I live closer to St. Louis than most of you, but I had never heard of a St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake until I came across an article in the New York Times a few month ago. I was intrigued. But not intrigued enough to do anything about it until I saw that Deb loved it. That night I made the cake myself and it knocked my socks off. It is one of the best things I have made in quite some time. For the record, Bryan didn’t agree and claimed it tasted like an Entenmann’s Coffee Cake you would get at the grocery store. I see what he means, but those things are good!

There are some problems with the recipe: The original recipe has you beat the dough in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment for 7-10 minutes and claims that it will pull away from the sides of the bowl into a smooth cohesive mass. That never happened for me and I can’t imagine it ever would— but who knows. I stopped the machine after 10 minutes and the dough seemed right to me so I proceeded. The recipe then says you should let the dough rise for 2 1/2-3 hours, until doubled in size. After 2 hours my dough had not risen or puffed in the slightest. I put it on top of my radiator and after another 2 hours it had finally started to rise a bit. It was definitely not doubled. Unless you live in the tropics you want to plan on between 3-5 hours for this to work, which is an annoying amount of time to spend waiting for dough to rise— I know.  Some of you more adventurous bakers might want to experiment with rapid rise yeast, I think I will try that myself next time.

But don’t let any of these negatives dissuade you from trying this— it is SO good. Somehow the topping turns into this amazing layer of…goo?…that tastes like the filling for a cheese danish. This sweet topping is tempered by the yeasty cake layer. Perfection! Especially when it is still warm. You can go to the Smitten Kitchen and New York Times articles for the recipe.

I’ve been writing over at ReadyMade, so don’t forget to look for me there. I have already written about my favorite streusel recipe (see photo below), the perfect apron and given some party planning suggestions. It is a great team of bloggers and lots of good information each day.

Twitter is fun! For those of you resisting because you think it is stupid, you might be right but it is also fun and I get a lot of good information from the folks I follow. You don’t need to join to read my tweets (mostly about food) which come a lot more often than posts seem to these days. ; ) I hope everyone is getting a first glimpse of Spring this week and looking forward to sunny days and farmers markets in the not-too-distant future.

Permalink to Gooey Butter Cake + Miscellaneous | 20 comments so far

Right after graduating from undergrad, I was lucky enough to spend a month traveling around Europe. It was the first time I had been out of North America and it was a real adventure. In Florence we ate at a small family-run restaurant that we discovered by chance while wandering around one evening. I remember everything being lovely but I have never forgotten the onion soup I had that night. It was a puree of onion and at the time I thought it was the best thing I had ever eaten. That flavor has stayed with me all of these years and I have often lamented the fact that I didn’t record the name of that restaurant so I could go back.

I was excited to see this recipe for an onion soup in the most recent issue of Bon Appetit and hoped it would live up to my memory of that soup in Florence.

It did! Who knew that this was such a simple problem to solve? Caramelize some onions and puree them with some chicken stock. Perfection. The recipe below is actually a little fussier than that, but I think the take-away is the soup itself.

This recipe can be simplified in a few ways, which I outline below. Great as is, but in the future I will run with this idea and make it my own. You should too.

Onion Soup with Sage, Croutons and Grated Lemon Peel (adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2010)

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided
• 24 cups thinly sliced onions (about 5 3/4 pounds)
• 8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces torn crustless country-style bread
• 16 fresh sage leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (or more) Sherry wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Preparation
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in heavy extra-large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until onions begin to soften, 15 to 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and sauté until onions are very tender and deep golden brown, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed, 25 to 30 minutes longer (this took me more like 45-50 minutes). Transfer 1 1/2 cups caramelized onions to small bowl and reserve for garnish.
Add 8 cups broth to remaining onions in pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes to blend flavors. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot and add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup to desired consistency. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill reserved caramelized onions. Cool soup slightly. Chill soup uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Re-warm caramelized onions and soup separately before continuing.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add torn bread pieces and sauté until bread pieces are crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Cook remaining 4 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sage leaves and cook until slightly crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer leaves to small plate; reserve brown butter in saucepan.
Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar into reserved caramelized onions, adding more vinegar by 1/2 teaspoonfuls, if desired.
Divide warm soup among 8 bowls. Spoon vinegar-seasoned caramelized onions atop soup in each bowl. Sprinkle each serving with croutons and fried sage leaves. Drizzle sage brown butter over each; sprinkle lightly with grated lemon peel and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

***What will I do in the future: I will make the soup and the croutons. I will top with a splash of sherry vinegar, salt, pepper and some lemon zest. I honestly don’t think the fried sage and brown butter are that important, though they are lovely if you are serving this for a fancy occasion.

Permalink to Onion Soup | 20 comments so far

A couple of summers ago, Bryan and I spent 4th of July in Paris with some family friends. They hosted a lovely barbecue in our honor and we ate and drank all sorts of delicious things. What stood out to me the most was an aperitif that the grandfather of the family had made. My French is pretty bad so I have no idea what it actually was, but I think it had something to do with prunes. In any case, I liked that liqueur so much and I loved that it was homemade. The kind man was clearly proud of his creation and spent the early part of the evening holding the bottle and giving out tastes to anyone who was interested. I had more than my share.

