Bonus Baklava

Hello everyone! I am back baking again in the kitchen. Since the project ended I have only baked some snickerdoodles for my grandpa, and I am ready to start a new project. Today, Xochi, my wonderful photographer, and I are baking together. This is her grandparents' baklava recipe, and she loves to make it.

Baklava began with the Assyrians around the 8th century A.C. It was different back then than it is today. The earliest baklava was just bread dough with walnuts in the middle drizzled with honey. Baklava was originally only made on special occasions, and only the rich could afford to have it made for them. Greek seamen traveled to Mesopotamia and took back the baklava recipe to Athens with them. The Greeks changed the recipe. They made leaf-like sheets of dough ("phyllo") instead of bread dough to make it flakier and more like the recipe that I have made today.

This recipe took awhile to make with all of the preparations, but it was worth it. This baklava is absolutely amazing, and all of the steps to make it were really fun! I would recommend setting aside an entire day to make this.


For the filling:

2.5 # medium chopped English walnuts ( ~10 Cups)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 pound, # 4 phyllo dough, thawed according to instructions on package
2 # butter,( render it, and use melted at nearly room temperature)

For the syrup:

1/2 cup honey
2 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. lemon juice

Use a 12" x 17" inch pan

Prepare in advance

Syrup

Prepare the syrup in advance so that it is at room temperature when the baklava is removed from the oven. We pour the cold syrup on the hot baklava. ( Other recipes call for pouring hot syrup on cold baklava)

Combine the ingredients for the syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil over a medium flame. Boil until temperature is 225 degrees F. Cover and let cool to room temperature.

Walnuts

Use a food processor to chop the walnuts into ~ ¼ " pieces: use several cups of walnuts at a time, pulse until chopped to the size you like, but never pasty or powdery; try approximately 10 quick pulses.

Mix in the 1 cup of powdered sugar and set aside.

Butter

Render 2 lbs. of butter. The following is from Ochef at http://www.ochef.com/540.htm

I use the second method and have use the fine meshed strainer without the cheesecloth. I'm sure it would be easier with the cheesecloth. Just be careful to heat at the lowest possible flame and do not let the milk solids get darker than golden brown.

"Clarified butter is butter that has had the milk solids and water removed. One advantage of clarified butter is that it has a much higher smoke point, so you can cook with it at higher temperatures without it browning and burning. Also, without the milk solids, clarified butter can be kept for much longer without going rancid.

It is very easy to make. Melt the butter slowly. Let it sit for a bit to separate. Skim off the foam that rises to the top, and gently pour the butter off of the milk solids, which have settled to the bottom. A stick (8 tablespoons) of butter will produce about 6 tablespoons of clarified butter.

Another method is to simmer the butter in a saucepan until the mixture separates. After the water has evaporated, the milk solids will begin to fry in the clear butterfat. When they begin to turn golden, remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter through a fine strainer lined with damp cheesecloth into a heatproof container. If the cheesecloth is damp, all the butterfat will pass through, otherwise some will be absorbed by the cloth. This method is a little fussier, but produces a clearer result".

Another method described in the book "Sahtein", which I have not tried, may also work well.

Melt 2 lbs.butter at low heat in a pot (~ 1-Qt size.) Add about ¼ to ½ cup coarse Burghul that has been washed and squeezed dry. Cook on low-heat until foaming ceases. Skim any residual foam from top of butter. When butter is clear, remove from heat and cool before decanting the clear golden butter. Be careful to prevent entry of any of the salty residue or Burghul.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Assembling the Baklava

The phyllo comes in 1# packages containing ~20 sheets, approximately 12" x 17". They are frozen and must be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight. On the next day, remove the phyllo package 5 hours before assembly time. Before opening the package lay a cloth towel such as used for drying dishes and cover it with a layer of wax paper. Have ready a dry towel and a damp towel. Open the package and unfold the phyllo on to the wax paper. Immediately cover with the dry towel and then the damp towel. The phyllo sheets are very delicate and dry quickly, so they must be kept covered as you layer and butter them in the baking pan.

Brush the bottom and sides of the baking pan with the melted and cool butter. (We use a 4-inch paint brush) Lay down a phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat this until you have laid down the 20 sheets from the package. Uniformly distribute the chopped nuts atop the 20 phyllo layers, and sprinkle with some of the melted butter to help hold the next phyllo sheet. I think it would work better if you butter the next phyllo sheet and put the buttered side down on the nut surface. You can then butter the top side and repeat the assembly of the remaining phyllo sheets.

Use a table knife or spatula to carefully press the phyllo edges at the side of the pan and use a sharp knife to remove any layers that maybe over the edge of the pan at the corners, which could occur of the pan has rounded corners. Butter the tope sheet generously

Use a sharp knife to cut the cake into diamond shapes. First make parallel cuts along the length of the pan spaced about one inch apart or more depending on how large you want the diamond pieces to be. Repeat with a set of cuts at a diagonal. You can space them to adjust to the size you elect.

Place the pan in the 400 degree oven and immediately reduce the temperature setting to 300 degrees. Check in 1 hour by carefully prying at the edge to expose some of the bottom layers. They should be golden brown when done.

Remove from oven and carefully pour on the cold syrup. Distribute it uniformly over the diamond rows, atop the diamonds so that it flows into the cuts and and edges of the pan..

