I LooooooooooooooOoooooooooooOOooooo…ve doughnuts!

How about you?

My favorites are yeast doughnuts—nothing beats those! But, with a lack of time and/or frequent special occasions, I opt for quick ones, a.k.a drop doughnuts. The kind you can prepare in 15 minutes or so: 5-10 minutes for the batter and 10 minutes for frying all the batches.

Now there’s a new doughnuts cookbook in the stores.

I pretty much swore that I will not buy anymore cookbooks and I won’t be renewing any food magazine subscriptions because my kitchen is exploding with tons and piles, and 2 full bookcases of them. But when Lara’s book came out and an alert was tweeted on Twitter that only 4 copies were left in stock… Well… I was doomed. It’s a doughnuts book. It was hopeless. I was helpless.

And since I browsed the inner pages of my newly purchased book, I’ve been craving for so long to make these dropnuts (All rights reserved ) Finally, the day has come!

I had an hour. I had only one kid around. She was eager (“But only if there’s salt”, she said). I was eager. And we made it!

We were all ecstatic about having doughnuts for dessert last night. Finally.

It took hardly any time to prepare and was a lot of fun to make with the kiddo.

We had leftovers left for breakfast. I warmed them up in the toaster oven and they were like new: soft, fragrant and subtly sweet. (Warm them up until the outside sizzles, just like when frying. The microwave did a nice job, about 20 seconds for 4, but they lost the crispiness of the outer layer.)

Click to see Lara’s beautiful doughnuts + her doughnuts blog.

Click here to buy the book.

Lara’s ricotta drop doughnuts

Slightly adapted with comments.

Makes 32 (8 * 4 batches) using a small cookie scoop

So… My lil’ girl (She’s almost 3 years old!) insisted she will only make doughnuts if there’s salt. Go figure… But it retrospect, she was onto something. However, she forgot about it later on, and the recipe does not have any in it… Which might explain the doughnuts’ “something’s missing” flavor. So, if you make these (+ a note for myself for next time), I suggest adding 1/4 – 1/2 (OK, let’s compromise, 3/8) teaspoon salt to the batter.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Next time: add 3/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 eggs
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Canola/Vegetable oil for frying
For serving, confectioners’ sugar, jams

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest, eggs, ricotta and vanilla, and mix just until combined. (Do not over-mix.) The batter can be used immediately or stored up to 1 day covered in the refrigerator.

To fry, heat at about 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360 degrees F. Drop tablespoon-size dollops directly into the oil (I used a small cookie scoop, quickly dipped in the hot oil before scooping the dough so the it doesn’t stick), 7-8 doughnuts for each batch (depending on the size/volume of your pot and oil) and fry for 1-2 minutes (the doughnuts will roll and bath themselves in the oil), or until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed.

Remove with a slotted spoon (I love my big spider—see photo) and drain on layers of paper towel. Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.

Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with jam and/or chocolate spread/sauce.

YUM.

It was Friday evening, during dinner, when I baked my first macarons. Only two days before all I knew about macarons was that they were tricky to make with many ways that I could fail, and that was enough to keep me from even trying. I never even read a macaron recipe before so I don’t even know where this notion came from. It was probably based on something that I heard here or there and that was enough to intimidate me to never even try. And then, last week, Helene a.k.a Tartlette came to Seattle and taught a macaron class, arranged by Viv, a.k.a Seattle Bon Vivant.

We made them together with a partner – always a good idea to have someone hold your hand when you’re scared – and Jessie was, again, my mate. Since Jessie is a walking dictionary and encyclopedia for all things sweet – you just have to see the spark in her eyes and her big smile when she talks about desserts and candy – I was certain that she had a lot of experience with these cookies. I asked her if she made macarons before. She replied, “I never tried to make them because I knew this is a very unforgiving recipe”. Hmm, well, I that’s what I’ve heard too, but just look at this,

I’d say it’s very forgiving.