There is something very satisfying about making a liqueur at home, a task that seems both more common and better appreciated in Europe. It is a process that requires patience but the results can be incredible. The amber colored goodness featured in the photos started off as a crazy looking concoction of curdled milk and chocolate (yes, chocolate!). Even when I was getting ready to filter it, I had a hard time believing it would turn into this beautiful golden elixir. The flavor is a surprise–a very rich and creamy chocolate that is immensely comforting and warming. If you are anything like me, you will be very proud of your liqueur and excited to share it with friends. I think this is something I could get into. Next up- I need to track down the French man and get his recipe!

***NEW RECIPE INDEX ALERT** Finally, I have gotten around to dealing with my recipe index. Bryan did a great job of organizing everything for me and now posts will automatically be added to the index and it should remain up to date. Thanks for your patience with this! Check it out!

Milk Liqueur/licor de leite (from The New Portuguese Table by David Leite)

• 2 1/2 cups grappa (or unflavored vodka)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 1/2 lemon, seeded and chopped, with rind

Pour the grappa and milk into an impeccably clean half-gallon glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Scoop in the sugar, chocolate and lemon. Cover tightly and shake well to help the sugar begin to dissolve. It will look curdled, and it should. Set aside in a cool dark place and shake or stir well every day for 10 days.

Set a cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl and pour in the mixture. When the mixture has finished draining, squeeze the cloth to release as much liquid as possible, and discard the solids.

Line a sieve with a paper coffee filter (we used our Chemex coffee pot). Pour in the liqueur and let the mixture drip through to a clean bowl–this can take up to 24 hours. Change the filter when it becomes clogged with the residue from the liqueur. (It took me about 24 hours and 4 filters) You can repeat this step once or twice to clarify it as much as possible. (I didn’t)

Pour the liqueur into a clean decanter with a tight-fitting top. It will keep at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Permalink to Milk Liqueur | 27 comments so far

This is the part of winter I hate the most, the wasteland between late February and the end of March where spring seems so close and so far away. Each sunny day feels like hope, only to be followed by another 6-inches of snow. It can be discouraging. I think at times like this we should all be grateful for citrus—a little orange or lemon to brighten the day. The blood orange tart did wonders to lift my spirits and I hoped the remedy would continue to work with these classic lemon bars that Faith Durand made over at The Kitchn.

I’m generally not a fan of lemon bars. They can be the stuff of boxed-lunch nightmares, a mediocre crust topped by way too much overly sweet and artificial tasting lemon…curd? But these are not that kind of lemon bar. Faith accurately points out that they require slightly more effort than your average bars, but the results are well worth the extra work. A hearty shortbread is topped with just the right amount of tangy fresh lemon curd and then dusted with confectioner’s sugar. They are as bright as a spring day and so much more satisfying than any you have had before.

The Ultimate Lemon Butter Bar by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Shortbread

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold) (5 ounces = 142 grams)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (0.5 ounce = 14 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (0.75 ounce = 25 grams)
1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method) (6.25 ounces = 180 grams)

Lemon Curd

4 large egg yolks (2 full fluid ounces = 2.5 ounces = 74 grams)
3/4 cup sugar (5.25 ounces = 150 grams)
3 fluid ounces (use a liquid measuring cup) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 1/2 large lemons) (3.25 ounces = 94 grams)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) (2 ounces = 57 grams)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated) (4 grams)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting (0.5 ounce = 14 grams)

EQUIPMENT:
8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch baking pan, preferably metal (if using a glass pan, lower the oven temperature 25°F), bottom and 2 sides lined with an 8-inch by 16-inch strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD
Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate.

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for 1 minute or so, until the sugar is very fine. Add the butter and pulse in until the sugar disappears. Add the flour and pulse in until there are a lot of little moist crumbly pieces and no dry flour particles remain.

Dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove the dough from the plastic bag and knead it lightly, until it holds together.

ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD OR BY HAND
In Scotland, it is said that the best shortbread is mixed with the fingers and that each woman’s fingers lend something distinctive and special to the finished cookie. I find that the texture is more delicate when the dough is mixed with the fingers rather than in a machine. For either method, use superfine sugar for the best texture and be sure to soften the butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. With your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until incorporated. If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.

FOR BOTH METHODS:
Place 1 oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Use a fork to prick the dough all over.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the top is pale golden (do not brown).

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the Lemon Curd Topping.

LEMON CURD TOPPING
Have a strainer, suspended over a bowl, ready near the range.

In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes, until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats a wooden spoon but is still liquid enough to pour. (A candy thermometer will read 196°F.) The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of a wooden spoon. It must not be allowed to boil or it will curdle. (It will steam above 140°F. Whenever steaming occurs, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to prevent boiling.)

When the curd has thickened, pour it at once into the strainer. Press it with the back of a spoon until only the coarse residue remains. Discard the residue. Stir in the lemon zest.

When the shortbread is baked, remove it from the oven, lower the temperature to 300°F., pour the lemon curd on top of the shortbread, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes.

Cool the lemon curd–topped shortbread completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes to set the lemon curd completely before cutting into bars. Place the powdered sugar in a strainer and tap the strainer with a spoon to sprinkle a thick, even coating, entirely covering the lemon.

Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the pastry on the 2 sides without the aluminum foil. Use the foil to lift out the lemon curd–covered shortbread onto a cutting surface. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the shortbread first in thirds, then in half the other way, and then each half in thirds. Wipe the blade after each cut.

The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the lemon curd after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.

STORE:
In an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator or freezer.

KEEPS:
3 days at room temperature, 3 weeks refrigerated (individually wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying), or 3 months frozen.