The number of pieces that you get obviously depends on the spacing used when the cake was cut. In the pan that we use, a spacing of about I" will produce 80 to 90 pieces.

You can adjust the recipe for smaller pans. Simply cut the phyllo roll to a size to fit your pan before beginning the assembly. For example you could use just one package of the phyllo for a 9 x 12 x2" pan.

As an alternate, some people make a triple layer of nuts by distributing the nuts between 10 layers of phyllo sheets rather than the 20 that we use.

Chocolate Truffles

Today is the last official day of my baking project, so I wanted to make something really decadent that I wouldn't make very often. I decided to make chocolate truffles because they always sound so perfectly heavenly. I have had a really good experience baking all of these desserts for the past twenty days. I have learned a lot about the art of baking (and how nice it would be to have a dependable oven, though I suppose I have no complaints since my temperamental one did everything that I asked of it).

Chocolate truffles were given their name because of their similarity in appearance to actual truffles (the fungi ones that pigs sniff out). They are a French invention traditionally made from chocolate, genache, and cream. The legend says that the culinary master of the 1920s, Auguste Escoffier, had an apprentice who accidentally poured hot cream into a bowl of chocolate chunks. As the chocolate mixture hardened he tried to roll it into balls and dunked them into cocoa powder. He noticed the resemblance to a truffle and named it a chocolate truffle.

These were really fun to make and they are absolutely scrumptious. Look forward to a bonus blog post in the next week and a half. Xochi and I are going to block off a day and make her grandparents' baklava recipe. Until then, happy baking!
Chocolate Truffles

3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur
1 Tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocoa powder
Confectioners' sugar

1. Chop the chocolates finely and place in a bowl.

2. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it boils. Immediately pour the hot cream through a fine -meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolates. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. (If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for a few minutes just until it melts.) Whisk in the Grand Marnier, coffee, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to and hour until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

3. With two teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres. Roll in cocoa powder and chill. Truffles are best when they're allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator. Roll in confectioners' sugar and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Rugelach

This is in honor of my friend, Jenny, who is at this very moment on an organic farm outside of San Antonio before going on a wondrous adventure to Argentina for the semester. She suggested that I make rugelach, a traditional Jewish dessert, and having not yet made a Jewish treat I am trying it today.

Rugelach is a Yiddish word meaning little twist. It is a traditional Ashkenazi (Eastern-European Jew) food eaten during Hanukkah, on Shabbat, or really any time of year. They are either made into rolled crescents or just round rolls. Some historians say that rugelach and croissants have a similar ancestry from Vienna. They say that these treats were made to commemorate the lifting of the Turkish siege in 1793.

The dough was a really interesting texture because of the cream cheese and rolled out splendidly. I didn't have enough walnuts so I used pecans, but I don't recommend doing this. It turned out delicious, but there was no real reason other than that I didn't have any walnuts and did not feel like running out to the store again.


Cranberry-Walnut and Cinnamon Rugelach

Dough:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
112g cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Filling:
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (the original recipe called for currants)
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg, for egg wash

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy and has increased in volume, 5-8 minutes. On slow speed, add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough is thoroughly combined. Set the mixer on medium speed and beat the dough for 15 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and press it down until it is (1in) thick. Refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Make the filling: in a bowl, using a fork, toss together the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, cranberries and ¼ cup of the sugar. Set aside.

3. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rough rectangle approximately 13x16in. Using a pizza cutter or paring knife, trim the dough into 2 rectangles measuring 6 ½ x16 in.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Lay out each rectangle with the 16-in side directly in front o f you on the counter. Brush off any excess flour. Brush the egg wash over the entire surface of the dough. Evenly coat both rectangles of dough with the walnut filling, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) wide strip of dough on the edge farther away from you. Starting with the dough edge closer to you, tightly roll the dough away from you, tucking the filling under the dough as you roll. When you reach the strip of dough without topping, apply a little pressure to seal, and roll the log so that the seam is on the bottom, against the counter. Gently slide the logs of dough onto a cookie sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour; refrigerate the remaining egg wash. The logs can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours or in the freezer for 1 week.

4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF ½ hour before baking. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper or foil. Glaze the chilled logs with the reserved egg and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar. Slice each log into 1in cross sections – you should get between 16 and 18 slices from each log. Place the cookies 1in apart on the prepared sheets and bake until puffed and dark golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the sheets.

Nisua (Pulla) Bread

Nisua (also called Nisu or Pulla) bread is a Finnish coffee bread with cardamom in it. A family friend, Karen, gave my mom and me a loaf of it for Christmas this year, and it was amazing. I mentioned that it would be a great recipe to make for this project, and Karen was nice enough to give me her recipe and come over to walk me through it. Karen was taught this recipe by her Finnish grandmother and now knows the recipe by heart from making it so many times. I don't think I could have done it without her!

Nisua bread originates in Kainuu, a town in North-Eastern Finland, near Russian Karelia. It is said that the people of the town always knew when someone was making Nisua because they could hear a loud pounding in the morning. This pounding was the women crushing the cardamom seeds. The seeds are very hard, so even today when I made this today I needed to pound the seeds with a hammer.


I had so much fun making this bread. The loaves look beautiful, smell wonderful, and taste delicious! It takes time to make them, so at least 4 hours need to be allotted to complete the project.


