Best Chocolate Chip/White Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

Adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=chocholate%20chip%20cookies&st=cse
and
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/02/cappuccino-cookies-with-espresso-and-white-chocolate/

Yield: 34 4 inch (2 oz) cookies

17 oz AP flour (can use half cake, half bread if on hand)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons coarse salt

2.5 Tbsp instant espresso powder

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter at room temp (30 mins after chopping)

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temp

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 pound chocolate (half white choc chunks, half chopped choc covered espresso beans)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, instant espresso, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Bake until they puff up and still have moist streaks (will continue to cook as they rest) for about 15 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Notes:

• Can make smaller--1.75 oz
• BEST cookie recipe
  

Alton Brown Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/07/the-chocolate-chip-cookie-debate-part-1/
Notes:

• Melted butter in cookie
  
• Looks pretty but bakes up DRY (tried 2x)
• Do NOT make again
  

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/oatmeal-cookies-recipe

• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 c vegetable shortening
• 3 3/4 ounces light brown sugar
• 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cider or white vinegar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 5 ounces quick-cooking rolled oats
• 5 ounces golden raisins, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, light-colored preferred.

2) Beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vinegar till fairly smooth; a few tiny bits of butter may still show.

3) Beat in the egg, again beating till smooth.

4) Add the baking soda and flour, beating till well incorporated.

5) Add the oats (and raisins), stirring to combine. 6) Drop the dough in 1 1/4" balls onto the prepared baking sheets; if you're measuring, this is about 2 level tablespoons (using a tablespoon measure, not a dinner spoon). Space the cookies 2" apart; they'll spread 7) Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through (top rack to bottom, bottom to top). For softer cookies, bake the lesser amount of time; for crunchier, the longer amount. At 12 minutes, a few of the cookies on the edge should just barely be showing a pale brown around their edges. At 14 minutes, they should be starting to color all over. 8) Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan. Notes: Really excellent recipe, great spiciness Sub in whole wheat pastry flour Slightly increase number of raisins Chill/freeze batter so that the cookies will be more thick and chewy instead of spreading Made 22 cookies Tops may crack slightly in cookies that spread (chill!)

ATK Make Ahead Chocolate Souffle

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into half inch sticks
1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur , preferably Grand Marnier
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1.Coat eight 1-cup ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter, then coat inside of dish evenly with the 1 tablespoon sugar; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Melt chocolate and remaining butter in medium bowl set over pan of simmering water. Turn off heat, stir in salt, vanilla/espresso mixture, and liqueur; set aside.

3. Bring the 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons water to boil in small saucepan, then simmer until sugar dissolves. With mixer running, slowly add this sugar syrup to egg yolks; beat until mixture triples in volume, about 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate mixture. Clean beaters.

4. Beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks; add confectioners’ sugar; continue beating to stiff peaks. (Mixture should just hold the weight of a raw egg in the shell when the egg is placed on top.)

5. Vigorously stir one-quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining whites into mixture until just incorporated. Fill each ramekin almost to rim, wiping excess filling from rim with wet paper towel. Run your finger around the edge of each ramekin; this will help the souffle to rise more evenly. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours, but for up to 2 days (you can freeze them longer than two days but may not achieve the same lift upon baking).

6. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until fully risen, about 16 to 18 minutes. (Soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen. Top should be firm but center should still be jiggly. Use two large spoons to pull open the top and peek inside. If not yet done, place back in oven.) Serve immediately.

Notes:

• Made with Charles on 5/8/2011
• In small oven set at 400 degrees, baked quickly (were ready in <10 minutes, WATCH THE OVEN)
• Serve with a creme anglaise
• Flavor the creme anglaise next time (infuse the cream with orange?)
• Makes ~10 souffles
  

Macaron Notes

http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2009/08/recipe-coffee-chicory-macarons.html

• Pipe smaller (about 1"), as these are more stable
• Add 1.5 tsp coffee instead of 1
  

ATK Buttermilk Waffles

Makes about eight 7-inch round waffles. Published May 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

While the waffles can be eaten as soon as they are removed from the waffle iron, they will have a crispier exterior if rested in a warm oven for 10 minutes. (This method also makes it possible to serve everyone at the same time.) Buttermilk powder is available in most supermarkets and is generally located near the dried-milk products or in the baking aisle. Leftover buttermilk powder, which can be used in a number of baking applications, can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a year. Seltzer or club soda gives these waffles a light texture that would otherwise be provided by whipped egg whites. (Avoid sparkling water such as Perrier—it’s not bubbly enough.) Use a freshly opened container for maximum lift. Serve waffles with butter and warmed maple syrup.

For crispier results, we swapped the melted butter in our batter for oil. Unlike butter, oil contributes no moisture to the waffle. The exterior of the waffle can thus reach a higher temperature faster, giving the crust more time to form. Plus, oil helps keep the waffle cripe after it comes off the heat: As pure as fat, it is better able to repel water, keeping interior moisture from migrating to the waffle's dry, browned surface and turning it limp.

