Mocha-Chip Meringues

This recipe was featured in a past issue of Martha Stewart "Everyday Food." I didn't have any instant espresso powder on hand, so I just made chocolate chip meringues. They came out light, airy, glossy, and delicious! I used a Silpat on one baking sheet and regular parchment paper on the other, and both sheets yielded great results.MOCHA-CHIP MERINGUES

makes 48

3/4 c sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp instant espresso powder (I omitted this)
3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Beating constantly, add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes total (scrape down the bowl halfway through). Add espresso powder and cocoa; beat until well blended. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until crisp, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely on sheets, about 20 minutes.

Frozen Cookie Dough

My sister lives in New York and rarely cooks, so I like to stock her fridge and pantry when I visit her apartment. This weekend, I'll be dropping off logs of frozen cookie dough. She can defrost, slice, and bake individual cookies whenever she wants!

After making a batch of cookie dough, divide it in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap it with plastic. Then, roll the plastic-wrapped log in a long sheet of parchment paper. Tightly twist the ends of the parchment paper. Using a permanent marker, I labeled the individual logs with the name of the dough and the baking directions. Here is a log of Chocolate Chunk Cookies:...and a log of Icebox Butter Cookies:You can store the cookie dough in your freezer for up to three weeks:

Sugar Cookies

I made about 5 dozen sugar cookies last Friday and individually decorated them with a confectioner's sugar-based icing and various sprinkling sugars. Sadly, we've eaten most of them by now, and I only snapped photos of a few paltry remnants. The following may not have been the prettiest of the batch, but they still taste quite good with a mug of homemade cocoa!

An elephant and two rhinos:
Two ice cream cones and a guitar:

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

According to The New York Times, Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side is home to "the largest, most divisive chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan."

Levain's cookies were featured on a Food Network episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay;" true to form, the chocolate chip walnut bested Flay's offering. My friend Emily and my sister have raved about them for quite some time, so I figured it was my turn to sample the massive, ooey-gooey treat.

Recently, I swung by the basement bakery and picked up 8 of their famed cookies:

This year's Zagat Survey ranked Levain as the #1 destination for cookies. Bakers weigh the dough on a scale before hand-forming each cookie. Each cookie clocks in at a massive 6 ounces--that's nearly half a pound apiece!I was not disappointed. These cookies are crunchy on the outside with a molten chocolate center. Hail the nearest cab and head to Levain to join in on the cookie craze!

Susan and Gracie's Amazing Butter Cookies

Since I was in middle school, I've been a huge fan of The Talent Family--i.e., Amy and David Sedaris. Amy, the star of Comedy Central's short-lived "Strangers with Candy," penned a hysterical cookbook/hospitality guide/coffee table book/humor anthology entitled "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence." The following is a melt-in-your-mouth recipe for butter cookies. You can add food coloring and/or sprinkles to the frosting.

SUSAN AND GRACIE'S AMAZING BUTTER COOKIES

1 1/3 c unsalted butter
1 1/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
8 tsp milk
4 c flour
3 tsp baking powder

For the frosting:

1 box confectioners' sugar
1/4 c half and half
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.

Roll dough out (I use 2 pieces of wax paper and a rolling pin, floured if needed) and use cookie cutter to make your shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Get your cookies to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Frost cookies next day and place the cookies back in refrigerator for another night until the frosting hardens on cookie. You cannot eat enough of these.

Jam Drops

Recently, I purchased the "Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts," one of the many Moosewood Collective cookbooks. It contains over 250 home-style recipes, many of which are simple, no-fuss, vegan, and low-fat. However, I opted for the Jam Drop recipe--which calls for 3 sticks of butter!I've made several variations of these classic cookies over the years, but I really like this version because it has a super rich, flaky, buttery dough. Yum!

JAM DROPS

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 c unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c preserves or fruit spread (I prefer Swiss-made Hero preserves)With a wooden sppon or an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Beat in the sugar, adding a little at a time, until well blended. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing just until the dough is uniformly smooth. The dough is now ready to chill, shape, and bake or freeze.

NOTE: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Keep some of it on hand in the freezer; it will keep for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator for a day before using.

For Jam Drops, cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. When it is firm, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently roll teaspoonfuls of the dough between your palms to form 1 inch balls. It is best not to overhandle the dough. Place the balls about 1 1/2 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheets (note: I used parchment paper-lined baking sheets instead). With your fingertip, make an indentation in the center of each ball.Fill each hollow with a scant 1/4 tsp of fruit preserves.Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.Enjoy!

Flour Bakery + Cafe

For quite some time, I've been salivating over a particular episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" on the Food Network: the one in which Joanne from Flour Bakery + Cafe bests Flay in the battle for the nation's best sticky bun. According to the Flour website, they contain "dark, sticky caramel and toasted pecans."Luckily for me, I attended college in the greater Boston area, where Flour Bakery is located. Unluckily, the massive $2.75 sticky buns sell out bright and early each morning, and I've never woken up early enough to commute to one of the bakery's two locations. But, judging from the photo above, I can easily understand why they're so popular!

Today, my friend Emily and I went to the Flour Bakery location in the South End for an afternoon snack: Emily opted for a decaf iced coffee with soy milk and the "Chunky Lola" cookie. If I recall correctly, the giant cookie was full of chocolate chunks, pecans, oats, and coconut:Hovering over the glass display case, I immediately honed in on the gargantuan Boston Cream Pie/Cake hybrid......because, when you're in Boston, if you can't have an enormous award-winning sticky bun, a slab of a Boston dessert classic is a welcome stand-in:

Chocolate Anise Biscotti

Tonight, I made chocolate anise biscotti from a Giada De Laurentiis "Everyday Italian" recipe. For some reason, the Food Network website refers to these as "Chocolate Anise Cookies," but they really are biscotti, and delicious ones at that!CHOCOLATE ANISE BISCOTTI

makes about 2 dozen

2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
2 large eggs
1 tsp ground anise seed
1 c semisweet chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Add the ground anise seed and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Form the dough into a 16" long, 3" wide log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet.Bake until the log is light golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.Place the log on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4" thick slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.You can store these in an airtight container for a week.

Torta Sbrisolona

Last week, I made a torta sbrisolona from "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," my bible of all things sugar and lard. According to the editors, "This giant round of crisp cookie topped with large clumps of streusel is a specialty of Mantua, Italy. It's perfect served with a bunch of grapes at the end of a dinner party. Set it in the center of the table and let guests break off pieces."

I substituted finely chopped walnuts for the almonds and used a shallow, heavily buttered tart pan instead of a springform pan. Although you can eat the torta with your hands, I cut mine into slices and garnished them with organic blueberries. Crumbly, buttery goodness!








TORTA SBRISOLONA

makes one 10-inch cookie

1 3/4 sticks (14 tbs) unsalted butter
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c (about 5 oz) blanched almonds, finely ground
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it is completely incorporated and there are no dry crumbs. Squeeze the mixture to form pea-size to 1-inch clumps.

Gently press three-quarters of the mixture into the prepared pan, and sprinkle evenly with remaining crumbs. Bake until cookie begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees, and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly dry, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove sides of pan to unmold. Cookie can be kept, wrapped well in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 3 days.