Nisua

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups scalded milk
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (22 cardamom pods opened up and crushed)
7-8 cups flour

1. Scald the milk with the butter in it. Let cool.

2. Dissolve yeast in the warm water and stir out all of the lumps.

3. Beat the eggs and add the sugar and salt. Add 2 cups of flour, yeast, and cardamom. Mix well and keep adding flour. At a certain point it will be too thick to mix with a spoon, so mix it with your hands. Once the texture is thick enough take it out of the bowl and knead on a floured surface until all of the flour is mixed in and it is no longer sticky. Add flour if it continues to be sticky. Place the dough in a bowl greased with a teaspoon of canola oil, cover with a cloth, and let rise for an hour and a half.

4. Split the dough into 3 equal parts. Split each into 3 again and roll out to make it long. Braid the three strands and place in a greased bread pan. Repeat with other 2 balls. Cover with a cloth and let rise for an hour and a half.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush the top of each loaf with a pastry brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Vegan Cinnamon-Raisin Scones

The scones that I made early on in this project were one of my favorite things. I thought I would change some things around and try to make them vegan so that all of my vegan friends can enjoy them too! I would really like to make more vegan things if not for the project just in general, so give me some more ideas!

I have already told the history of scones, but here are some tidbits about veganism. The Vegan Society was the first society just for vegans. It was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson, and English man from Yorkshire and some of his friends. He was also the inventor of the word 'vegan' using the first three and last two letter of the word 'vegetarian.' He said it was the "beginning and end of vegetarian," and the word stuck. The American Vegan Society was founded in 1948 in California by Dr. Catherine Nimmo and Rubin Abramowitz. In 1994 November 1st was proclaimed World Vegan Day by the Vegan Society. Today 0.5% of Americans call themselves vegan.

This dough was actually quite a bit moister than the non-vegan recipe that I made. I sprinkled that top with some large granule sugar (I used Demerara) to add a little more sweetness. I didn't try, but I am sure you could replace the soy milk with some homemade applesauce and that would be tasty. Lots of options, but I love these scones with oats!

Vegan Cinnamon-Raisin Scones

1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup plain (or vanilla) soymilk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture becomes uniformly crumbly. Stir in oats and raisins.

3. Add soy milk and mix gently until a soft dough begins to cling together.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a 7 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in the center.

Maple Leaf Cookies

Today I am saluting our neighbors to the north. I have only gone to Canada once withe my mom and her friend up to the Quebec region, and it was wonderful! One of the bed and breakfasts we stayed in was actually on a maple farm, and that was so great. Every morning the owners (a husband and wife duo) would make a breakfast for all of the lodgers. Everything they made could either be dowsed in maple syrup or was made with the syrup. We even got to see how they would tap the trees.

These little cookies are shaped into maple leaves like the one on the Canadian flag. There are two schools of thought regarding the origin of maple syrup. One says that it dates back to pre-recorded history with the Native Americans. It is said that they made a V-shaped cut into the trees with tomahawks and tap them with reeds or concave pieces of bark. They would boil the maple in clay pots over outdoor fires. Some historians say that Native Americans didn't have the technology or the tools to make maple syrup, and that the European settlers (from France mainly) brought the tools in the 18th or 19th century. These historians still say that the Native Americans showed the settlers how to tap the trees and that it was a possibility.

I made a frosting to put in the center of two cookies, but I improvised, so I can't give exact amounts. I used 1 stick of butter, maple butter (maybe 6-8 oz.--you can also use maple syrup), around a tablespoon of milk, and confectioners' sugar. I ended up making too much frosting, but I just put the rest into the freezer to use later with another dessert or maybe just to dip animal crackers in. Who knows!


Maple Leaf Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt


1. Into large bowl, measure all ingredients. With mixer on low speed, beat ingredients until well mixed, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

2. Shape dough into ball; wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease large cookie sheet.

4. On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll 1/3 of the dough at a time 1/8 inch thick, keeping remaining dough refrigerated.

5. With floured maple leaf shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into leaves.

6. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden.

7. Carefully remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat until all dough is used, greasing cookie sheet each time.

Rice Pudding

One of my dear friends, Robin, made rice pudding a couple of times this semester, and I absolutely loved it! Every time she made it, life in our our apartment was even happier than usual. Thinking back on the happy times I was inspired today to make some myself and see if it turned out as delicious as Robin's.

Rice pudding came to Europe through India. Before it was used for food, rice was used for medicinal purposes. In the Middle East they ate a sweet rice dish called Firni that was meant to be served cold. In India they made Kheer, which is very similar to rice pudding today. China was known for its eight jewel rice pudding that had eight different honey preserved fruits on the bottom. Europe had rice pudding too, but it mainly came from the ancient Romans who used it only for medicinal purposes to heal upset stomachs.

I didn't eat this to heal my stomach, but it definitely felt wonderful in my belly! I didn't add any raisins because Xochi and I didn't think we really wanted any, but they could be a nice addition. It is simple to make, but you need to have about 45 minutes of time free to stand by the rice and stir it. It is tasty warm, but my personal favorite is to put it in the fridge and eat it cold. Yum!

Rice Pudding

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Serve warm or cold.

