Butter Shortbread

Butter Shortbread - October 29, 2009

I love shortbread. I rarely make it because when I do, I'm forced to acknowledge how much butter is in good shortbread. Hard to be in denial when the recipe is staring right at you. Shortbread is very straightforward to put together - you mix the ingredients until you get a nice dough and pat it in the pan as evenly as possible. The tricky part with shortbread is the baking time. All the directions say to bake the shortbread when it's golden brown all over but that's really very subjective. If you bake it too long, it's too crispy and the butter can taste burnt. If you don't bake it long enough, the shortbread isn't crisp and is somewhat chewy which is not the texture you're going after with shortbread.

I like to use a rectangular tart pan with a removeable bottom when I make shortbread, rather than a round tart pan like so many recipes call for. When it's the shape as the second picture above, it browns more evenly all over whereas when you use a round tart pan, the edges get brown first then it seems like the middle takes forever to brown while the edges get more and more brown.

This recipe is from Baking by Flavor by Lisa Yockelson and is a nice, simple shortbread recipe. I think I baked this one just a trifle too long as it was just the tiniest bit too crispy. But when it comes to shortbread, I'd rather overbake than underbake (this is probably the only time you'll see me say that). When I was baking it this morning, I was also working out at the same time while it was in the oven so I didn't reach it in time to take it out properly.

Once you have the shortbread to desired doneness, when you take it out, give it a couple of minutes then, while it's still hot, take it out of the pan (pans with removeable bottoms make this really easy) then slice it. When shortbread cools, it hardens and crisps up so it's more difficult to cut evenly. So cut it while it's hot and you'll get cleaner knife cuts. This one turned out pretty well with a good buttery taste but I have an even better recipe for shortbread that I'll post later. It's got butterscotch and toffee bits and goes really well with a buttery shortbread. But that'll be a future post.

Butter Shortbread

1 ¼ cups unsifted bleached, all-purpose flour
¼ cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup superfine sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

About 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top of the baked shortbread

Bakeware: fluted 9 ½-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom)

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Film the inside of the tart pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Sift the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Cream the butter in large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth. Blend in the superfine sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes longer on low speed. Blend in the sifted flour mixture in two additions, mixing slowly until the particles of flour are absorbed and a soft, smooth dough is created. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula to keep the dough even-textured. The dough will be soft and lightly sticky.
4. Transfer the dough to the tart pan, and lightly press it into an even layer. Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork in about 15 random places.
5. Bake the shortbread in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until set, and an all-over medium tan color on top. The shortbread must be baked through, otherwise the core will be tacky.
6. Place the pan of shortbread on a cooling rack and immediately dust the top with granulated sugar. Cool for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully unmold the shortbread, leaving it on its round base. After 10 to 15 minutes, cut into even-sized wedges, using a sharp chef’s knife. To slice cleanly and neatly, the shortbread must be cut while still warm. Cool completely.

Toasted Almond Cookies

Toasted Almond Cookies - made 12.1.07

My friend Linda and her husband are Blue Diamond Almond growers and Linda is always so kind and generous as to keep me well-supplied with almonds. Whenever I'm going to meet her, I search for recipes that use almonds so I can bake them for her, using the almonds she gave me. I can't think of a more fitting use for them.

This recipe is from The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge. I've tried a fair number of recipes from this cookbook and they generally turn out pretty well. This was really easy to make and the cookies don't spread much upon baking. Toast the almonds first to bring out their flavor. The almonds from Linda are whole almonds so I toast them first then once they're cool, I put them through a coarse grind in my nut grinder. A nut grinder is one of the essential baking tools that I can't live without. They're easy to use, much easier to clean than a food processor and they get the job done quickly. They're also pretty cheap so if you don't have one and like to bake with nuts, you might want to invest in one. Get a good one that lasts forever. In all the years I've been seriously baking, I've only had to replace mine once. Over 20 years and only on my second nut grinder? That's a pretty good investment. And I don't think I paid more than $10 for either one. Here's a link to one that's similar to what I have: http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-Heavy-Duty-Chopper/dp/B0007ZEU2W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1256778165&sr=8-2

I think the nuts work in this recipe because the cookies aren't cakey and their vanilla flavor provides a good backdrop for the toasted almonds. They're a bit fragile though so I wouldn't recommend shipping them anywhere. Oh, and the recipe calls for a small amount of almond extract but I don't like the taste of almond extract so I substitute vanilla. Seems to work just fine.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of table salt
1 yolk from large egg
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350˚F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer (stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer) on medium speed until well blended. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until combined. Pour in the flour and toasted almonds and beat on low speed until the dough begins to clump together. The nuts will break up a bit, but that’s okay.
3. Using a small ice-cream scoop or 2 tablespoons, shape rounded mounds of about 2 tablespoons dough on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 ½”. Using your fingers, press down on each mound to flatten slightly.
4. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies look dry on top and the edges are golden brown, about 17 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, lift the cookies from the sheet onto a rack and let cool completely.

Storage: Layer the baked and cooled cookies between parchment or waxed paper in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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.