So what if my macarons turned out flat?

So what if they did not have pretty “feet”?

So what if they cracked at the top?

I ask you, if this isn’t forgiving than what is?

I slathered each cookie with plum jam (other flavors work great too), and topped with a cloud of whipped cream, and, believe me, this was very forgiving. All my problems faded away after the first bite. So, they did not turn out perfect. I did not care. Would you care?!

After the class I was so excited about making macarons at home as soon as possible and I could not wait patiently for the eggs to “age” for 24 hours. So I waited…… aemmm…. less than 20? This might be just one of the factors that made this a “disaster”, but I don’t mind. Would you?

And besides, anything with a cloud of whipped cream in, on, near, or under it heals, or hides, every imperfection.

The macarons by themselves tasted great. I flavored them with vanilla sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. They were very good on their own but with a reinforcement of jam and whipped cream… Even though I’m not a big fan of jams (or any cooked fruit) it was a great addition to the macaron. And the whipped cream… well, we have already covered that…

The only word of caution I can give you is to make them an open-face sandwich and not like a real sandwich-sandwich because with a top cookie and bottom cookie and a fluffy filling in the middle, the minute you take a bite, the whipped cream and jam just fly out of the sandwich and make a sweet and sticky mess on your plate, or fingers, or shirt… But I won’t mind. Would you?

Because when it comes to sweets, everything is forgiven. (Well, OK, almost everything. Desserts can be ruined if they are overly sweet. That’s just my opinion.)

Like way too many hair clips on a little girl’s head.

If you see an older woman, or man, walk around like that, well, it’s a different story, right?! But on a little girl? It works perfectly. It’s cute and adorable and sweet and it doesn’t matter is she has 4, 6, or 8, or the whole package of hair clips on that little head. Same with macarons.

It’s just a sweet thing.

And she’s even sweeter when she helps with the laundry. That’s just my opinion.

So life isn’t perfect; there are so many roads and turns you can take where things can go wrong, just like with macarons. But they are my macarons. And I had to jump right in and give it a try. I was excited. I took a risk. I did not follow the recipe’s instructions. The result? Not perfect. But this was one of the best desserts we recently had and it made us super happy. I will definitely try it again. Jump right in. Head first.

Next time, I’ll try to follow the recipe better.

Macaron recipes can be found on Helen’s blog.

I have said so many times before, I’m a cake person, not a cookie lday, and certainly not a pie woman. Or, at least I thought so… I’m sure there is a deep meaning to all of this. I never really put much thought into this matter but it feels like there’s a profound philosophical significance behind it. I’m quite sure of it. Someday, when I have the time, I will definitely sit down and analyze this to pieces. But no matter why or what, I can tell you this for sure – every home needs a cookie jar! I’m positive about that. Do you have a cookie jar at home? If you don’t have a cookie jar, you must get one. Get to it ASAP (as soon as possible). It’s truly extremely important. And there must be a cookie in there too, of course. At least one. But more than one is even better, right?

To get you started, here’s a basic sugar cookie dough recipe I found in Real Simple magazine that you can easily turn into 10 different kinds of cookies in a blink of an eye.

The variation I made is the cherry-almond jumbles which I changed according to what was in my pantry. It’s a no fuss recipe and if using a cookie scoop your job will be even easier. You know what? I’ll give one cookie scoop away. Yes! Let’s start the new year with gift giving. What do you think about that? Because… I really really want you to bake cookies.

The giveaway:

I will give a medium size Oxo cookie scoop (such asthe one in the photo above), my favorite, to one lucky reader who will write a comment. What do you have to do?

Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite cake, cookie, or pie and why do you love it so much.

I really want to hear *your* voice, so a minimum of 40 comments (from all readers alltogether, on any post within the time frame) is needed for the giveaway to take place.

Time frame: starting today and ending on Sunday, January 10th, 2010. Shipping is limited to U.S. and Canada.

Good luck!