Tiny Pecan Tarts

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day I am making this variation of pecan pie. I was thinking that I would make MLK's favorite food, so I typed in 'MLK' and 'food', and plenty websites led me to pecan pie. I didn't want to make an entire pie, so these pint-size versions will have to do. They are great finger food, and their size means that I can give lots of bit-size joy away to friends and family. So now I can watch the legendary MLK speeches and eat what could very well have been one of his favorite foods.

The French created pecan pie when they settled in New Orleans. Pecans were introduced to them by the Native American tribes that were originally living in that area. There aren't any documented recipes of the pie before 1925, and they do not begin to appear in cookbooks until the 1940s with 'The Joy of Cooking' and 'Fannie Farmer.' There is not much known about the history of this pie, but it is definitely a southern comfort food enjoyed by many.

This recipe is simple to make, and all you need is a mini muffin tin to make them in. I just love how they turn out looking like pies for tiny little people. Today I was at a baking store, and there are actually a ton of things that look that way, tiny whisks, tiny bread pans, tiny spatulas, and more. Xochi and I were thoroughly entertained by them, and mused about taking pictures with all of the small baking accoutrements. The bottom line is that these pecan tartlets are delicious and really adorable.

Tiny Pecan Tarts

1 cup butter
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

1. To Make Pastry: Cream butter or margarine and cream cheese. Add flour and mix well. Make into 48 balls; place one ball in each cup of a mini tart pan. Use your fingers or a tart tamper to press out into a tart shell.

2. To Make Filling: Break the eggs, but do not beat. Add sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla and pecans. Mix well. Fill the tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes or until delicately browned.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

My dad and his family gave me the Magnolia Bakery cookbook for the holidays and I still haven't made anything from it. Today I thought I would give it a try and make their vanilla cupcakes. I was originally going to make chocolate ones, but after the baci di dama yesterday a little bit of vanilla is necessary. I frosted them with chocolate, though, so I didn't go all out vanilla.

There are two ideas about the origins of cupcakes. One is that the name is similar to the pound cake, meaning that there is a cup of sugar, cup of flour, and a cup of butter in the cake. Another theory is that they were originally baked in clay cups that were individual portions. Cupcakes date back to 18th century England and the "Queen Cakes", little individual sized pound cakes.

It was fun to make a childhood favorite and to decorate them with Xochi. We really wanted to get these silver decorating balls, but they were ten dollars. So. we resorted to stars and tiny colorful balls. The frosting is really rich, but oh so delicious! Also, I split the recipe in half because I definitely did not need 2 dozen cupcakes!

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup cups self rising flour (No need to buy this. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of all-purpose flour. Sift it together, and you are done!)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the butter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter unto the cupcake lines, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

4. Cool the cupcakes for 15 minutes in the tines. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cool to lukewarm (see Note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 sifted confectioners' sugar

Note: To melt the chocolate, place in a double broiler over simmering water on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-15 minutes, or until lukewarm.

In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency.

Baci di Dama

These little meringue cookie sandwiches have been an obsession of Xochi's since she saw them in the Martha Stewart cookie book at the beginning of this baking venture. Every time I made the baking plans she would ask if I was going to make the baci di dama. They do look particularly delicious, so I decided to put them in the schedule. I have never tasted or made these cookies before, so this is a first time in all senses.

There is not much known about baci di dama except that they come from the Piemonte region of Italy. They are originally made with hazelnuts (though I am using almonds) because this area is known for their hazelnuts. The name comes from the shape of the cookie since it resembles a lady's lips ready to impart a kiss upon their lover or who knows, maybe an unsuspecting stranger.

I did not have a pastry bag to make these, so I just cut the tip off of a gallon size zip-lock bag and used that instead. It worked out well, though the shape aforementioned in the paragraph above is compromised a bit.

Baci di Dama

for the cookies:

2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/2 medium-finely ground blanched almonds

for the filling:

1/2 teaspoon solid vegetable shorting
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Make cookies: Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until egg whites form stiff peaks. Add the sugar slowly; continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in cocoa until combined. Stir in almonds;mix until completely blended. Batter should be quite thick and sticky.

3. Transfer to a heavy pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch sound tip. Pipe teaspoon-size, peaked mounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.

4. Bake until slightly cracked, 15-17 minutes, rotating sheers halfway through. Let cool on sheets several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

5. Make filling: In a small bowl, combine shortening and melted chocolate. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto flat side of a cookie; place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to wire rack to set; repeat with remaining cookies.

Gingerbread

"And had I but one penny in the world, thou should'st have it to buy gingerbread."
--William Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost

Today we are going back to the British Isles to make a beloved classic, gingerbread. I got this particular recipe from a dear friend of my mom's, Hollis. This is an old family recipe of hers passed down from her great grandmother who lived in England until she was 14. At that age she moved to Canada to become a nanny. The family ended up being a bit crazy, so she left them for her husband, a musician, around the age of 16.

The Brits started adapting sweet gingerbread recipes in the 16th century, but gingerbread itself came long before that. It dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who used it for ceremonial purposes. As a side story, the first gingerbread man is accredited to Queen Elizabeth I. She had a gingerbread man cookie made to look like each dignitary in attendance at her feast.