Permalink to Lemon Bars | 50 comments so far

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you, dear readers! If we were in second grade I would drop a valentine into each of your cardboard mailboxes. Instead, I thought I would go out on a limb with these lemon and olive cookies from The New Portuguese Table by David Leite. If you have spent any time on the internet these past few weeks you have undoubtedly heard people raving about the recipe for milk-based (and egg-free) mayonnaise, maionese de leite, which is also included in this incredibly beautiful book. The milk mayo is something special and a real wonder to behold, but I was immediately drawn to these simple cookies.

I’ll admit that these aren’t for everyone. I am sure a good number of you have already decided you do not like the idea of olives in a sweet biscuit, but I encourage you to try this recipe. The wafers have a beautifully chewy texture with a nice crunch at the start of each bite. The olive and lemon work with the sugar to make a very well balanced mouthful. They really are unlike anything I have ever made, and I love them. They are so incredibly beautiful and rustic. They are ideally served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but we have been enjoying then on their own all week.

In other news, I wanted to let everyone know that I am now writing for ReadyMade magazine’s online food blog: Feast: Food and Entertaining. I have been impressed with ReadyMade since the first issue was published many years ago and was thrilled to be asked to join the team. They are in the process of launching several new blogs all written by a collection of already established and talented bloggers from around the web. I am proud to be in their company and look forward to what everyone has to share. I’ll be bringing you ideas for desserts, entertaining and beautiful objects for your kitchen. So, please stop by and say hi!

Sweet Lemon and Black Olive Wafers (recipe from The New Portuguese Table by David Leite)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mild oil-cured black olives, rinsed quickly if particularly salty, pitted, and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together the flour, olives, sugar, baking powder, zest, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the oil and egg, pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands until the dough no longer looks dry and holds together when squeezed, 1 to 2 minutes.

Fill a small bowl with sugar and set nearby. Pinch off 1 rounded tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball, and coat it well with sugar. Place it in one corner of a sheet of parchment cut to fit your baking sheet, place another piece of parchment on top, and using a rolling pin, roll the ball into a 3 1/2 to 4-inch circle, a scant 1/16 inch thick. The edges will be ragged; that’s how they should be. Repeat with 5 more wafers on the same sheet. Lift off the top sheet and slip the parchment with cookies onto the baking sheet.

Bake until the wafers are edged with brown and pebbled on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Slide the parchment onto a wire cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once cooled, the wafers will keep in an airtight container for several days.

***Maybe it goes without saying, but make sure you like the taste of the olives you use in these cookies. They should be mild, and not bitter at all and not too salty. I went to our Whole Foods and tried a bunch to find the right one.

Permalink to Sweet Lemon and Black Olive Wafers | 32 comments so far

The first time I had a king cake I did not enjoy it. Not because I didn’t like the taste of sweet bricoche-y bread topped with icing and colored sugar, but because I happened to get the slice with the baby in it. For those of you who don’t know the tradition, a small plastic trinket (often of a baby) or a coin is hidden in the baked cake and the person who finds it in their slice gets good luck, or to be king, or to bring the cake the following year, or something. Well, for some reason at the time I had that first slice of king cake with the baby inside of it, I did not want to tell anyone I had found it. I’m not exactly sure why, but it seemed embarrassing. So, I hid the baby and didn’t say anything. By the time we had finished the cake and everyone was complaining about the bakery forgetting to include a baby it seemed too weird to fess up. So my first experience with this cake was awkward. Thankfully, I have recovered from my king cake issues and am now able to enjoy a slice, baby or not.

This recipe for king cake is from DamGoodSweet, a cookbook which chronicles the best of New Orleans desserts as made by David Guas. It is a fantastic book, both in terms of recipe quality and writing, and I am looking forward to trying many of the recipes. With Mardi Gras a few days away and the Saints crowned as our new Superbowl champions, it seems like a perfect time to make a king cake and start celebrating. For the record, I didn’t include a baby in my cake. Maybe I am not fully recovered.

This recipe looks insanely long, I know. But it isn’t long, it is just thorough. The cake comes together pretty easily. You’ll notice from the photos that I didn’t have the food colorings I needed to make this in the traditional green, gold, purple color scheme but I still liked how it turned out. It keeps well at room temperature for a couple of days, but really is best on the day it is made.

***For more on king cakes, check this out. It also covers some of the European versions of the cakes which are associated with Epiphany rather than Mardi Gras…

King Cake (from DamGoodSweet by David Guas & Raquel Pelez)

The Cake

• 1 (1 1/4-0z) package dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup warm milk (105°-115°F)
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons bread flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• small plastic toy or coin or bean (optional)

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

Icing and Decoration

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups of sugar
• green, yellow, and purple food coloring

Whisk the yeast with the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer until dissolved. Add the 6 tablespoons of bread flour and the honey and, using the paddle attachment , mix on low speed until fairly smooth (there will still be a few lumps), 30 seconds to 1 minute, scraping the bottom and sides of bowl as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Once the dough has doubled, add 3/4 cup of the remaining bread flour, the cake flour, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then switch to a dough hook, increase the speed to medium, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and begin adding 4 tablespoons of the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well between additions. Continue to knead until the dough forms a slack ball (it will ride the dough hook, be tacky, and not slap the bottom of the bowl, but it should generally come together into a loose mass), 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough doesn’t come together, continue kneading while adding up to 1/4 cup of the reserved bread flour, until it does.