Ingredients

2	cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon sugar
3/4	teaspoon table salt
1/2	cup dried buttermilk powder (see note)
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	cup sour cream
2	large eggs
1/4	teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4	cup vegetable oil
1 1/4	cups unflavored seltzer water

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and baking soda in large bowl to combine. Whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir seltzer into wet ingredients. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. Batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

2. Heat waffle iron and bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about 1/3 cup for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.For Crispier Texture, Ban the Butter

Best Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

Source: http://www.oprah.com/food/Sprinkles-Cupcakes-Strawberry-Cupcakes
Cupcake video: http://www.oprah.com/food/How-to-Make-Sprinkles-Strawberry-Cupcakes-Video
Frosting video: http://www.oprah.com/food/How-to-Make-Sprinkles-Strawberry-Frosting-Video

Servings: Makes 1 dozen

Cake Ingredients

Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Cupcakes

• 2/3 cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (thawed if frozen)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk , room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg , room temperature
• 2 large egg whites , room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. Add a few more strawberries if necessary, or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the tin and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Frosting Ingredients

Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Frosting

• 1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries , thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , firm and slightly cold
• Pinch coarse salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix, or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

NOTES:

• Do NOT overmix the batter
• Texture of the finished cupcake should be creamy and moist, very smooth on tongue
• Only need to make 3/4 recipe for frosting (1.5 sticks of butter) to frost 12 cupcakes
• DO NOT add too much strawberry to the frosting or else it becomes very watery
  

Baked Raspberry Breakfast Bars

Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/raspberry-breakfast-bars/

Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

These aren’t, as the recipe notes warn, actually “crumb” bars, with the streuselly topping you might see on crumbles or coffee cakes. Instead, they’re more like a raspberry sandwich cookie, yet less sweet than a typical dessert, and more earnest somehow.

I think you could easily swap the raspberries with blackberries.

For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the raspberry filling:
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. (Note: The book suggests you reserve one cup only. My gut told me that was too little, and I upped it. I wanted to make sure the top of the raspberries were mostly covered, at least for packing purposes, and was glad I had changed it.) Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hans or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.

Make the raspberry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.

NOTES:

• 1/2 recipe goes well into a 9" springform pan
• If using frozen raspberries, THAW FIRST, then drain; add a little more thickener
• Cornstarch:flour :: 1:2
• Beautiful and tasty
  

Baked Black Forest Chocolate Cookies

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11/baked-black-forest-chocolate-cookies-recipe.html

The authors of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, this week's Cook the Book pick, bemoan the unfortunate American translations of that German classic, Black Forest cake. All too often, it's sorry sandwiches of dry chocolate sponge and gloopy cherry preserves, smeared in "whipped topping."

Today's recipe uses dried cherries and "utmost respect" for the original to achieve a condensed version of the German dessert favorite. Black Forest Chocolate Cookies are deeply chocolatey, and studded with white chocolate chips and those sharp dried cherries. You don't want to overbake them—they're at their best when slightly gooey, straight out of the oven.

Black Forest Chocolate Cookies

- yields 24 cookies -

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) dried cherries

Procedures

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter,. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars on high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 10 seconds. Do not overmix.
6. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries.The dough will look very loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the cookies are set and begin to show a few cracks.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing from the pans and serving.
10. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Best Graham Crackers

Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/graham-crackers/

Graham Crackers
Adapted from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from the La Brea Bakery, and 101 Cookbooks, because for some absurd reason that will be immediately rectified, this book is not yet in my collection.

If you’re new to graham crackers, do know that the word “cracker” is misleading. They’re moderately sweet, like a cookie or biscuit, but they do have the snap of a cracker. I can’t say that I’d serve them with cheese, but if you’ve never schmeared them with cream cheese frosting, you’re missing out.

The topping amount will make a heavy coating, like the store-bought ones. Make only half if you just want a light-to-moderate sprinkling.

Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoons (188 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour (a swap of 1/4 cup with whole wheat flour or 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour works well here, too)
1/2 cup (88 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
less than 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (2 grams)
3 1/2 tablespoons (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/6 cup (57 grams) mild-flavored honey, such as clover
2 1/2 tablespoons(38 grams) milk, full-fat is best
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in thirds and return two thirds to the refrigerator. Flour work surface generously, especially in the middle of the dough where it has a tendency to stick, roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut dough to shape

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Decorate the crackers: Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough (again, this is for the traditional cracker shape). Using a toothpick or skewer (I like to use the blunt end of a wooden skewer for more dramatic dots), prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

NOTES:

• BEST graham cracker due to very pronounced honey taste
• Do NOT put spices in the dough; if desired, sprinkle on top or else the honey flavor gets very muddled and lost
  
• Make sure dough is VERY cold (e.g. out of freezer)
  
• WORK QUICKLY AND FLOUR GENEROUSLY ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE, dough is very soft
• Remove dough with offset spatula/bench scraper
• Cookies do not spread very much, okay to put them close together on the pan
• Best to bake on middle rack; bottom makes them come out bumpy
  
• Cinnamon helps bring out the honey flavor. Great addition