The gingerbread loaf (not sure what else to call it) itself made the house smell so delicious! Everyone that came in commented on the spicy aromas coming from the kitchen. It was in the oven for 40 minutes for me, so definitely check it at the 40 minute mark.


The sauce takes about twenty minutes to thicken, so don't worry about it if it takes a while. Stir it occasionally on a medium heat (it should be boiling).


Gingerbread

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup dark molasses
1 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter and sugar; add the egg and beat well.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and spices. Combine water and molasses, and add alternately with the dry ingredients.

2. Grease an 8x8-inch pan. Line the pan with greased wax paper. Pour in the batter and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Pudding Sauce

1. Bring to a boil 1 3/4 cups water. While the water is heating, beat together a pinch of salt, 1 cup sugar, and 1 Tablespoon flour in a saucepan.

2. Mix 1 egg yolk with 2 Tablespoons cold water and add to the sugar mixture in the saucepan. Slowly add the boiling water and cook until thick--it should be about the same consistency as a medium-thin white sauce.

3. Remove from the heat, add 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla while it is cooling.

4. Serve over warm gingerbread, and sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Lemon Poppy Seed Thins

This post will put me at the halfway point of this project. Oh man, so many baked goods. My neighbor, Gail, is benefiting. She has been getting a different treat every day (along with my mom, Xochi, and me). Also, every time people come over I force treats on them. If they respectfully decline on account of being too full at the moment, I just put some sweets in containers and send some home with them. Ah, the life of a pushy baker. A little side note while I am off the subject of lemon poppy seed crisps; I really want to make some vegan desserts. I have found some pretty basic recipes that are sure to work, but I would really like to make something that vegans don't usually get to eat (and don't say flan, I believe there is no way to make that milk and egg-ful dessert vegan). Please, give me your suggestions!

I have no origin for the lemon poppy seed thin, but when I saw the recipe I fell in love and knew that I had to make them. I really enjoy baking with lemon, and a thin sounded like the perfect companion for a hot beverage. The only history that I have is that poppy seeds have always been seen as a symbol of honor, and the Greeks starting baking with them and putting them in breads and desserts in the second century BCE.

Mixing up all of the ingredients was quite simple, but once they were all together the dough was a little too wet and sticky to be shaped correctly. I tried with a couple of them, but when I tried to mush them down with the glass they stuck to it. I put the dough in the refrigerator and chilled it for 30 minutes. This may not be necessary for you, but in my case it was. Don't be afraid to chill cookie dough for a bit if it is too sticky. Also, remember to dip the glass in the sugar before each cookie.


Lemon Poppy Seed Crisps

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced by half. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, and stir until melted.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy. Add egg and reserved lemon butter; mix until pale, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla and 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture and poppy seeds.

3. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar ad 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll balls in lemon-sugar mixture. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press each with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar mixture until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

4. Bake until browned around edges, 12-13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Flan al Caramelo

Hola amigos y amigas! Welcome to Spain (or Mexico), and the delicious flan (custard-esque) dessert. Traditionally, flan was made when there were too many eggs and the housewives needed to use them up. This recipe, for example, calls for 8 eggs! I do not own a flan pan, so I improvised a bit on the cookware. This flan goes out to Abuelita Furman, who as a young girl growing up in Mexico City, loved to make and enjoy flans.

I researched the history of flan, and wouldn't you know it, it was developed by the ancient Romans. They were domesticating chickens, so they developed flan because of the surplus of eggs. At first, it was a savory dish, but then they added honey to it to make it sweet. In Spain, flan was a sweet custard made with caramelized sugar. The Spanish were influenced by both the Romans and the Moors, who introduced citrus and almond (common flavors in flan). Once the Americas (Central and South) were discovered by Europeans, the rush that followed brought not only people but flan.

Be careful not to fill up the pan under the flan with too much water. I did, and some water spilled into the oven creating a funny smell for a little bit of time. The flan was in the oven for 40 minutes for me. When I checked it, it still looked wobbly, but upon sticking the knife in to check, it was definitely ready to be taken out. It looks so pretty and smells amazing, so waiting for 8 hours before consuming it is really hard, but Xochi and I are patient.


Flan al Caramelo

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 quart milk
8 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a heavy saucepan or skillet over low heat, stir 1 cup of the sugar with the 1/2 cup of water until the sugar dissolves. Turn to high heat, and continue to cook without sirring (occasional swishing) until the sugar turns into a golden syrup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat immediately, and pour into a flan pan or a round 2-quart baking dish. Tilt to coat bottom and sides; let cool for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat the milk until lukewarm. In a large bowl beat the room-temperature eggs together with the remaining 1 cup of sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup pf the lukewarm milk. Blend well;then add the remaining lukewarm milk and beat to blend. Pour through a sieve on top of the syrup.

3. In a 350 F preheated oven place the pan in a larger pan that contains 1 inch of hot water. Bake about 40-50 minutes, or until a silver knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Cool; then cover and refrigerate about 8 hours. Unmold by running a knife around the rim; place serving plate over pan. Turn pan over to serve.

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Macaroons

Today I am making the international cookie. I had no idea that it had such a huge following until I began researching it. Lots of countries have their own versions of macaroons, though coconut macaroons, the ones most commonly found in America (and the ones that I decided to tackle), come from the traditional Scottish macaroon.