Grease a large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining butter and transfer the dough  to the bowl, turning it over in the bowl to coat with butter. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and place the bowl in a draft free spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with the remaining butter. Generously flour your work surface with remaining 1/4 cup of bread flour (if you used the bread flour on the dough, dust your work surface with more bread flour). Turn the dough out onto the work surface and sprinkle the top with some flour. Use your hands to press and flatten it into a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick strip that is about 24 inches long and 6 inches wide. Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough on top of itself, making a long, thin baguette shaped length. Pinch the edges to the body of the dough to seal, turn the dough so it lies horizontally on your work surface, and gently roll it on your work surface to even out any buldges and create a somewhat consistent 1 1/2-inch-wide rope. Bring the two ends of the dough together and pinch them into one another to seal. Carefully transfer the dough circle to the prepared pan. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towl  and set in a warm, dry spot to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375F. To make the egg wash, whisk the egg and the milk together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the dough, and bake the king cake until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately after removing cake from oven, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and insert the baby figurine (if using). Set on a rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the icing. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, milk and vanilla together in a medium bowl until smooth and completely incorporated. Cover the bowl with a damp towel until you are ready to decorate the cake.

To make the colored sugar, measure 1 cup of the sugar into each of 3 resealable quart-size plastic bags. Add 4 drops of green food coloring to one bag. 4 drops of yellow food coloring to another bag and 4 drops of purple food coloring to the last bag.  Seal each bag and then vigorously shake to combine the sugar and food coloring.

Spoon the icing over the cooled cake. Immediately after icing, decorate with the tinted sugar.

Permalink to King Cake! | 26 comments so far

If you follow me on twitter you probably know that I was recently freaking out about the Angostura bitters shortage which was being written about in several places. My fear wasn’t that the shortage would effect the Manhattan or Old Fashioned I like to drink. I was worried it would effect something much more serious: Your Drink.

The your here refers to Bryan and it is the drink he introduced me to years ago. He would make it for himself all of the time and eventually I was asking for it myself. Can I have Your Drink?
This simple combination of water, bitters and lime juice is somehow immensely satisfying. It has become the soft drink of choice in our house. We think it pairs well with practically any food. It is easily customizable and exists in our house in various forms. Sometimes the water is sparkling, sometimes flat. Sometimes we use fresh lime juice, sometimes we use that little green plastic lime bottle. You could even add a tiny bit of simple syrup if you want it to be sweet, but we would never do that— Bryan would not approve.
I called Bryan at work to tell him about the Angostura shortage and he immediately went out to buy more bottles of bitters. After unsuccessful attempts at a couple of stores he found a few bottles at a liquor store near his work and asked the salesperson if they new about the shortage. They didn’t and assured him they had lots more in back. But better safe than sorry, this stuff has a very special place in our home.

Recently I read somewhere that this drink has a name, but I can’t find it again. I’m hoping one of you can tell me. I think it had something to do with a pastor or a Presbyterian. For more on bitters try this.
Writing a recipe for this doesn’t make much sense because it is more of a technique, and you should vary the proportions to suit your taste.

Your Drink

• Ice
• Sparkling/mineral water (or still)
• Angostura Bitters
• Lime (or lemon)
• Simple Syrup (optional)

Fill glass with ice and water. Add a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and a few dashes of bitters. Stir to combine. Enjoy.

Permalink to Your Drink | 18 comments so far

After the earthquake in Haiti I was feeling both incredibly depressed and helpless. The images I was confronted with every night on TV were devastating. Like many of you, I donated money and encouraged others to do the same but felt like there must be more we could do to help. Then an email from the lovely Julie Van Rosendaal arrived asking me to participate in Blog Aid, a cookbook she was compiling to benefit Haiti. It seemed like a wonderful idea (although I will admit I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of producing a cookbook in 3 weeks!) But it happened! And it is lovely! Julie assembled such an amazing group of food bloggers/writers that I am very anxiously awaiting my copy of the book, and proud to be in their company!

Details: ALL of the proceeds from the cookbook will go directly to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders to assist in their efforts in Haiti.

It’s a POD (print-on-demand) system, meaning the books are printed and shipped as they’re ordered and arrive at your doorstep in about 8 days. You can purchase yours in softcover ($25US) HERE or as a hardcover ($50US) HERE.

Both West Canadian Printing AND Blurb are  supporting the project in many ways and even matching the dollar amount of the proceeds raised (up to 10k), to TRIPLE those dollars going to Haiti. AND until February 12th, the Canadian government will match that!!!! It is a great effort by all!

For more on the book, including a complete list of contributors, click HERE.

Thanks all! xo

UPDATE: Blog Aid has already raised over $18,000 in one day! Thanks to all who bought a copy and please help spread the word!

Permalink to Blog Aid 2010: Haiti | 3 comments so far

I have been making this sorbet for months, but am just now getting around to writing about it. It is, quite simply, one of the loveliest little things to ever come out of my ice cream maker.

It is so simple, a few ripe pears are pureed and then combined with simple syrup and pear brandy and churned in your ice cream maker. After churning, the mixture has transformed into this beautiful autumnal color and the sorbet tastes like biting into a juicy, ripe pear. The brandy keeps the sorbet soft, even after spending time in the freezer it remains the perfect scooping consistency. It is absolutely wonderful and a recipe that I will make again and again. I use a mix of pears each time I make this:  Bosc, Anjou, Bartlett—whatever you are able to find.

This sorbet will make  you appreciate just how amazing the pear is. And sometimes you need something like a pear to get you through these long Chicago winters.

