Cookie Medicine

For me, there is no better cure for a bad day than a great cookie.  A great cookie and a cold glass of milk.  Today was one of those days.  So as I usually do when I'm feeling down, I stopped by my favorite bakery, picked up some of their amazingly delicious chocolate chip cookies, came home and indulged.  These cookies are on the thin side, but don't let that fool you.  They are baked until golden and crispy around the edges and perfectly chewy and tender in the center.  They hold large pieces of dark, bitter and silky chocolate and their flavor is like no other chocolate chip cookie I have ever tried.  Dark, caramely, burnt-buttery, salty, sweet, spicy and chocolaty.  They are freshly baked all day.  Absolute cookie nirvana.  I usually eat two when I know I should only eat one. I'm feeling better already.

A stack of cookies and a glass of milk.  Pure bliss.

The first bite.   Crispy, chewy, buttery and divine.

I have to dunk the last bite.  

Birthday Boy

Our good friend Jason celebrated a birthday last week and his girlfriend (and my best friend) Heather asked me to cater a little party she threw for him.  The food was appropriately themed around all of Jason's favorite things to eat.  Lucky Charms breakfast cereal, asparagus, cheese, burgers, cupcakes and bacon, just to name a few. It was a fun challenge to think of menu options that incorporated Jason's favorite flavors, and I think the birthday boy was pleased with how it all turned out.  Happy birthday to you, Jason . . . and many more!

Menu:
Candied bacon
Cheese platter
Asparagus tart
Pepper-jack sliders
Vanilla bean cupcakes
Sugar cereal marshmallow treats

Southern Comfort + Coca-Cola = Jason's cocktail of choice.

A cheese platter including white cheddar, Manchego, a local blue with truffled honey and Brie.  Peppery salami and crisp sesame seed crackers served as accompaniments.  

Brown sugar caramelized bacon with a hint of cayenne pepper.  The perfect bar snack.  Who could resist candied bacon?    

An asparagus and Gruyere tart on a puff pastry crust.  Easy, quick, rich and delicious.  I used this recipe.

Beef sliders with pepper-jack cheese, a favorite of Jason's.  I added some caramelized onions, paprika aioli and arugula for added flavor.

Vanilla bean cupcakes.  Buttery, rich and sweet.  A birthday party staple.

Cereal and marshmallow treats made with Lucky Charms, Cap'n Crunch and Rice Krispies cereals.  Childlike, sugar-packed and completely irresistible.   

The man of the hour.  

Easy Comfort

Everyone has a few of those back-pocket recipes that they bring out when they're craving some warm and filling comfort food. I came across this recipe for chicken enchiladas a few years ago and since then it's been a staple in our house when we're looking for a hearty, Mexican-inspired dinner. Luckily for me, it's not only delicious, but it is also surprisingly easy to prepare. The sauce, made from quickly roasted tomatillos, tastes like it took you all day with it's deep, smokey flavor. Using a rotisserie chicken from the market deli saves time without sacrificing flavor. You can whip up this dish earlier in the day, throw it in the refrigerator, and bake it when you're ready for dinner.  Or you can bake it right after it's assembled.  Throw together a cilantro and cherry tomato salad or make some yellow rice with black beans and dinner is done. Warm, cheesy, spicy and smokey.  Quick and easy comfort food is my favorite comfort food.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce
adapted from this recipe
serves 8 (or 4 very hungry people)

Roasted Tomatillo Sauce:
1 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and quartered
1 large white onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, whole
2 jalapenos, sliced in half
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
juice from 1/2 a lime

Enchiladas:
olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, boned, skinned, meat shredded
kosher salt and pepper
8 large flour tortillas
1/4 lb queso fresco, crumbled
1/4 lb sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
sour cream for serving (optional)

For the tomatillo sauce:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine tomatillos, white onion, garlic cloves and jalapenos on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss everything together until it is all evenly seasoned and coated with oil.  Roast for 20 minutes.

Transfer roasted vegetables to a food processor, being sure to include any accumulated juices.  Add the cumin, cilantro, and lime juice.  Pulse until the mixture is combined but still a bit chunky.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.   Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

For the enchiladas:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft and slightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into the onions.  Allow the flour to cook with the onions for a minute more.  Slowly pour in the chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a simmer, and using a whisk, whisk until the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat and using a spoon, fold in the shredded chicken, chopped cilantro, and a third of the roasted tomatillo sauce.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees (if baking enchiladas right away).

Using a large, oven proof dish or glass pan, smear some of the reserved tomatillo sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Begin to assemble the enchiladas. One by one, spread some of the tomatillo sauce on each tortilla, followed by some of the chicken mix and topped with a sprinkling of queso fresco and cheddar cheese.  Roll the tortilla up and place in the dish, seam-side-down.  Continue with the remaining tortillas, overlapping them in the dish if necessary.  Finally, pour the last of the tomatillo sauce over the arranged tortillas and sprinkle with any remaining cheese.  If preparing immediately, bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. If preparing later, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Warm, smokey cumin adds a depth to these enchiladas.

Fresh, beautifully husked tomatillos.

Roasting gives these vegetables a cooked-all-day flavor in mere minutes.  

Juicy, succulent shredded deli rotisserie chicken.  

Queso fresco brings a fresh saltiness to the dish while white cheddar brings a melty-sharpness.

Assembling the enchiladas:

Spread roasted tomatillo sauce down the middle of the tortilla.

Next spread the chicken filling.

Sprinkle on the cheeses.

Wrap up the tortilla.

Arrange rolled tortillas in your dish.