The original macaroon is from Italy, and is called a maccarone. These cookies are made primarily of crushed almonds. 'Maccarone' comes from the word, 'ammaccare', which means to crush or beat. Macaroons may come from an Italian monastery in the 1500s. The baking monks brought the recipe to France with the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, the wife of King Henri II. Italian Jews started eating macaroons during the eight days of Passover since they don't have any wheat in them. This spread around to all European Jews, and became a staple treat all year round. There are recipes for macaroons in cookbooks as early as 1725 in Robert Smith's Court Cookery. Many different countries have developed their own macaroons like France, Scotland, Spain, India, North America, Ireland, Turkey, and Australia. Each make theirs a little differently.

I decided to make these for a bit of a funny reason. I was going to make flan today (look forward to it tomorrow), but every Tuesday movie tickets are six dollars all day. So, Xochi and I are going to the movies. We decided that I should make something that we can snack on in the theater. Macaroons are the perfect little bites of tastiness for the movies, though we may make some popcorn to bring too!

This recipe is really easy, and running your hand under cold water before shaping the cookies is a really helpful hint. There aren't very many wet ingredients in this recipe, so the balls are a little hard to shape in general. But when your hands are damp, it is a lot easier.

Coconut Macaroons

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional) (Ghirardelli are my favorite)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch or two of salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut, egg whites, chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients.

3. Dampen hands with cold water. Use 1 1/2 Tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, space about an inch apart.

4. Bake until golden brown, 15-17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Pistachio Cantucci

Today we are in Italia, the land of my people, and I am making these cantucci (biscotti) that are absolutely to die for. I have been thinking about the word biscotti today, and I realized that it means twice cooked in Italian. 'Bis' meaning twice in Latin and 'cotto' meaning cooked. I always figured that Americans just took the word for cookie in Italian and used it for this specific Italian cookie, but, in actuality, it is the correct use of the word. I will not get into the fact that biscotti is a plural word and that Americans use it as a singular one (just like panini). In Italy, though, biscotti is used to refer to all cookies while 'cantucci' is used when speaking of these particular cookies.

Cantucci have been discovered twice in their long existence. The first time was during the height of the Roman empire. These cookies or biscuits were baked twice so that they would be dry and easy to travel long distances with. After the fall of the Roman empire there was a decline in culinary arts until the Renaissance period. In Tuscany during this time it is said that a local baker started making these twice baked cookies to serve with the region's sweet wines or Vin Santo at the end of meals. The almond cantucci of Tuscany became so popular in the cities of Prato and Florence where almond trees were abounding, that other regions started developing their own varieties.

The biscotto that I made today is not the traditional Tuscan variety made with almonds, but it is enticing just the same. The pistachios and the chocolate chips and cocoa powder make these biscotti so rich and flavorful.


I have never actually made these before, and it was a lot of fun to shape the huge ball of dough, cook it, cut it up, and cook it again, making my very own biscotti. When I was quite little I always wanted to have one of these when I went to coffee shops with my mom to dunk them in my soy milk steamers. I always imagined that the baker just baked the cookies too long, burning them, and that was why they were so hard. It is nice to finally make these after all the years of curiosity.

Chocolate-Pistachio Cantucci

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
1.2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture; beat to form stuff dough. Beat in pistachios and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12x4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 F.

4. On a cutting board, using a sharp knife, cut biscuit diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange cut sides down on baking sheets, bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pfeffernüssen

Today I am making my grandpa's favorite cookie. I have made them for him many times, but today I used a different recipe from the Martha Stewart cookie book. Every other time I have made them I used an old family recipe in which anise seed was the only spice. This cookie has lots of different spices. It even uses pepper like it states in the name of the cookie, 'pfeffer' meaning pepper and 'nuss' meaning nut (usually attributed to their nut-like shape).

Pfeffernusse are a variation of Lebkuchen, German gingerbread. Lebkuchen came on to the food scene in the 12th century, so it is assumed that Pfefferneuse came around some time after that. The main difference is that Pfeffernuse are covered in powdered sugar after being taken out of the oven. The shape also differs from that of Lebkuchen. Traditional Pfefferenuse recipes turn out quite hard so that they can really only be eaten after being dunked. The cookies I baked are not that hard, but I also would not by any means call them chewy or soft. They are a good denseness; they could be either dunked or eaten plain.



This evening we all enjoyed some Pfeffernüssen with hot mulled wine. It was so delicious, and the clementines floating in it soaked up the wine giving them an interesting texture and great flavor! Add some Grand Marnier for a bit of a kick...



Pfeffernüssen

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar in a brown paper bag.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda.

3. Place butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Pinch off tablespoons of dough; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Arrange balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

4. Bake until golden and firm to touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes. Rotate sheets halfway through. Transfer sheets to a wire rack and let cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Working in batches, place cookies in the paper bag. Shake until well coated. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Lemon Squares

I did not have to go very far around the world to find this baked good. It is a good old, American classic. Xochi, my lovely roommate and photographer, put in a request that I make these, and I thought that that was a great idea! I picked this particular recipe because it uses more lemon (3/4 cup instead of only 2 tablespoons) than others I found, which give them a real lemon-y kick.

