put fresh fruit in your cookies! really! seriously! yes! do it
plum in a white chocolate cookie
blueberries in ginger molasses cookies
strawberries in a brown butter chocolate chip cookie
the fruit brings a new element to your typical cookie, and i love it the most. why on earth do i not do this more!?
not many words as i am scrambling to pack for this vacation.
how do you like that, i haven't posted in weeks and i come back with a 'not many words blah' deal. i'm sorry. not that i even know who i'm apologizing to, this is my space really. i rule the space. i rule!
so, moral of the post story is, not many words, because i rule, some pictures of pecan sables with strawberry jam, and the recipe too.
and i surely wouldn't give you the recipe of something that wasn't worth making. so, make this weekend! while i'm sipping a mojito and surrounded by water and re-bonding with this boyfriend of mine who is wonderful but the day-to-day things can get pretty boring with routines and work and take-out. so, rekindling vibes.
peace out beans and rice. eat an el pollo loco BRC for me.
Pecan Sables with Strawberry Jam
adapted from this recipe on food 52
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks, room temp
2 cups flour
3/4 cups pecans
1/2 cup jam of choice (i used strawberry)
heat oven to 350 degreesF. line a baking sheet with parchment and lay pecans on top. bake for 10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. turn off oven and allow them to cool. once cool, use a food processor or mortar and pestle to crush them into crumbly bits.
fit stand mixer with paddle attachment. put butter in bowl and beat on medium speed until the butter is whipped, about 1 minute. add all 3 sugars, the salt, and nutmeg. continue mixing until everything looks creamy and incorporated. turn mixer on low speed and add the vanilla, then the yolks, one at a time. turn off mixer and add the flour. start the mixer on lowest setting so flour doesn't fly everywhere. mix until the flour is just combined, then fold in the pecan crumbles and mix again until just combined.
scoop out the dough and lay it on plastic wrap, roll into a log (depending on your size preference, can be a shorter thick log (lolz) for larger cookies, or long thin logs for little rounds of cookies. i went with the bigger circles. let chill for no less than 2 hours (can leave in fridge for a couple days, or in freezer for a couple months)
when logs are chilled, heat oven to 350 degreesF. line 2 baking sheets with parchment. cut log into 1/3-1/2 inch slices. lay each cookie on baking sheet with a little space in between them.
scoop about 1/4 cup jam into a baggie. seal top and snip a bottom corner to make a makeshift pastry bag. dollop a small circle of jam into the center of each cookie.
move sheets to oven and bake sables about 20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden. Let them cool 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. these cookies taste better a few hours after cooling.
i never said anything about copenhagen.
but damn.
look at that picturesque business.
hay! there's peaches and bacon happening
truth be told, i'm so completely over/never really was into the bacon-in-everything trend.
is it cool and funky that there's bacon in this dessert? sure.
does the addition of bacon really enhance the dish and make it better than it was without it? probably not.
i've felt strongly enough about the bacon-in-dessert deal that i almost feel the need to defend myself here.
that said, A. it was father's day and B. a bacon biscuit is different. the bacon is a focal point.
it's savory and a little smokey and sweet. and it's so tasty that you would of course want to eat it all the time... savory or sweet, it doesn't matter, you want that biscuit.
so that's when it became shortcake.
and let me tell you, this shortcake was workin' it.
sweet peaches and fresh cream and a warm maple bacon biscuit...i realize this is kind of a how-can-you-go-wrong situation..
- unless your biscuits are dry and dense because you didn't cut in the butter properly. So..
Maple Bacon Biscuit/Scone
adapted from Zoe Nathan
1 lb bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup, divided
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
fleur de sel
cook bacon in a pan til cooked, but not super crispy. pour through strainer and reserve the bacon fat. scatter the bacon pieces on paper towels to absorb more of the fat. whisk the dries in a bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. scatter butter pieces over the dries and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork, (or do it on a cutting board/flat surface with a bench scraper.) once it's shaggy and the clumps are about the size of peas, stir in the bacon. then 1/4 cup + 2tbsp maple syrup, then the buttermilk . stir/fold until it just comes together into a shaggy biscuit dough. don't overwork!
press out to 1 1/2 inch thickness, cut using 2 inch round or square biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) and freeze until thoroughly chilled, 10 minutes.
preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. take your bowl of reserved bacon fat and generously brush tops of each biscuit with the fat. sprinkle with fleur de sel and bake til they just begin to brown, about 25 minutes. remove from oven and quickly drizzle 1 tsp maple syrup on each biscuit, brush over so the syrup is distributed over the surface, and place back in the oven for 3 minutes.
let cool.