Dried cranberries and almond jumbles

Adapted from Real Simple magazine

Makes 28 cookies using a 1 1/2 – inch cookie scoop

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher/sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 cup sliced almond, lightly toasted* and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add the dried fruit and almonds and mix well.

Make cookies by either dropping a walnut size mounds of dough using a tablespoon/s or a 1.5-inch cookie scoop (as shown in the picture above).

Bake until just beginning to brown, 20-24 minutes.

Notes:
To toast the almonds, place them on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven and toast for about 8 minutes, stirring a few times, until they begin to brown and smell good.
The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped, for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Have you ever virtually baked with anyone?

No? Well, maybe you should try it.

Let me tell ‘ya, Twitter sometimes makes things come true. (I suggest you check it out and give it a try. (No, I’m not being paid to say that.) And follow me there.)

So, the other day, it was before Thanksgiving, @lisaiscooking was tweeting and asking does anyone know of a double crusted pumpkin pie recipe? And I thought, “Oh I just baked a double crusted apple pie, so maybe we can bake together a double crusted pumpkin pie”. Then I realized, Lisa lives in Austin, Texas! Bummer. Because I had a lot of fun baking with Jessie. Then I wondered, “Hmm, maybe we can do something else, somehow, somewhere, someday and bake pumpkin pie together”. Next thing, we started to exchange e-mails and toss ideas. But then I realized I have already made a Pumpkin banana cream pie and that was enough pumpkin for me for this year. So… we went back and forth with it.

I started to doubt the whole thing because of the distance, you know… and then it hit me! In this world, we don’t have to be at the same place at the same time to lovingly make something together, right?! We’re virtual buddies and we can virtually make it happen. Sort of like… cyber-s_x? Only we’re baking… It’ll be my first time.

And then, Lisa suggested we bake Madeleines.

I never made madeleines before, but wanted to for a very very long time. I was ready for this moment ever since the first time I laid my eyes on these. That was back in December 2008! Gosh, why have I waited for so long? Maybe I needed to wait for the right person, and the right time, to be ripe enough for making these cookies.

So Lisa ended up making savory Madeleines in Texas and I made mine here. Let’s see what she was up to, click here.

Mine are sweet orange flavored and dipped in chocolate. It just was in my destiny to make ‘em. Gorgeous. With some lessons learned. Because usually when you make something for the first time there is a lesson to learn, no?

OK, enough with the innuendos.

Take notes:

1) Do not overfill the pan indentations because this will happen

The cookies will be too big, they will overflow as they rise, and they won’t cook evenly. Those in the edges browned faster than those in the middle, the cooking time was longer, and most of the cookies were pale. So, for next time, fill each indentation with a little less than half the dent’s height. Only 2 turned out perfectly…

2) I only had one pan with 12 dents and the recipe makes about 30 cookies. (I knew this was going to happen!)

But I was resourceful and used a mini cupcake pan. Well, you CAN bake Madeleines in mini cupcake pans only then they won’t be called Madeleines but cupcakes. The shape goes with the name, you know what I’m saying?

I used a 12 dents madeleines pan + 12 mini cupcakes pan. But next time, since I overflowed the indentations in the pans, I’d probably use 3 pans to make about 30 cookies. (I need to by 2 additional pans.)

3) The batter was beautiful, and delicious, with sweet with gentle orange and vanilla flavor, and there was enough for 2 more cookies. I hated the thought of throwing it away

but I didn’t want to use another cupcake pan for only 2 cookies, so we ate it just like that out of the bowl. Yes. When I was a kid I ate raw dough with raw eggs in it and survived just fine. I have decided not to panic when my kid wanted to taste the raaaawwww batter.

4) Use a tripod. I took the photos without a tripod, like Penny does, but mine turned out a bit blurry, so…

…until I become a pro, use a tripod! You get the picture, hahaha, right?! But they are dreamy, aren’t they?!

