Category: Dessert

Chocolate cocoa-tahini cookies with sesame crunch

Servings: 24 cookies
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: Dorie Greenspan

David’s favorite cookie – we made it for his 67th birthday.

Ingredients: 

Sesame Crunch
1/4 C (40g) sesame seeds
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp water

Cookie Dough
3/4 cup (102 g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (28 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (sift if there are lumps)
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup (63 g) tahini
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (67 g) packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 large egg
6 oz (170 g) finely chopped dark chocolate (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

Directions: 

Line 2 baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven.

Sesame crunch.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, or lightly butter the baking sheet, and place it near the stove. Measure out sesame seeds and place them near the stove. Sprinkle granulated white sugar in the bottom of a small heavy skillet (non-stick is great here), then drizzle it with water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and allow the sugar to come to a boil. Continue cooking, swirling gently 1 or 2 times to make sure all the sugar is incorporated, until it starts turning color. Once it is pale golden in spots, gently stir it with a silicone spatula until it is evenly amber in color (this will happen quickly, so don’t turn your back), then add the sesame seeds and stir to coat. Once coated evenly in the caramel, scrape the mixture out onto your prepared baking sheet, spread it as thinly as you can manage (don’t worry if it clumps) and let it cool completely. Once cool, finely chop the sesame crunch (you want pieces no larger than a pea) and set aside.

Cookie dough
Whisk the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, tahini, both sugars, and salt. Cream together on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy and pale in color, scraping down the bowl a few times to incorporate everything. Add egg and cream for another minute or so, again scraping down the bowl.

With the mixer off, add the flour-cocoa mixture all at once and stir on low speed until the dry ingredients are almost but not quite combined. Pour in the chopped chocolate and the chopped sesame crunch, and mix until the dry ingredients have disappeared and the chocolate and sesame crunch are evenly distributed. Give the dough, which will look like frosting, a few turns with a spatula.

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out level portions of dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2″ between each cookie (they will spread in the oven!). Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back half-way through baking, until the edges are just set. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a rack.

New Classic Brownies

Servings: 16 brownies
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017218-new-classic-brownies?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

For a brownie almost as dark and dense as a chocolate truffle, there is Alice Medrich’s innovative method for New Classic Brownies: the pan goes directly from a high-heat oven to a bath of ice water, and the just-baked batter slumps, becoming concentrated and intense.

Ingredients: 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup lightly toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square metal baking pan with foil. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir often, and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.

Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. Add nuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a water bath: Pour ice water into a large roasting pan or kitchen sink to a depth of about 1 inch. Remove pan from oven and place in water bath, being careful not to splash water on brownies. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut into 1-inch squares or wrap in foil.

crostata di Ricotta

Servings: 12
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 1 hours
Source: Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients: 

For the crust
Crostata Inegrali (Tart Crust with Whole Wheat)
(Makes one 10-inch tart crust)

200 grams (1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour)
40 grams (1/4 cup) whole wheat flour
2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) fine sea salt
168 grams (1 1/2 sticks/12 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
175 grams (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 grams (1/2 teaspoon) vanilla extract

For the Filling:

425 g (scant 2 cups) whole milk ricotta
75 g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 egg
4g (1 teaspoon) dark rum
4g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
50g (1/3 cup) mini semisweet chocolate chips
50g (2 Tablespoons) candied orange peel, cut into small pieces

Directions: 

Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and vanilla in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes, stopping midway through to scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and gradually bring the mixer to medium speed for 1 minute

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Cover tightly and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and as long as 8 hours. When ready to roll out the dough, allow it to sit unwrapped for a few minutes at room temperature, until slightly pliable.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Whisk the ricotta, sugar, egg, rum and vanilla together in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and orange peel. Set aside.

For the pastry: Combine the flours, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk, zest and vanilla on low for 5-7 minutes, scraping often.

Add the dry ingredients and gradually bring the mixer to medium speed for 1 minute.

Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Cover tightly and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and as long as 8 hours. When ready to roll out the dough, allow it to sit unwrapped for a few minutes at room temperature, until slightly pliable.