Shortbread and lemon curd are two old English favorites, so there are some theories that lemon bars originated in Renaissance Britain. Most people, though, say that it was a recipe being tested in America and popularized in the 1960s by Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, published in 1963. Bar cookies were popular at this time, and the lemon bars/squares were being published by both cookbooks and monthly magazine cookbook publications.

These lemon squares are so fun to make! I enjoyed making the crust and patting it down into the pan. There is also something extremely satisfying about grating butter. The lemon filling smelled delicious while I was whisking it up. Yum!


I had a small mishap, though nothing crucial. In the instructions it says to line the pan with parchment paper. I took that as just lining the base of the pan, but in actuality the entire pan was supposed to be lined so that the edges wouldn't burn and it can be lifted out of the pan easily. Just a little note.

Lemon Squares

for the crust:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, frozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

for the filling:
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13-inch dish, and line with parchment paper.

2. Make crust: Grate butter on a cheese grater with large holes; set aside. Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter;stir with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture looks crumbly.

3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish; press evenly onto the bottom with your hands. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden, 16-18 minutes. Leave oven on.

4. Meanwhile, make filling. Whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and milk. Pour over hot crust.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F and bake until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Lift out; let cool completely on wire rack before cutting into 2-inch squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Lemon squares can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Lemon-Glazed Medeleines

The moment I have been waiting for for such a long time has finally arrived. I am making Madeleines! These little shell-shaped bites of heaven that Proust wrote an endless account of have been an obsession of mine for some time now. I have never been able to find an excuse to spend the money to buy the special pan needed to make them before this baking project, and then, right before I bought the pan a family friend offered me her unused silicone one.

Oh! A note to readers; I changed a setting on my blog so that anyone can comment. You don't have to join the blog network that I am using. Just a little tidbit I thought I would share with you. I love comments, and any suggestions are extremely welcome!

Back to the madeleine. There is not much known about their origin, though people have come up with their own hypothesis. The only known fact is that they come from the town of Commercy in France. Legend attributes the cake to Avice, chef to Tallyrand, the French statesman. The reason for the name is unknown. Some chefs say that it was created in honor of a young girl name Madeleine that made them for Stanislas Leszczynska, the exiled Polish king. They say that the cookies grew in popularity under the rule of, Marie Leszczynska, his daughter, the queen of France and her husband, Louis XV. These are just some of the speculations.

Unfortunately, the first part of my madeleine venture is a sad one. After my raving about madeleines and making the perfect scalloped cookie I smelled a hint of something burning in the air. I opened the oven, and to my dismay smoke came billowing out. My oven went all wonky after the cookies went in and the temperature was up to 500 degrees! I immediately took them out and opened tons of windows. The next thing I had to do was look up silicone online to see if they could withstand that kind of heat without all those chemicals seeping into the cookies. There was speculation about their resistance to heat (anywhere from 428-500), but I was worried, so I immediately went to Williams-Sonoma and bought myself a new shiny, metal one.


At first I was discouraged, but I wanted to make some good ones, so I launched myself into the project once more. This time they came out absolutely lovely! The metal pan made all of the difference. They were able to achieve a wonderful texture and elegantly browned edges. If you are at all considering in investing in a pan definitely go for metal.


Lemon-Glazed Madeleine

3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup flour
zest of one small lemon
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

Glaze

3/4 cup (150g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

1. Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.

2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.

3. Spoon the flour into a sifter and use a spatula to fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter.

4. Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.

5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)

6. To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

8. Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter which you think will fill it by 3/4's. Do not spread it.

10. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by stirring together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth.

11. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. The moment they're cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess with a dull knife. After dipping, rest each one back on the cooking rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.

Traditional Scottish Scones with a Twist

I have been drinking coffee, mainly espresso with my treats for the past two days. This morning I was feeling a bit under the weather, and I thought it was time to make something that goes exclusively with tea. What could be better than scones? They are the perfect baked good to follow such an intense one like yesterday's chocolate pudding. This traditional scone recipe is much lower in sugar than the ones you would find in say a Starbucks or someplace like that.

I have always thought of scones as being a British treat, but after further research I found out that they originated in Scotland between 1505 and 1515. They take their name from the Stone of Destiny (Scone), where the Scottish kings went to be crowned. Traditionally, Scottish scones were oat-based and griddle baked. Now many are flour-based and cooked in the oven. I will be making a recipe that has both oats and flour, though I will be baking them in the oven.

The difficult thing about oat scones is that when you have to knead them there are so many dry ingredients that it just seems to fall apart for a while. Since I used even more dry ingredients by adding the cranberries it was hard at first to get the dough to stick together.


In the end I prevailed and was able to form it into a round and cut it, but there was a moment when I thought I would be putting scone crumbs into the oven.



Cranberry-Orange Scottish Scones

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 Tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest. Blend well.

2. Using pastry cutter or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add milk and cranberries, stirring just until moistened. On floured surface knead dough gently 5 to 6 times. Press into 6-inch round about 1 inch thick Place on prepared cookie sheet. Cut into 8 wedges; separate slightly. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Optional Topping (I forgot to do this step and they still turned out lovely, but who am I to keep you from a delicious glaze!)

1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Brush butter on top before cutting into wedges. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the entire round.

Deliciously Decadent Chocolate Pudding

I know that chocolate pudding doesn't sound very exotic or exciting, but pudding from scratch with 70% dark chocolate is so good! Also, I have an ulterior motive. I just bought myself some new ramekins. I bought them so that I could make crème brûlée later on this winter term, but I am just too excited to wait!