Pear Sorbet (adapted from Canal House Cooking, Vol II–which you should really own if you don’t already)

• 5 ripe, juicy pears
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup pear brandy

Make a simple syrup by heating the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely.

Peel, quarter and core the pears. Puree the pears in the bowl of a food processor until smooth, then transfer pear puree to a medium bowl.  Stir in the simple syrup and the brandy.

Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer the sorbet into a quart sized container with a lid. Place in the freezer for a few hours to firm up. This sorbet actually improves with age! I like it best on day #3.

Permalink to Pear Sorbet | 26 comments so far

I’ve already mentioned how much I loved my meal at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar in Santa Monica. I especially loved the desserts we had there and was excited to rediscover this recipe I had bookmarked from Zoe Nathan, the pastry chef at both Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry. I love citrus and am especially fond of blood oranges but often I don’t like the taste of cooked citrus—it can lose its brightness really quickly. I was skeptical about this recipe, which is why it had been on hold for so long. But when the ice cream I had planned for dessert fell through because I forgot to freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker—I decided to finally give this tart a try.

Sometimes ice cream bowls are left out of the freezer for a reason. Through some miracle of nature and science this tart works shockingly well. The flaky pastry crust is just the right base for the slightly bitter blood oranges which manage to taste remarkably fresh and vibrant despite spending over an hour in a hot oven. This is due, in part, to the fact that you freeze the assembled tart until it is solid which buys you some extra baking time for the crust. Caramel sauce is the addition that really pushes this over the edge and makes it one of the best things I have baked (or eaten) in a very long time.

Peeling and slicing the oranges is annoying, but worth the effort so be like Nike and Just Do It. Make sure you have a sharp knife, because otherwise you might hate me for this recipe. I think this probably is supposed to serve 6 people but the 4 of us ate it all without any problem and I could have gone for another slice.

Blood Orange Tart (Recipe from Zoe Nathan via Food and Wine)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, the stick cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 8 to 10 blood oranges (about 5 ounces each)
• 1 large egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
• Salted Caramel Sauce, for serving***

In a food processor, pulse the 1 cup of flour with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the baking powder and salt. Add the stick of cold butter and pulse several times, just until it is the size of peas. Sprinkle the dough with the ice water and pulse just until moistened crumbs form. Turn the crumbs out onto a work surface, knead once or twice and pat the pastry into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to an 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper–lined flat cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until chilled.

Meanwhile, peel the blood oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Thinly slice 2 of the oranges crosswise; remove the pits. Transfer the orange slices to a plate. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut in between the membranes of the remaining oranges, releasing the sections into the sieve. Remove the pits and gently shake out as much juice as possible without mashing the sections; you will need 1 cup of sections. Reserve the orange juice for another use.

Arrange the orange sections on the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar over the oranges. Using a paring knife, thinly slice the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the oranges. Fold up the pastry over the oranges, leaving most of the oranges uncovered. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Arrange the orange slices on top, leaving a 1-inch border of pastry all around. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. Freeze the tart until solid, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375° and position a rack in the center. Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake the tart directly from the freezer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is deeply browned. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let the tart cool for 30 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto the rack and let the tart cool completely. Serve with the Caramel Sauce.

*** You can use your favorite caramel recipe here. THIS is what Nathan recommends, it seemed too complicated to me so I just made my usual caramel:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter (preferably fancy salted butter but you can also do regular unsalted and add a generous pinch of sea salt)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it turns a nice medium amber color. Add the butter and stir with a whisk to combine. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream. It will bubble and steam and go a little crazy, so be careful. Whisk until you have a smooth sauce, return to low heat if you need to melt any hardened caramel. This will keep in fridge for a while.

Permalink to Blood Orange Tart | 47 comments so far

I have been promising you pictures of our new place ever since we moved in. This week’s Time Out Chicago features a nice story on Lottie + Doof and our new apartment written by Jessica Herman. I love her series on Chicagoans homes and am happy to be a part of it. The beautiful photos of our space were taken by the very talented Lizz Sisson, who also keeps a blog. Lizz very kindly sent me some additional photos that didn’t make it into the magazine for me to share with you. Thanks to Jessica and Lizz for a good time and to Bryan for playing along. Click HERE for many more pictures and click through for some bonus photos.

Permalink to Our Place | 38 comments so far

I’ve never seen Pulp Fiction. It got so much hype that I quickly lost interest. It’s a problem I have. I avoided seeing it until it seemed too late to see it and by then it had become sort of a badge of honor. People are horrified: You’ve never seen Pulp Fiction? Yeah, so what?

It was kind of like that with Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread. Everyone was going crazy for that recipe and I waited just a little too long to try it and then decided it was stupid. Until last month when I got a beautiful new Le Creuset dutch oven as a housewarming gift and for some reason decided to break down and make the bread. Turns out I’m the stupid one.

I am now a Jim Lahey missionary spreading the gospel of no-knead bread far and wide. I make that bread on an almost weekly basis. I now own Lahey’s My Bread and while the breads are deservedly the stars of the show I was curious about his pizza recipes. I was happy to discover that they are as easy as the bread and quite delicious. In a couple of hours you can make this amazingly crisp and flavorful pie which holds up to whatever toppings you choose to use. This weekend we had our friends Tony and Mikaela over for lunch and served an onion version of the pizza with a green salad. Everyone seemed to agree that it was very good pizza.

An added bonus is that this recipe makes enough for two pizzas. You can throw the other piece of dough in the fridge or freezer and have a quick weeknight dinner. We ate ours the next day topped with some tomatoes and fresh basil. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I have made this pizza in the month or two since I bought the book. It is incredibly easy and so very tasty.