Everyone loved them. I brought some for a Hanukkah party and the kids thought they were chocolate covered Sufganiyot (Doughnuts). They were gone within minutes.

***

Don’t forget Menu For Hope!!!

Donate = buy tickets to bid on really awesome food prizes! It’s a great way to help others. As little as $10 helps a lot and then you have a chance to win something delicious and exciting. Click here for details.

 
***

Chocolate-Dipped Orange Madeleines

The recipe was found on Cook & Eat blog and Lara has some tips there too so go and check it out over there.

I slightly adapted it from Lara who has adapted it from bills food Lemon Madeleines recipe

Makes 20-30 madeleines, depending on mold size*

6 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5 eggs
3/4 cup caster/superfine* sugar (or 200g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest from 1 orange
1 1/3 cup flour (or 200g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3-4 oz. semi-sweet (or your choice) chocolate chips/chopped bar
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400F.

Melt the butter in the microwave and cool it a bit (because you’ll be mixing it with eggs and you don’t want to cook them).

Beat the eggs and the sugar together in a mixer bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the orange zest and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Sift the flour and baking powder onto the egg mixture, and beat. Add the cooled butter and mix well. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease your pans. Spoon batter into your madeleine molds, up to the height of the dent. Don’t overfill them.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your madeleines. The edges should be a golden brown. Cool in the pans.

Meanwhile, place chocolate and heavy cream in a microwavable bowl. Heat it in 20 seconds intervals, whisking each time you take it out of the microwave, until the chocolate is completely melted into the cream. Dip each cookie in the chocolate ganache and place on a plate to solidify, or not

Serve as soon as possible.
 

A few more notes:
* The dents in my pan are 3 inch long.
* You can use regular granulated sugar and whiz it in the food processor to make the granules finer.

Other recipes to try on 101 cookbooks and on Smitten kitchen.

This is an easy, no mixer needed, mix by hand, kind of recipe, that I made in the speed of lighting with my 6 years old one evening for his dad’s birthday. We got home late and were in a big rush to bake some cookies in time before dad got home so we can present these as a gift to give him. They were so unbelievably good in addition to the added value of their effortlessness. Nutty, buttery, sweet, a bit crunchy on the outside and melt in your mouth from the inside. Oh, just thinking about them makes me want to go and make them again now!

In the rush of the holiday baking, it is a very convenient cookie recipe to add to your list. They will make a wonderful gift + they can be frozen so you can make them ahead of time.

To another topic, but still in the spirit of holiday and giving gifts, Jennie from In Jennie’s Kitchen blog, is having a 12 Days of Sharing cookie recipes (and creating virtual cookie jar) to benefit Share Our Strength, an organization with a purpose to end child hunger. Click on the badge below to make a donation and make a difference  in a child’s life. It would be the best gift you can give and get, no? And, you can win a prize too!

Each donation you make via the 12 Days of Sharing badge between today and December 18th equals a free entry into a giveaway for some pretty cool prizes like a Cuisinart Stand Mixer, Food Network gift bags, and many others… Check out the complete list of giveaway prizes here or here (on the right side).

In addition to donating, you can share a recipe with us in the virtual cookie jar, click here for details.

Maple pecan cookies

Adapted from a recipe by Carole Walter from her “great cookies” cookbook
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed dark/light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Position the shelves in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Moderately butter the cookie sheets or use parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.
Using a wooden spoon, add the maple syrup to the melted butter, mixing well. Mix in the egg, orange juice, and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the sugars, stirring until well combined and free of lumps.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, then fold in the nuts with a large rubber spatula.

Using the tip of a teaspoon, or a small cookie scoop, drop mounds of dough the size of large walnuts onto the cookie sheets, placing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back toward the end of the baking time.

Remove from oven and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Cool on wire racks.

Store in an airtight container.