Pudding also counts as a worldly dessert since it originated in England all the way back in the middle ages. Back then meat-based puddings were the only option, but by the 17th century people were making both savory (meat-based) and sweet (using nuts and sugar) puddings. I have heard that traditional British puddings are different from American puddings, though. American pudding is much more like custard, which is a bit thicker that traditional British pudding. They are thicker because they are made either with eggs or egg substitutes like cornstarch and custard powder. Custard dates all the way back to the ancient Romans. They were huge fans of eggs and knew all about their binding properties.

This recipe was quite simple, and it turned out delicious! I just needed to stir and whisk up the ingredients in a double boiler until it started to thicken. I was so worried about getting lumps in the pudding, so I whisked it up quite a bit. It turned out super smooth, though, so my whisking was not for naught. It was extremely rich because of the intense dark chocolate. Yum!



I would like to send out a special thanks to Xochi, my in-house photographer and occasional sous-chef!

Silky Chocolate Pudding

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 oz. 62%-70% dark chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the cornstarch sugar and salt in the top of a double broiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15-20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for 2-4 minutes, or until the pussing is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour into individual serving dishes and refrigerate. If you like pudding skin pull plastic wrap over the top of the serving dish before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Three Kings Cake (Galette des Rois)

I thought this cake would be a great start to my project since it is supposed to be baked on the eve of Epiphany, the 6th of January. In Italy an old woman, La Befana, comes and visits all of the children. Here is the traditional Befana story...

La Befana was an old woman who lived in a small village in Italy. She was known throughout the village for her wonderful baking and the cleanliness of her kitchen. She was often seen sweeping the area in front of her home. And many had heard her say that she was so busy baking and cleaning that she rarely had time to do anything else.

One winter day, while La Befana was sweeping in front of her home, three travelers stopped to ask her for a drink of water. They told La Befana that they were astrologers (they were often called the three wise men) who were following a star to the birth place of the Christ child. She kindly gave them water and then invited them to dinner.

After dinner the astrologers prepared to continue their journey and asked her if she would like to come with them to see the Christ child. La Befana shook her head saying that she could not possibly take the time needed for such a journey. She was secretly itching to get back to her cleaning and cooking. She stood at her door and watched them leave.

La Befana went back to her sweeping. But hours later she began to feel that she had made a mistake. Maybe she should have gone with the 3 astrologers to see the Christ child. La Befana decided to follow them.

She quickly grabbed a basket and filled it with baked goods of all kinds. She then put on her shawl and with her basket and broom hurried off into the night practically running to catch up with the wise men.

La Befana traveled through the night but never caught up with the wise men. It is said that she ran and ran until she and her broom were lifted up into the air!

Ever since that night, La Befana is believed to fly through the night or run over the roofs in Italy on Epiphany eve. She stops at the home of every child, leaving them treats in their stockings if they are good and a lump of coal if they are bad.

The name Befana is said to be a mispronunciation of the Italian word epifania which stands for epiphany. La Befana still visits the children of Italy on the eve of January 6, Epiphany. She fills their stockings with candy or a lump of coal. It is also believed that she sweeps the floor before she leaves. Many households leave her a small glass of wine and a small plate of goodies.

I too baked a little something for La Befana. This cake is a traditional french puff pastry cake filled with almond paste. The almond taste is very Italian too, so I am sure she will enjoy it.

A bean is placed in the middle layer where the almond paste is, and whoever finds it gets a year of good luck. The bean has not been found yet, and I am giving lots of pieces away to neighbors and the like. I fear it will not be me getting the luck this year!

I had never made puff pastry, so it was all new to me. It was a really fun process, and extremely interesting to see the butter-y mixture turn into an actual dough. Don't be intimidated by all of the steps. It took some time, but it was not difficult. It was worth it too, because it was a delicious treat with some espresso!

Galette des Rois

1 puff pastry recipe (see below)

1 egg yolk, thinned with a drop or two of water

7 oz. almond paste

1 dry bean

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Divide the puff pastry in half; roll out to form two discs.

3. Place the first disc on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of almond paste on top. Place the bean inside and cover with the second circle of pastry.

4. Using a knife, create a decorative pattern on the top of the pastry and brush witht eh beaten egg yolk.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

Puff Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of cold butter

a little over 1/2 cup of ice water

1. I a large mixing stir together flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not cubes). Add the butter slices to the flour mixture; toss till the butter slices are coated with the flour mixture and are separated. Pour ice water over the flour mixture. Using a spoon, quickly mix (butter will remain in large pieces and flour will not be completely moistened).

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 10 times by pressing and pushing dough together to form a rough-looking ball. Shape dough into a rectangle (dough will still have some dry-looking areas). Make the corners as square as possible. Slightly flatten dough.

3. Working on a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a 9x7-inch rectangle. Fold crosswise into thirds to form a 7x3-inch rectangle. Give dough a quarter turn, then fold crosswise into thirds to form a 2 1/2x3-inch rectangle and to create 9 layers. Repeat the rolling, folding, turning, and folding process once more, forming a 2 1/2x3-inch rectangle. Wrap dough with plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times. Before using, chill dough for 20 minutes more.