So, don’t be stupid. Make this now.

If you don’t need two pizzas you can put the other half of dough in a lightly oiled freezer bag and keep it in the fridge for a day or in the freezer for a month or so. Defrost frozen dough in refrigerator overnight and then let the refrigerated dough come to room temperature before stretching and baking. If you have a scale, now is the time to use it. Baking is so much better by weight. Trust me. Recipe makes two pizzas, each serves 4.

Pizza Dough (adapted from Jim Lahey)

• 500 grams bread flour (3 3/4 cups)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (10 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoons table salt (5 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar, plus a pinch (about 3 grams)
• 1 1/3 – 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
• extra-virgin olive oil for pans

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough should be able to contain all of the flour, if it seems dry or if there is excess flour at the bottom of the bowl, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Oil two 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheets. (I used about 2 tablespoons of oil per sheet) Use a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula to scrape half of the dough onto one of the well oiled pans in one piece. Gently pull and stretch the dough across the surface of the pan, using your hands to press it evenly out to the edges. If the dough sticks to your fingers you can lightly oil your hands. Pinch any holes together. Repeat with the second piece using the other pan. Top with:

Pizza Cipolla

• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 500° F.

Use a mandoline, or very sharp knife, to cut the onions into thin slices (1/8-inch thick). You want about 6 cups of sliced onions. In a medium bowl, toss together the onions, cream, salt and thyme.

Spread the onion mixture over the dough going all of the way to the edges. There should be more onions around the edges of the dough since they tend to cook faster.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is turning golden brown and crust is slightly charred. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pizza Pomodoro

• 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 3/4 cup reserved juice of canned tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 6-8 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Preheat the oven to 500° F.

Use a blender or food processor to pulse together the tomatoes, juice, olive oil and salt until they are chunky. The mixture will be quite liquidy.

Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges. You want the sauce thickest along the edges which will cool fastest. Sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are slightly charred. Sprinkle with basil and serve hot or at room temperature.

Permalink to Pizza (Pulp Fiction + Jim Lahey) | 43 comments so far

First of all, I have some good news. I get lots of emails from readers asking me where they should eat when they visit Chicago. While I’m not in the business of restaurant reviews, I am always happy to suggest some of my favorite places. I have finally gotten around to creating a guide to Lottie + Doof approved sources for good food in Chicago. You can find it HERE or through the menu on the left. I’ll add to the guide as I remember favorite places or find new ones. The page also links to a very useful Google map with the same information. Thanks to Bryan for his help getting this up. It is just the beginning of a bunch of exciting improvements around here. Next up- that recipe index which is woefully incomplete and out of date.

What do you do with your vanilla beans after using them? (how about that segue?!) Hopefully you don’t throw them out. I’d like to suggest you use them to make vanilla sugar. Simply rinse off the bean, dry it,  and add it to a container of granulated sugar, or take Edna Lewis’ suggestion and add the bean to a jar of sugar cubes. Allow the bean to hang out with the sugar for a few days before using. You’ll have subtly perfumed vanilla sugar to use as you please. The genius of the sugar cubes is that you can then crush the cubes and use them as a crunchy topping on cookies, muffins or cakes. Anywhere that a coarse finishing sugar is called for. If you have extra vanilla beans I also recommend vanilla salt. Same procedure but using a coarse sea salt. My friend Ashley topped some fresh ricotta with a sprinkling of vanilla salt and blew our minds. It is lovely and I can imagine it being great on top of ice cream or even on something like the chocolate caramel tart.

Changing topics again: Haiti. In a nation where 80% of the population lives at or below the poverty level, life in Haiti can be difficult on the best of days. The suffering that Haitians are enduring as a result of this earthquake is unfathomable to most of us. If you haven’t already done so, please make a donation to one of the many organizations collecting aid relief. The simplest method may be to donate to the Red Cross by texting HAITI to 90999 and $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill. I’ve heard that the Red Cross has already received over 3 million dollars ($10 at a time) through this text method, which is unbelievably moving to me. Please, please continue to help in any way you can.

(And yes, I am aware it is ridiculous that I am writing about helping Haiti and making vanilla sugar in the same post.)

Permalink to Finally, a Chicago Guide (+ more) | 20 comments so far

I wonder what it means that the first two recipes of 2010 are breakfast treats? I am guessing that getting out of bed on these dark, cold, winter mornings requires something more tempting than my usual bowl of cereal or piece of fruit. These Apple Cider muffins will do the trick and have had me looking forward to breakfast for the past couple of days. And lunch. And whenever else I manage to fit them in. They are simple and lovely and keep well. The texture is best on the day you make them but the flavor is best the next day, which I think is a good thing—they evolve.

There is a new publication that might be of interest to you. Remedy Quarterly is a beautiful little journal out of Brooklyn, NY. Kelly Carámbula of Eat Make Read is one of the folks producing Remedy and if you are familiar with her wonderful blog you won’t be surprised by how nice the magazine is. You might also be interested because there just happens to be an interview with me in the first issue— complete with a recipe! I am so happy to be part of what I hope is a food publication with a long and bright future. You can order your copy (or subscribe) HERE.

Apple Cider Muffins (from the amazing Karen DeMasco)

• Unsalted butter, for the muffin tin (optional)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 crisp baking apples, such as Granny Smith or Mutsu, peeled, cored, coarsely grated, and drained, juices reserved and used as part of the cider measurement
• 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a third bowl, whisk together the apple cider, sour cream, and vanilla.