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?! I haven’t posted anything for more than a week… I missed you guys and I missed blogging. I got busy and out of focus as we planned a little Thanksgiving vacation to sunny California. We visited family and went to the beach which was a lot of fun. And we spent one day at Disney, an experience that was fun too but made me want to use the F-word a few times that day. (It was so goddamn crowded!) I’ll tell you more about it later.

We came back home last night and found that a third of our neighbors have already decorated their houses with winter/Christmas/Hanukah lights. I bet that now, after the big turkey dinner is behind, everyone is brainstorming about the cookies they are going to bake for the holidays? My son has been asking for gingerbread boys and girls’ cookies for a month.

Well, do consider these jammy nutty bars called Figaro bars too. I got the recipe for them from my mother in-law. (Hi Anka!) I first tasted them when my husband and I were still dating (each other). In one of our visits to my future in-laws’ house, that was 9 years ago (!), she made them and I instantly went crazy for them. I love everything that she makes. She is such a wonderful cook and baker and I have a few recipes that she happily shared with me.

I have tweaked and changed this recipe back and forth throughout the years. It’s been a long time after all… This time I thought I’d try to add cardamom to the topping after trying this lovely cake which tasted great (but had a very crumbly texture). We loved the combination of lemon with walnuts and cardamom together. It was quite exotic and sophisticated in a way…. The cardamom adds an extra oomph to the Figaro recipe which came from Europe, I think, (Maybe from Austria?). Anything to do with the opera?
 

Figaro bars

For the dough:
1 2/3 cups (210 grams) flour
12 tablespoons (140 grams) butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1/3 cup (70 grams) sugar
2 egg yolks
For the filling:
1/2 – 3/4 cup jam like strawberry (I used strawberry-rhubarb jam)
For the topping:
1 1/4 cup (140 grams) nuts, such as pecans and/or walnuts
2/3 cup (140 grams) sugar
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons) and zested
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoons cardamom, optional

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees (170 C).

Place parchment paper on the bottom and sides of a 9*13-inch (30*30 cm) pan, and grease it with butter or cooking spray.

In a food processor bowl with the the steal blade, put the flour, butter, and sugar, and pulse a few times until you get big butter crumbs. Add the egg yolks and pulse again just until the crumbs start to come together and look moist. If the crumbs look dry, add 1 tablespoon cold water (or juice or milk) or more, as needed.

Dump the crumbly dough in the prepared pan (save the food processor bowl and blade to later) and press with your finger to make an even layer on the bottom. If the dough sticks to your fingers, place it with the pan inside the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.

Bake the dough for 5-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Meanwhile, make the topping.

In the now empty food processor bowl, pulse the nuts and ground to small bits. Add the other ingredients (but NOT the jam) and pulse just to combine. Set aside.

When the dough is ready, take out of the oven (Keep the oven working!) Let cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully spread the jam using a the back side of a tablespoon or a spatula, all over the dough. (If your jam seems too thick, mix it with some water to dilute and loosen its texture).

Once you’re done with the jam, spoon the topping over the jam layer.

Put the pan back in the oven and bake another 30-40 minutes, or until the topping looks golden brown.

This post has been sitting on my desk, actually on my computer screen, open for the past week. If it were on paper, I would have probably torn it to little pieces by now. I can’t even remember, what was the point I wanted to make in this post?

In order to finish it, I need a good amount of chocolate. After treating myself to one square I found myself going back to the kitchen, a second trip, to bring the whole bar close to me. Creamy milk chocolate with almonds that my sister brought me when she came to visit us a few days ago. “My sister”, two words I haven’t used much in my life. I like that. But more about this some other time. Now, I’ve got another story for you.

The names, times, and places don’t matter. If you look closely, you will probably find someone near you with a similar experience. It, or another version of it, can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.*

 
You see, there’s this woman who owns and runs a little specialty food store where I have been shopping for the past 8 years. I like to go there every now and then and look for new ingredients. She brings all kinds of foreign food products from around the world, most of it you will not find at the usual grocery chain store. Through the years we have developed good relationships and got to know each other a little. We chitchat and sometimes share little personal anecdotes. This lady saw my children grow, she held them in her arms when they were babies, she talks with them too and sometimes gives them a little treat, or gently pinches a chubby cheek. We talk about all kinds of things, this and that, husbands, children, life in general, the news… I like that.