Top with remaining tomatillo sauce and cheeses.  Ready for the oven or refrigerator.

Time for a cheesy, quick and comforting dinner.  Baked whenever you're ready to eat.

Making Whoopies

Until recently, I had never made whoopie pies.  For some reason, I've always had it in my head that these retro, black and white desserts were usually, to be blunt, flavorless and boring.  I was so wrong.  These "pies" are some of the most ooey-gooey, delicious treats I've ever tasted.  The cakey, chocolate cookies are rich, slightly salty and moist.  Then there's the filling.  Oh boy, that filling.  Homemade marshmallow buttercream. Sticky, sweet, buttery and thick.  Pure heaven. Pair this pie with a cold glass of milk and prepare yourself for a joyous, decadent and sticky-fingered experience.

BTW:  Feel free to use a more traditional vanilla buttercream frosting to fill your pies.  I love the marshmallow flavor of the frosting below but be warned, it's very drippy and sticky-gooey.

Whoopie Pies

Makes 9 large pies 

For the cookies:

adapted from a recipe in the January 2003 issue of Gourmet

2 cups flour

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)

1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,  cocoa powder, baking powder, instant espresso and salt. Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer) beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Turn the speed down to medium and mix in the egg until just incorporated.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the ingredients are combined.

Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture with the speed on medium.  After adding the last of the dry ingredients, turn off the mixer and mix batter by hand with a rubber spatula.

Using a small ice-cream scoop (approximately 1/4 cup) scoop 6 mounds of dough onto each of the lined baking sheets, spacing the batter mounds at least 2 inches apart.  Bake two sheets of cookies together first and then bake the third sheet when the first two pans are finished.  Bake for 11-14 minutes or until cookies are fully baked but not overdone. Cool cookies by lifting the parchment paper off the sheet pans and transferring the parchment and cookies to cooling racks.  Once cooled, carefully peel cookies off parchment.  Spread a generous amount of marshmallow buttercream (see below) onto the bottom of one cookie and then top with another cookie.  Continue until all pies are assembled.

For the marshmallow buttercream:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

2/3 C + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tarter on medium speed until combined and frothy.  Add the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form.  

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining granulated sugar, water and corn syrup.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook until a candy thermometer reads 246 degrees (firm-ball). Immediately remove hot sugar from heat and with the mixer on low, slowly pour the hot sugar into the beaten egg whites.  Once the sugar has been added, turn the mixer up to high and beat for 5 minutes or until thick.  Once thick, allow mixture to come to room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, turn the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and then add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.  Decrease the speed to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar.  Return the mixer to medium speed until the frosting comes together.

Rich, dark cocoa gives these whoopie pies intense chocolate flavor.

Tangy buttermilk adds richness to the batter.

Measure your batter with a small ice-cream scoop to ensure that they bake to the same size. 

Transfer cookies to a baking rack to cool completely before filling with frosting. 

The start of this fluffy frosting:  egg whites beaten to soft peaks.

Carefully and slowly pour the hot sugar into the egg whites. 

Sticky, thick and buttery.  This marshmallow frosting is the perfect filling for these chocolaty whoopies.

You may choose to use a fork, but I prefer to use my hands.  Heavenly.  

Kitchen Loves

Generally, it's the things that I see everyday that are the most beautiful to me. Many of these familiar objects lurk in my kitchen.  I relish in having bowls, containers and other odds and ends set out on my counters and I often use them as inspiration in my cooking and in the appointment of my kitchen.  Usually, it's the simplest things that get me the most excited.  A tiny bowl, some beautiful fruit or a stack of magazines.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

A tiny Brooklyn plate.  The perfect spot for a mini pin and some neglected, wrinkly-skinned flower bulbs.

Silver spoons passed down from my mother's family.  Patinaed and lovely.

My favorite grey fruit bowl.  

Little bowls filled with corks and other tiny treasures.  

Weathered wooden spoons and other necessary utensils.   Within reach of our stove.

Food magazines of all varieties.  Worn and ragged but well-loved.

Never underestimate the beauty in organized silverware.  I certainly don't.

Fall Squash

 

Fall is my favorite time of year.  When the nights become windy and cool, the maple trees begin to turn red and the wool sweaters are dug out of the closet.  Nothing says fall to me like a warm, hearty bowl of butternut squash soup.  Roasted squash, pureed with herbs and sauteed onion. This soup makes the perfect dinner on a crisp, cool evening.  Like apple picking, pumpkins and falling leaves, butternut squash soup is a sure sign that fall has arrived.

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6-8

2 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes
olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Divide squash and carrot chunks between two sheet pans.  Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil over the squash on each pan and then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  With your hands, toss squash and carrots to evenly coat with oil and seasoning. Roast for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, heat butter and one tablespoon olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot, stirring occasionally until slightly browned, approximately 20 minutes.  Add the chopped fresh herbs to the pot and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Remove pot from heat.

Pour chicken stock into a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until simmering.

When the squash has finished roasting, add it to the pot with the onions and return to medium heat. Add approximately 4 cups of the simmering chicken stock to the squash and onions.  Using an immersion blender, puree the squash, adding more chicken stock gradually until the soup is to your desired thickness.  Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream.  Taste soup and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve warm garnished with fried sage leaves, a drizzle of heavy cream or some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Note:  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree this soup in a blender or food processor (in small batches).

Simply peel your squash and chop.   A spoon makes easy work of removing the seeds.

Roasted squash and carrots.  Sweet and earthy.

Garlic, thyme and sage give this dish a savory warmth.

Allowing the onions to turn golden-brown deepens their flavor.

Puree until smooth and silky.

Soups on.