Add one third of the flout mixture and one third of the apple cider mixture to the sugar mixture, folding with a spatula just to combine. Add the rest of the flour and cider mixtures in two additions stirring just until combined. Fold in the grated apple, and then divide the batter evenly among with prepared muffin cups, filling each cup three quarters of the way. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the Demerara sugar.

Bake, rotating the muffin tin halfway through, until the muffins spring back to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out the muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on the wire rack.

These muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Permalink to Apple Cider Muffins | 21 comments so far

I fall in love with Los Angeles a little more each time I visit. This time we were lucky enough to have some really amazing meals. Many of them were at Bryan’s parents’ house—his mom is a wonderful cook and his dad an excellent sommelier. I came home with great family recipes (and some excellent wine) which I will undoubtedly be sharing with all of you as the year progresses. But we also managed to get out for dinner. Rustic Canyon Wine Bar in Santa Monica blew my mind early in the trip. The meal was pretty close to perfect and included a beet salad that may be the best salad I have ever eaten in my life. The pear tart and cinnamon sugar donuts were equally exceptional. I also really loved Church & State in downtown Los Angeles, which some friends recommended. Really outstanding bistro cooking and such a charming atmosphere. If I lived in Los Angeles I would be a regular at both places. If you live in Los Angeles—go!

We returned to Chicago in time to ring in the new year. This year we did it quietly, at home. It remains exciting that it is our home. I can’t believe it is 2010. It sounds like a year out of a science fiction movie. I thought some homemade granola would be a good start to this new decade and so I whipped up a batch of my new favorite granola.

I have tried plenty of granola and granola recipes in my day, but nothing has ever topped this one. Brooklyn’s Early Bird Granola was kind enough to share their recipe for the perfect granola with the internet and now we can make it at home whenever we like. The recipe produces the same granola you can pick up at Brooklyn Flea! Outstanding! It is the breakfast of 2010!

Feel free to play around with this recipe to suit your taste. I happen to like it a little salty, but you might like it sweeter. As written, it is a pretty perfect blend of sweet and salty. Choose your olive oil and maple syrup wisely, make sure you enjoy the taste of them.

I hope that it is an excellent year for all of you. Lets resolve to take what we eat more seriously! to cook more! to have friends and family over as often as possible! and to better appreciate these crazy lives of ours.

I’m looking forward to another year of fun!

Granola (adapted from Early Bird Granola)

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
• 1 cup coconut chips
• 1 1/2 cup raw pecans, very coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade A
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45-55 minutes. It should be nice and golden brown.
Remove granola from oven and season with additional salt, if desired. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Permalink to Los Angeles, 2010, Granola | 20 comments so far

After all of those cookies, I need a break. I’m going to take a little time to relax, visit some friends and family in Los Angeles and get my kitchen in order for another year of fun here on Lottie + Doof. Thanks to everyone who has been writing to say they are baking cookies, I love hearing that. If anyone is looking for another delicious edible gift to make for their friends or family, I highly recommend the caramel corn recipe over at Orangette. I am kind of obsessed with it. I have made it 3 times in the last week and ate my fair share of the stuff. It is pretty perfect. And if you’re looking for a last minute gift or a way to spend some cash from Grandma, check out the L + D Gift Guide.

I hope everyone is enjoying time with friends and family and looking forward to 2010! Be back in a week or so with some good food. xo

Permalink to HOLIDAY | 14 comments so far

I hope you guys have enjoyed the 12 Days of Cookies as much as I did. It has been a blast! I think I will be putting my cookie sheets away for a little while—we both need a rest.
For the final cookie I chose one of my favorites, and a holiday classic, a shaped and decorated butter/sugar cookie. My problem with these types of cookies is that they are too sweet and kind of one note. What is great about this recipe is that the addition of cream cheese into both the dough and the glaze provides a little bit of sourness to counter the sugar. The dough is so easy to make and roll out that there is no excuse not to try these. If you are short on time or just feeling lazy, you can certainly form the dough into a log and slice and bake the cookies as needed.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this event (Dorie, Heidi, Luisa, Avery, Grace, Kristina!) , I could not have done it without you! Thanks to all of you for spending time on the site, especially those of you who were checking in every day! I’ll be back soon with NOT a cookie recipe.

Glazed Butter Cookies (adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)

DOUGH:

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar (5 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese , at room temperature

GLAZE:

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese , at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (6 ounces)

COOKIES: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for 2 to 3 turns to form large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto countertop; divide in half, pat into two 4-inch disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 °F. Roll out 1 dough disk to even 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large sheets parchment paper; slide rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with second disk.

Working with first portion of rolled dough, cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Repeat with second portion of rolled dough. (Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and re-rolled once.) Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.

GLAZE: Whisk cream cheese and 2 tablespoons milk in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Drizzle or spread scant teaspoon glaze with back of spoon onto each cooled cookie, as desired.