When dough is ready, dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Spread the ricotta filling into the crust. Take extra trimming from the dough and place in strips on top of the topping in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake the crostata for 35 minutes or until the top has puffed up and browned up nicely. Cool the crostata in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the outer ring and continue to cool on the rack. Best served slightly warm while the chocolate is gooey.

Cheesecake Brownies

Servings: one 9 inch or 8 inch square pan
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 
Source: David Lebovitz – Adapted from Ready for Dessert. If you like higher brownies, use an 8 inch pan

Fabulous brownies – chocolate and cream cheese

Ingredients: 

For the brownies
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips

For the cheesecake topping
8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) or 8-inch (20cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).
3. In a medium saucepan, to make the brownie batter, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.
4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
5. In a separate bowl for the cheesecake topping, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter. Rap the pan on a countertop a few times to let the batter and swirl settle together.
7. Bake until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool, then lift the brownies out holding the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.
Storage: These cheesecake brownies will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well for up to two months. I recommend freezing them individually so you can remove them one at a time.

Cranberry Upside down Cake

Servings: 8
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: Alice Waters

Fabulous cake for Thanksgiving. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients: 

For the topping:

4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

9 ounces (2 2/3 cups) fresh cranberries

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

For the batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Directions: 

1. To prepare topping: In a 9-inch round cake pan over low heat, melt butter and add brown sugar. Stir sugar until it dissolves, swirling pan to coat bottom. When sugar starts to caramelize, remove pan from heat and allow to cool.

2. In a small bowl, combine cranberries and orange juice. Toss to coat berries well. Spread berries evenly in pan, and sprinkle with any juice remaining in bowl. Set pan aside, and prepare the cake batter.

3. To prepare batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat in egg yolks one at a time, scraping bowl once or twice. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, ending with dry ingredients. Set batter aside.

5. Using electric mixer, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar just until whites are stiff enough to hold a slight peak. Fold whites into batter 1/3 at a time. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and spread it evenly over cranberries. Bake until top is browned and cake pulls away slightly from edges of pan, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cake cool for 15 minutes before turning onto cake plate. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream, flavored, if desired, with orange liqueur.

Green Tomato Brownies

Servings: 2 dozen brownies
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: A Taste of Home

People will not believe how wonderful these bars are. They have a unique flavor which people will come back for more.

Ingredients: 

4 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
2 cups packed brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: 

Drain tomatoes on paper towels for 10 minutes. In a saucepan, combine tomatoes, 1 cup of brown sugar and lemon juice. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in extract; set aside.

In a bowl, cream the butter and remaining brown sugar. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and nuts. Press 2-1/2 cups on a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spread tomato mixture over crust. Crumble remaining oat mixture on top. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Cherry Pie

Servings: 12
Preheat: 425
Prep Time: 4 hours
Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cherry-pie-recipe-1913275

Killer cherry pie. I modified recipe slightly

Ingredients: 

4 lbs fresh cherries (a full tub from Costco)
1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Your favorite pie crust or pie dough recipe for 2 crust pie (see Pate Brisee recipe)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, to dot
1 tablespoon demera sugar, to sprinkle

Directions: 

This step can be done the day before. Pit cherries. Cut in half to ensure that no pits remain. Place cherry halves in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, drain cherries and cook juice further to reduce the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust with milk. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape.

Bake for about 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375. Bake another 35-50 minutes until crust is brown and filling starts to bubble. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 3 hours.

Spiced Plum Cake with Toffee Glaze

Servings: 10
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/spiced-plum-cake-recipe-with-toffee-glaze/

This cake uses cardamom in both the batter and the streusel almond topping. I buy the cardamom in pods and remove the husks, then grind the seeds myself. The flavor is much better than buying pre-ground cardamom. If you wanted to use another spice, whatever favorites are in your spice drawer, you could certainly call into play. I do like the cardamom a lot, though, and urge you to try it.