– OK, enough with the chocolate now –

Last week I went to the store after about two months that I haven’t been there. Like always, she asked me how I was and I answered that I had a bit of a crazy summer, yada yada yada… you know the story… And then she replied: “Believe me, I have a harder time”. I was surprised by this response, but I challenged her with a smile, “No, I had a harder time”, and she went “No, believe me, I do”, and I said “No, I do…” and then added, “OK, let’s hear your story”, and was still laughing about this childish exchange of arguments.

She then shared with me a story about her family. Turns out she is solely supporting three people emotionally, physically, and financially: an ungrateful 80 years old mother who needs the kind of care as if she was a 3 year old, a husband who suffers from depression, and a 20+ college girl who’s whole life is ahead of her. In addition to all that, she is running and managing the store all by herself and is barely making a living to support all four of them. She had tears in her eyes and I felt that I wanted to give her a big hug. I went behind the counter and we hugged.

It’s funny, or maybe “ironic” is a better word for it, how we see people around us but we don’t really see them, don’t you think? We’re mainly using our eyes, but not our hearts to see one another. We can “know” someone for years at work, in school, at the gym, it can even be a family member, or someone we consider a friend, but in some cases, we probably hardly know much about them.

Some people prefer the short and quick exchange of words with a cashier at the average grocery chain store because then they can still keep their anonymity and food safety and this is how they like it. Fine. As for me, I know that those cashiers might not be there the next time I shop so I don’t see the point in getting too deep into conversation with them. I have issues with separations so I prefer to invest in developing  long-term relationships. This just doesn’t happen at Safeway, QFC, Ralphs, Vons, Whole Foods, or Albertsons.

There’s something special, even a bit magical, when shopping at little mom and pop stores, even at the fancier boutique stores. I see shopping at a small, local, and individually-owned business as being part of and supporting my local community. I want to be a part of that. I want to know the people. It’s a no brainer, just like the Chocolate-vanilla tea biscuits bars I am about to share with you.

One year ago: Cocoa-Marzipan Pound Cake, Baking with kids: Chocolate cookies, Eggplants in fresh herbs marinade, Pork schnitzel, potato-yam mash, roasted cauliflower

Chocolate-vanilla tea biscuits bars

I felt like having a simple and back to childhood sort of dessert for the weekend. I made these bars/layered ”cake” using tea biscuits from that little food store. If you can’t find them where you shop try to make a graham cracker crust or use lady fingers (the ones that are being use for Tiramisu).

For a 9 x 13 inch (22 x 32 cm) pan

20-25 tea biscuits
1 small box (about 3 oz, 90 gram) INSTANT vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
8 oz. chocolate (whatever you like, milk/semi/bittersweet, or a mix of all)
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream, optional

Place tea biscuits on the bottom of the pan in a single layer (cut any whole biscuit with a serrated knife if you need to fit into the last row).

In a bowl, prepare the pudding according to the instructions on the package. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest using medium-high speed until the whisk leaves marks in the cream and holds pretty stiff peaks. (If you need to learn how to whip cream, see the photos below and also in this link.)

Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding. Pour the mixture over the biscuits layer and chill until it sets.

Melt the chocolate:

1) Microwave method; (you have to use cream). Put the chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave at 20 seconds intervals, mixing in between, until chocolate is completely melted. Cool a bit and pour over the pudding layer.

2) Bain-Marie method; (You don’t have to use cream. See photo below). Put the chocolate in a bowl over a pot with gently simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Mix from time to time until the chocolate is completely melted. Cool a bit and pour over the pudding layer.