Peach Shortcake:
slice some peaches and/or nectarines. toss them in a bowl with a tbsp or two of sugar and a tiny squeeze of lemon
whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 1/4 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it) and 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract - whip til soft peaks, i prefer really soft, loose cream.
to assemble: slice a still-warm biscuit in half, it should almost split apart "on the biscuit grain"-if you will -
place the biscuit bottom on a plate. top with a big dollop of cream, a handful of peaches and cap it off with the top biscuit.
voila.
some people's recipes you know you can trust. i trust gina de palma, i just do.
so if it's her recipe, i should probably make it because i trust that it'll be awesome.
she notes in her book that these are her favorite lemon cookies. ding.
proceed with buying a $27 bottle of limoncello.
...note to self: make limoncello so you never ever consider doing that again.
that aside...if i had to describe these cookies in one word it would be: pleasant. these cookies are so pleasant. they smell super pleasant, they're pleasantly gritty...it's all so nice.
i want to make almond ice cream and eat it with these cookies. i imagine that'd be a good time.
Lemon Semolina Cookies
from Gina De Palma's Dolce Italiano
2 cups ap flour
2/3 cup semolina
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sugar + more for rolling
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
zest and squeezed juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp limoncello
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
glaze (optional)
in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - set aside.
using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy. beat in the egg and egg yolk, scraping down the sides, followed by the lemon zest and juice, limoncello, and vanilla extract. scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients til a soft dough forms. remove dough, wrap it in plastic, and flatted into a disk. refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
preheat oven to 325 degreesF. line 2 baking sheets with parchment or grease. place the additional sugar in a small bowl. scoop teaspoonfuls (i did tablespoons for bigger cookies) of dough and roll them into balls. roll them in the sugar to coat evenly. place on baking sheets, evenly spacing them about 2 inches apart.
bake until they have collapsed and are crinkled, 14-15 min, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.
allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them gently to wire racks to cool completely.
i added streaks of limoncello glaze, simply mix a few tbsp of limoncello with powdered sugar til you get your desired glaze consistency. streak it on there, yo.
last weekend, we loaded up the car with some hot weather clothes, AOC for car entertainment, and a watermelon. we stopped for a sub sandwich. the dick guy next to me in line made fun of the size of my sandwich, and then we drove to palm springs.
these are the photos i took that weekend. but mostly, our skins didn't leave the pool and it was really deserty beautiful there and we ate an absurd amount of mission chips for two people.
we also made a drink that became the signature trip drink. so good that we felt the need to name it. it became the palmy - because we're young originals - and we made them everyday starting around 11am with the limes we snatched from the trees.
The Palmy
adapted from the things we had in the fridge
silver tequila
limes
fresh mint
guava nectar
grapefruit juice
ice
pour some tequila into medium tumbler glass.
squeeze in 1 juicy lime.
add 4-5 mint leaves. muddle together with a wooden spoon.
pour in a generous splash of guava nectar.
add 3 ice cubes
fill to the top with grapefruit juice
stir
repeat
hotdamn!
that bread is attractive!
the result is different from a typical focaccia, as if the powdered sugar didn't lead your brains to realize. the crumb is soft and much more compact.
there's less holiness going on.
right out of the oven is truly the only way to eat this bread. the crust is crunch heaven, the crumb is warm and soft, the berries have melted into the crumb..a nice shower of powdered sugar and you're in business.
immediate business.
do not wait to eat.
if you need to wait til later today to eat it, don't make this. make chocolate cake
ok so straight out of the oven, this blackberry focaccia equals a really nice experience.
next day? no, stop.
it'd be nice on a brunch table. it'd be cool with tea.
i had it before dinner and forced everyone around me to eat it..it's at its most delicious peak, obviously i must force it on you.