The 12 Days of Cookies:

#1 Marlow & Sons Shortbread

#2 Dorie Greenspan’s Linzer Sables

#3 Apricot Bow Ties

#4 101 Cookbooks Sparkling Ginger Chip Cookies

#5 Almond-Anise Cookies

#6 Lebkuchen

#7 The Wednesday Chef’s Cardamom Cookies

#8 Mexican Chocolate Cookies

#9 Toasted Coconut Sables

#10 Orange-Almond Buttons

#11 Apple-Cranberry Rugelach

#12 Glazed Butter Cookies

Permalink to 12 Days of Cookies: #12 Glazed Butter Cookies! | 23 comments so far

Next stop: design*sponge! Not only will you get another cookie recipe, you will also get to see some photos of the spread of cookies I prepared for a 12 Days of Cookies Party we hosted in our new home last weekend!  You’ll even get to see a dorky photo of me.  It is fun to see many of the cookies together in the same space and it was really great to have our friends over to sample some of the cookies!

design*sponge remains one of my favorite websites. Grace and her team do such an amazing job covering the world of design and the domestic! They are so supportive of young designers and new websites and I continue to return to the site for inspiration. It has been fun watching it evolve over the years into such an influential design resource. I am so looking forward to the forthcoming design*sponge book and to watching the site continue to evolve and expand.

Big thanks to Grace and Kristina for their continued support of Lottie + Doof, and for inviting us all over for the 11th cookie! Click HERE for the full post and the 11th cookie recipe!

It is almost over! Come back tomorrow for one last cookie.

Previously on the 12 Days of Cookies:

#1 Marlow & Sons Shortbread

#2 Dorie Greenspan’s Linzer Sables

#3 Apricot Bow Ties

#4 101 Cookbooks Sparkling Ginger Chip Cookies

#5 Almond-Anise Cookies

#6 Lebkuchen

#7 The Wednesday Chef’s Cardamom Cookies

#8 Mexican Chocolate Cookies

#9 Toasted Coconut Sables

#10 Orange-Almond Buttons

Permalink to 12 Days of Cookies: #11 Apple-Cranberry Rugelach at design*sponge | 12 comments so far

These salt & pepper shakers from Heath Ceramics are one of my favorite things—beautiful and really nice to use. They have a good weight to them.

Fennel pollen! Peggy Knickerbocker wrote, “If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it.”

I love this towel! Conversions and a ruler printed right on it. Almost too pretty to use. (But I am still using it)

Canal House Cooking is a self-published cookbook series by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. Three beautiful cookbooks a year. What more could you ask for? The first two have been wonderful, can’t wait to see what the future holds!

The Diner Journal is such a beautiful publication and was a lovely gift to receive. (Also, you have this magazine to thank for the Chocolate Caramel Tart)

This is my favorite candle. Smells like a wood burning fireplace. Perfect for those of us without one. I don’t know what this has to do with food.

These beautiful straws at Brook Farm General Store would be a fun gift. Brook Farm General Store is one of those places where I honestly want everything they sell. Amazing place.

If anyone is looking for something for me, how about 10 pounds of frozen tart cherries from Friske Farms? I can’t imagine a better treat in the middle of winter. FYI- shipping is more than the actual cherries. But still!

Everyone needs a good kitchen clock and this one is particularly beautiful. It swings!

Tekla towels from IKEA are great, and at 49 cents each you can afford to get them for everyone! They make great gift wrap.

Happy Hanukkah everyone!!! See you later for a cookie!

Permalink to Lottie + Doof Gift Guide 2009 | 16 comments so far

I’m a little surprised that there aren’t more recipes with orange. Sure, a little zest gets thrown in now and then. But I am talking about desserts that really feature orange as the primary flavor. They are rare. I love oranges and I am always on the lookout for recipes that go beyond that bit of orange zest to brighten them up. Orange was what attracted me to these cookies initially, but I am also developing a little bit of a thing for meringues. This recipe combines the two and made it onto the list of 12 cookies from the very start. As Nancy Silverton promises, they are seriously addictive. They also offer a nice change of texture from the usual cookie tray offerings. They are bright and fruity with a nice satisfying crunch. They are one of my personal favorites from this collection of cookies. One more thing that needs to be said about these—and I hope this doesn’t turn some of you off—they taste like FRUIT LOOPS! Seriously. In the very best way possible. Like the fanciest Fruit Loops in the world.

EXCITING DAY TOMORROW! Another very special cookie and fun collaboration with one of my favorite websites! PLUS I’ll be bringing you the first annual Lottie + Doof Gift Guide. It will be the Best Friday Ever.

Orange-Almond Buttons (Nancy Silverton)

• 2 1/2 ounces (heaping 1/2 cup) blanched or unblanched almonds
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 extra-large egg whites
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (for decorating)
• confectioner’s sugar (for decorating)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine nuts with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and process until it’s the consistency of a fine meal. Add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the flour, and orange zest, and pulse on and off until just combined.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on low, until frothy. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high, gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 more minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. In 3 batches, gently fold in the nut mixture to incorporate.

If using a pasty bag, fill it half full. Working quickly, pipe or spoon the batter into circles, about 1 inch in diameter and spaced about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Scatter about 3 to 5 sliced almonds over each circle, allowing the nuts to topple off the edge slightly while still clinging to the batter. Sift a fine layer of powdered sugar over the cookies and bake about 20 minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned, and the cookies are slightly firm to the touch.

Yield: 36 cookies

Previously on the 12 Days of Cookies:

#1 Marlow & Sons Shortbread

#2 Dorie Greenspan’s Linzer Sables

#3 Apricot Bow Ties

#4 101 Cookbooks Sparkling Ginger Chip Cookies

#5 Almond-Anise Cookies

#6 Lebkuchen

#7 The Wednesday Chef’s Cardamom Cookies

#8 Mexican Chocolate Cookies

#9 Toasted Coconut Sables

Permalink to 12 Days of Cookies: #10 Orange-Almond Buttons! | 17 comments so far