That’s it.

How to Bain-Marie:

* Warning to people who know me: Don’t dare ask me who this person is.

Every time I manage to create something delicious using leftovers, I think about my grandmas. Such resourceful women. They lived, worked, raised a family during such hard times, wars, depression, very little rights for women… and A LOT of hard work each and every day. I don’t think they ever went on a vacation. You just got to respect these women.

I feel sorry for not having the opportunity to learn from them how to cook (too late now) but I know that they inspire me. Although I have only a handful of blurry memories of times spent in the kitchen with them, every now and then a new episode comes to life inside my head. Like the other day, when we came back from the farmers market, I asked my son to help me shell the snow peas we just bought. It reminded me of going to the market with my grandma Tovah. I was a child, I believe not more then 10 years old. The market was very different then than today’s farmers markets. Chaotic, dirty, crowded, vendors shouting, the smell of fish swimming in water tubs and the blood of freshly dead chickens in the air. It excited and horrified me at the same time. I loved it and hated it.

Those markets were very unstylish and un-elite. People went there to buy fresh food for less money, unlike today’s markets which make me wonder who shops there besides affluent people and crazy foodies who are willing to spend a little fortune on little food. After grandma finished all her loud arguing and negotiating with the vendors and merchants and was done with all her shopping, we took a bus ride back to her tiny apartment. There she would sit in the small bathroom to clean the very recently killed chicken she bought, pulling off the feathers and all that stuff, and then she would start cooking on her little stovetop with only two burners in the tiny kitchen. No recipes, no cookbooks. She hardly knew how to read and write. But in some mysterious way, her food was magical. So full of flavor with only few basic ingredients and only salt for seasoning it was cooked to perfection. Gosh, she even cooked cakes on that tiny stovetop. On fire! No oven!

I wish I wasn’t too young to learn all that from her. But back then I was given little tasks to do like snap the ends off of green or yellow string beans, sort through rice, “help” knead a dough, polish the silver candleholders.

My grandmas, probably yours too, never threw food away. They would always come up with ways to use ingredients that were about to go bad. This is what today’s recipe is about (as well as the ricotta cheesecake or any cheesecake). Any cheese’s odds and ends and those about to expire can be put to good use here. But use only delicious cheeses like ones you like to eat as is. As they say about wine, don’t use wine you won’t drink in a recipe, same goes for cheese. Cooking is magical, but not to that extent…

(Yes, I use brown parchment paper. It’s unbleached.)

I don’t remember how and where the recipe came from besides that it was created by an Israeli chef who wrote about food from the Balkan countries in Southeastern Europe.

Boykus – Savory cheese cookies

Makes about 30-40 cookies

For the dough:
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
14 tablespoons (200 grams) butter, room temperature
1 egg
7 oz. (200 ml) plain yogurt (I use goat yogurt)
8 oz. (250 grams) feta (or another white, salty, a bit dry and firm) cheese, crumbled
7 oz. (200 grams) gruyere (or cheddar, fontina, etc), grated
5 oz. (150 grams) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

For egg wash:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Put all the dough ingredients in a bowl and mix well (you can do this by hand or in a mixer). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Line a 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make cookie shapes by creating golf-size* balls and then pressing them lightly to flatten a bit. Place on baking sheet/s. Brush each cookie with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame.

Bake for about 20 minute, or until golden browned.

NOTE: if you have leftover cookies, keep them in the fridge and reheat in the (toaster-) oven. They also freeze well in a freezer-friendly bag/container.

* I don’t play golf but I imagine that’s what they look like…

* * * * *

OK, time to announce the readers who will receive a copy of the book “Not becoming My Mother”.

But before that, I want you to to know that I loved reading your comments and feedback, ideas, and opinions. I appreciate the sharing of your personal stories. This is why I contacted Ruth Reichl’s publicist and she has generously sent me 4 additional copies of the book. I have a lot more goodies waiting to be given away, so if you didn’t get a book today, there will be other chances later on, OK?!