Blackberry Focaccia
adapted from Nigel Slater's Ripe
3 1/4 cups (450g)
bread flour
7g (about 2 tsp) instant yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
8 oz blackberries
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp demerara sugar (raw sugar)
confectioners' sugar for dusting
put the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast, sea salt, and then the sugar and warm water. mix with a wooden spoon. turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and knead lightly for 5 minutes or so
(this can also be done in a kitchen aid fitted with a dough hook.)
once the dough feels elastic and "alive", put it into an olive oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap, and leave it to proof somewhere warm. it will take about an hour to double in size. once it has, punch it down to knock some of the air out. tip it into an oiled shallow baking pan about 12 inches in diameter or a rimmed baking sheet. gently knead half the blackberries into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise.
preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. once the dough has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over olive oil, scatter with the sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until well-risen, golden brown, and crisp on top. it should feel springy when pressed. leave to cool slightly before dusting with confectioners' sugar. cut into thick wedges and eat while it is still warm. it will not keep for more than a few hours.
it remains to be seen, simple cake plus soft cream plus fruit is my favorite comfort.
you can most certainly detect the whiskey in this cake. but if you are not a whiskey-lover you will still like it.
unless if you are a whiskey hater as well as a cake hater.
and if you're a cake hater....well what the fuck are you doing here?
teehee. i'm just kidding, i'm not mean!
Kentucky Whiskey Cake
adapted from bluebird blog
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup Kentucky whiskey (Bulleit Rye)
preheat oven to 350. beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or with beaters. add sugars and beat until it's nice and creamed. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. in another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and whisk well. add to the wet mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. stop mixture and add the molasses. restart mixer and slowly add whiskey. mix until smooth about 30 seconds. pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper. bake 35-40 minutes.
serve with whatever your heart desires
i paired it with softly whipped cream and bananas.
it'd be nice with caramel. it'd be awesome with vanilla bean pecan ice cream.
need i say much? probably not.
but i've had two glasses of wine, and these are the times the words flow. you know?
these shortbreads are small and tasty. i prefer shortbread to be cut in neat squares. personal preferences. i also like them in triangles or giant hunks, and circles are cool too.
they're like cute edible buttons with shittons of butter.
the best kind of buttons!
i've been testing a bunch of recipes, for a reason i won't say yet.
it's not a cookbook
every other blog in the internet universe is being commissioned to write a book. no offense blogs [good for you, that's exciting, yada}
...
i was talking about shortbread.
they're nice. they're crisp like a shortbread should be. eat them alongside a cup of coffee because we can't seem to get enough.
bam. blog post complete.
Espresso Chip Shortbread
from smitten kitchen
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp boiling water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.
working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.
using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size ziplock plastic bag. put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9x10 inch rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick. as you roll, turn the bag occasionally and life the plastic from the dough so it doesn't cause creases. when you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
preheat the oven to 325 degreesF. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. turn the firm dough out onto the board (throw out the bag) and using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares. transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork.
bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. they will be pale and shouldn't take on too much color.
transfer to wire racks to cool and let them cool completely to room temperature before serving.
creatives fail and the really good ones fail often.
.steven kotler.
thank you steven
how many times can justin bring sexy back, really?
this sundae is:
not a swanky getaway in a nice hotel kind of sexy.
more like, gourmet camping trip sexy. a nice fire going, stars and shit. and a sundae in a mug.
the mish mosh: buttermilk ice cream. lime curd. toasted almond poppyseed cake cubes.
Buttermilk Ice Cream
from smitten kitchen
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped and simmered with cream
pinch of salt
in a large heavy saucepan, combine the cream and 1 cup of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
in a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
remove cream mixture from heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks slowly, whisking constantly to keep eggs from curdling. continue slowly adding more to warm the yolks well, and then pour back into the cream, whisking constantly.
cook over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. pour through a fine mesh strainer, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. press plastic on the top surface so a skin doesn't form and chill in the refrigerator, and then freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.
Lime Curd (
)
Almond Poppyseed Pound Cake (
)
sundae: pile all into a mug and do it right.
let's get in the car and drive an hour and stay in a cute house that isn't our own and pretend we are on a night's vacation.
we'll put on lorde and sam cooke, eat cake, and take tequila shots.
it'll be fun.