Purple plums aren’t usually sold by variety in France, but tart ones work best, such as Santa Rosa plums. You could use other kinds of plums, such as Italian prune plums (quetsches), although I prefer to use the tartest ones I can find. If you wanted to experiment with other types of fruit, this cake probably lends itself to others.The toffee is drizzled over the top in a modest quantity. But if you are a toffee-lover, you can certainly double the amount and really go for it. Buttermilk is called lait ribot or lait fermentè in France and is available in some supermarkets and Arab markets. You can make a good substitute by using a scant 1/2 cup (125ml) of whole milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar added. Let stand for 10 minutes, then use the soured milk just like buttermilk.

Serving: The cake is best served at room temperature. It can be served without accompaniment, or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Storage: The cake will keep for up to three days at room temperature. I would not recommend freezing it.

Ingredients: 

Topping
5 medium plums (12 ounces, 340g)
1 cup ( 85g) sliced almonds blanched or unbalanced
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup (60g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons melted butter salted or unsalted

Cake
8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (175g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminium-free
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk (see headnote)

Toffee Glaze
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform cake pan.
2. Halve, pit, and cut the plums into 8 slices.
3. In a small bowl, make the topping by mixing together the sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons flour, light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoons (each) cinnamon and cardamom, and melted butter, until everything is evenly mixed. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand in a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom, and salt.
6. Add to the eggs to the creamed butter one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition to make sure they’re mixed in. Add the vanilla extract. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, then the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
7. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Strew the plums over the top in an even layer, then spread the almond topping over the plums. Bake until the center just feels set, about 55 minutes to one hour. (A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean of any cake batter.) If the top is browning too fast, drape a sheet of aluminum foil over the cake pan and finish baking. Let the cake cool completely then remove the sides of the springform pan.
8. To make the toffee glaze, mix the butter, dark brown sugar, cream, salt, and vanilla in a small saucepan Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drizzle the toffee over the cake.

Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad Recipe

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Source: Simply Recipes

Delicious Citrus Fruit Salad

Ingredients: 

1 large ruby pink grapefruit
3 navel oranges or a combination of naval oranges, blood oranges, mandarin oranges and/or tangerines
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon

Directions: 

1 Peel the fruit. Cut away the membranes of the individual segments with a sharp knife. Collect the peeled segments in a bowl.

2 Drain off any excess juice from the fruit into a small saucepan.

Add the lime juice, honey, and cardamom to the saucepan.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes and then remove from heat and let cool to room temp.

3 Pour over fruit mixture and gently fold in so that all the fruit is coated. Let stand for 15 minutes or chill until ready to serve.

Colpa Degno (Flourless Triple-Chocolate Cookies)

Servings: Makes 2 dozen cookies
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Source: Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook

We named these chocolate-packed rounds colpa degno because the term roughly translates as “worth the guilt.” Created by Megan Fitzroy Phelan, currently an owner of Longoven Restaurant.

These cookies are small and addictive and so delightful that they are worth any remorse you might feel from eating a half dozen or so.

Ingredients: 

1 2/3 cups (185 g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 scant cup (40 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) coarse sea salt
Whites from 2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons (6 g) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100 g) milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup (100 g) dark chocolate chips

Directions: 

Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt with a fork in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk together the egg whites and the vanilla with the fork in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg whites; stir the mixture with the fork until it just begins to come together. Add the chocolates and stir until well combined. The dough will be extremely sticky and as dark as black licorice.

At the bakery, we use a #60 scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) to scoop and ball these, but an ordinary 1 tablespoon measuring spoon works well too. Pack the batter into the spoon by squashing and dragging the spoon against the inside of the bowl to make sure the rounds of dough are tight and compact—if the dough is too loosely packed, the cookies tend to really spread out and separate as they bake. Place the rounds of dough on the parchment-lined cookie sheet a good 3 inches apart and bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops are glossy and set. When the cookies are done, they will be quite gooey, but they will continue to cook as they cool. Once they’ve cooled off enough to eat, they should be soft and chewy—if they’re hard or crisp, they’ve baked too much. Cool the cookies on the paper, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve these cookies the day they are made.