OK.

Thank you all for participating and for your support.

And, don’t forget to give someone a hug.

The people to get a copy of the book are…..
Michele K.
Helen
Kate from Kate’s musings
Katrina from Eating on Tulsa time

… and the SIGNED copy goes to………………….
Jennifer from Awakened aesthetic

Please send me an e-mail (nurit AT familyfriendlyfood DOT com) with the address where to send the book to.

I love out-of-focus photos.

When I was a teenager, I loved taking photos on a diagonal. Go figure.

But this blurry photo above does make the cookies look dreamy, doesn’t it?! Don’t they?

Well, they are!

I love love love hazelnuts. Do you?

And hazelnuts with chocolate? Even better, right?!

And what about hazelnuts with chocolate AND whipped cream? I’m speechless.

That’s the best combination ever. Well, I have already shared with you the easy Marjolaine cake recipe, remember? Did you make it? Did you? Did you?

This recipe for chocolate hazelnuts cookies caught my eye on Chez Pim’s blog and she has adapted it from David Lebovitz’s (Black and White cookies, originally published in Room for Dessert). And I have adapted it a bit too and tried a few flavor variations. They are scrumptious any way you make ‘em and very easy to make.

Dark chocolate hazelnut bites
Makes 30-40 cookies

8oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoon rum or Kaluha, optional
2 eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup hazelnut, toasted in 350F oven for about 10-12 minutes, until fragrant*
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulate sugar and 1/3 cup powdered sugar for coating the cookies

Chop the chocolates into small pieces.  Melt the chocolate and butter together (with the liquor too if using.) in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, whisking in between, until the chocolate is smooth.

In a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until they turn pale and form a ribbon, about 5 minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate.

In a food processor, finely grind the nuts with the flour, and then add the baking powder and the salt. Add the ground nut mixture into the chocolate batter and mix well. Chill the batter in the fridge until firm, 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Take two small bowls, fill one for the powdered sugar and the other with granulated sugar. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop to form little batter balls (or you can use 2 teaspoons to roll the cookie batter into 1 inch balls), roll each ball in the granulated sugar and then in the powdered sugar. Place cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, at least 1 inch apart. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes, changing the top and bottom baking sheets about halfway through the baking. The cookies are done when they are slightly firm at the edges but still soft in the center.

Store the cookies in an airtight container.

NOTES:
* You can use fancy chocolate. I used Ghirardelli milk and bittersweet chocolate and it worked great.
* Hazelnuts – the second time I made these cookies, I used 1/2 cup hazelnuts meal/flour. Great shortcut.
* For variations, you can add any of those flavors: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon hazelnuts extract, and/or 2 teaspoons coffee granules

Cookies are dangerous. Cookies are sneaky. Bad bad cookies.

They are not like a cake where you usually eat one slice, or two if you really lose control but then you might feel guilty about that second helping.

With cookies, you take one.

then another one.

then another…

and just another last one…

and, no guilt feelings.

Right?!

I am personally a cake person (Guilt feelings included. Rarely.). My husband is a cookie guy. This is why I gave him as a gift for his birthday a “20 cookies punch card”. Does anyone remember? It was waaaay back in October.

Anyway, so far I only baked 5 cookie recipes for him and now he is finally claiming the rest. So, for the first time in our lives – can you believe it? – I made, and we ate, oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal cookies just didn’t sound “right” to me before. But after tasting them, I can’t remember why.

I baked the recipe from the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook “Back to Basics”. As this was my first time baking these cookies, I made the recipe as is. Next time I think I’ll cut down the granulated sugar by 1/4 cup.

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies by Ina Garten
Makes 30-40 cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar (3/4 cup nest time)
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins (I used a mixture of raisins, dried cranberries & currants)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt together into a medium bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop (I used a 2-inch scoop) or a tablespoon, drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.