcase. Same goes if I ship them somewhere.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Five 1.76-ounce Milky Way Midnight Bars, chilled and cut into large dice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
5 large eggs
2 cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2 inches beyond 2 opposites sides of the pan. Lightly grease the foil.
2. Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Stir until combined. In a small bowl, toss the candy bar chunks with 1 ½ teaspoons of the sifted mixture.
3. In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heat the butter and unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to tepid.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for 1 minute to blend, then add the sugar and whisk for 45 seconds, or until just incorporated. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the vanilla extract. Sift the flour mixture over the top and slowly whisk it in, mixing until just blended. Stir in the candy.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and smooth the top, using a rubber spatula. Bake the brownies for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed and set. A toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
6. Cool the brownies completely in the pan on a rack. Using the ends of the foil as handles, lift the brownies out of the pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to cut.
7. Cut the brownies into 16 squares.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Molten Lava Cakes

Molten Lava Cakes - first made 12.24.08 for Christmas Eve dessert

One of my sister's favorite desserts is lava cake. In fact I think it's her only favorite dessert because no matter what I bake, whenever we have family get togethers and I ask her what she wants me to make for dessert, her answer is invariably the same: "lava cake!"

Lava cakes were the rage some years back and you'd be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that hadn't had it on their menu at some time or another - they're basically individual-sized chocolate cakes baked at high temperatures and taken out before the center has fully baked, creating a "lava" of molten chocolate in the middle. Ideally, they're served warm (not hot) with vanilla ice cream. Some recipes call for making a ball of truffle or fudge that's frozen then dropped in the center of the batter so when the cake is baked, the chocolate is still liquid in the middle. You can do it either way but the simplest is the first way.

Essentials of a good lava cake and lava cake recipe: high quality chocolate, high temps so the outside of the cake bakes quickly and baking just the right amount of time. You want the outer edges of the cakes to be baked while leaving the center a liquidy pool of chocolate, but not so underbaked that it's simply raw batter. To this day I remember one of our chef instructors at CIA demonstrating lava cakes and he took it out too soon so the middle was literally raw batter instead of liquid chocolate. Trust me, there's a difference and it's usually a couple minutes' worth of baking time in the oven. You should also bake lava cakes in small individual-sized ramekins. They're so rich that you don't want large portions. Plus it's easier to control the ability to bake it just right with smaller ramekins.

I'm a ramekin freak and went through a period of haunting Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, and Williams-Sonoma, buying any kind of ramekin(s) that caught my eye. Thankfully, I've managed to control myself in recent years but I still have an inordinate amount of ramekins. The more to bake lava cakes in, I say.

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com and it's Paula Deen's recipe. Hers calls for orange liqueur but since I'm diametrically opposed to ruining good chocolate with a fruity flavor, I substitute either Kahlua or Godiva chocolate liqueur. The only problem with lava cakes is because they're meant to be served soon after baking and eaten warm, I don't get the chance to experiment with different recipes all year, unless I'm going to be the one to eat all of them. Which I'm not. So every year, when my sister asks without fail for me to make lava cake for dessert, I try out a new recipe for it. This was last year's version.

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur

1. Grease six 6-ounce custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave or in a double boiler.
2. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly amongst the custard cups.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.