Milano Cookies... Simply Delicious!

Yes, that's right... those delicious crispy wafers with chocolate fudge in the middle. Best part is, you can make them yourself! I will admit that they are quick to bake, but take a little longer to put together. Don't worry they're totally worth it :-)

You will need:


3/4 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
~6 egg whites
3 Tbsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour

* adapted from Gale Gand


Preheat oven to 350F (177C)

Cream the butter and sugar. Slowly add the egg whites and vanilla, mix well. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe the dough in 1-inch segments about 2-inches apart, they spread a little during baking. Piping is easiest using a pastry bag,... but one can be easily made by filling a ziplock type bag and cutting off the tip of one of the bag's corners after you've filled it.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges have browned. I generally leave them in the oven until they 'look right'. Take them out of the oven and leave on the pan to cool. The cookies will be slightly soft when pulled out of the oven, but they crisp up once they cool.

For the filling:
I used my chocolate ganache-frosting recipe because it didn't require me to go buy cream, but you can use the original recipe as follows:

1/2 c. heavy cream
8oz. semi sweet chocolate
zest of one orange


*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:


One of the greatest things about this recipe (for me at least) was that it finds a use for those pesky egg whites when only the yolks are used in other recipes. Example: pudding and some yellow cakes only uses egg yolks... milano cookies are one of many ways to use just the egg whites, but most egg-white-only recipes aren't nearly as awesome.


The original recipe called for lemon extract along with vanilla in the cookie... I omitted the lemon in favor of just vanilla, but you could try lemon, mint, almond, anise or any other flavoring you love.


Similar concept for the filling, the recipe called for orange zest, but I used my own chocolate frosting recipe and used half vanilla and half mint for a slightly mint flavor, delish! I would recommend trying with and without mint, try the orange zest or even an orange extract... think chocolate oranges, yum! Maybe even try some raspberry or strawberry flavoring.

If you're not allergic to nuts using nutella would be delicious and make preparing the cookies even easier!


ENJOY!

Whipped cream... yes, you can make it yourself

Whipped Cream:
1 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. sugar

*adapted from Joy of Baking

Combine ingredients and refrigerate for 30 min. to ensure the mixture is chilled. Remove from refrigerator and whip until stiff peaks form.

That's pretty dang easy... just saying.

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Use to top your favorite dessert... or if you're my dad, use it to top everything (equivalent to bacon... it makes everything better)

Flavor it by adding coco powder, fruit preserves (a little raspberry or strawberry?)

ENJOY!

Home made pudding... surprisingly EASY!

Custard/Pudding:
2 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg yolks

*from Recipehut

In a medium saucepan simmer milk over medium heat. Meanwhile combine dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the milk once warmed and whisk thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the vanilla and egg yolks one at a time. Continue to whisk in order to keep mixture from burning to the bottom of your pan.

Your custard is done when the mixture coats the whisk when it is removed, should be close to a pudding consistency. Remove from heat. Stir every 5 minutes or so as your custard is cooling, this helps reduce any thick film from forming over your custard. Keep refrigerated.

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Eat by itself, use it to fill pastries, make boston cream pie?

Add some coco powder to make a chocolate version or some finely cut bananas to make a banana version.

Enjoy!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... EVER!

I spent a good portion of my undergrad in pursuit of truely the best chocolate chip cookie recipe... mostly my searches resulted in a crispy, cakey, or flat gooey messes. Where were those giant thick chewy chocolate-y cookies that would remain soft for more than a few hours? I was determined to find what I was in search of... even if that meant making my own recipe. Ok, so... I didn't make it up out of the blue, but the final recipe was a combination of a few recipes I no longer have and the resulting recipe omitted odd, random, or rare ingredients from the pantry... I'm not a fan of having to go buy 'special' ingredients for basic baking. So... here goes!

REAL Thick, Soft, and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:


You will need:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 Tbsp. honey
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C).

Heat butter until just melted (do not boil). Cream together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add vanilla, egg, and honey and beat well. Mix in the dry ingredients, the mixture will be stiff. Finally add the chocolate chips.

Ball into ~1/4 c. portions and place on un-greased baking sheet about 1-2 in. apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes (they will continue to cook a little once removed).

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Try these with white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips (my favorite) or a combination of the above.

I've seen raspberry chocolate chips and chocolate chunks both would be good too!

I mix up a double batch and roll half of the dough into a log, wrap it in waxed paper, and freeze it for later. That way you can make single servings later on whenever you crave a cookie or two!

ENJOY!

Candied Peels... Lime, Lemon, Orange?

You will need:

Lime peel:
Peel from 1 citrus fruit
1 1/2 c. sugar
Sugar for coating peel

*adapted from Martha Stewart

Syrup:
Saved simple syrup (sugar + water) from candied lime peel
Juice from peeled citrus fruit (above)
Food coloring

Peel the fruit carefully, making sure to remove all or at least as much of the white colored rind as you can (the white part can be very bitter). Bring a medium sauce pan full of water to a boil. While the water is heating up, prepare another bowl with cold water and ice cubes and set aside.

Once the water boils you'll need to boil the peels for one minute intervals alternating with a one minute ice bath in the prepared bowl. Do this alternation 3-4 times.

On the last ice bath, dump out the boiling water. Mix the 1 c. of fresh water with the sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling throw in the cold peels and boil for 5 min. stirring occasionally. Remove with slotted spoon and place on a wire rack set on top of parchment paper (or similar)... this makes clean up easier. Sprinkle with sugar before completely cooled. Store in air-tight container.

Retain the sugar water mixture to make the citrus syrup. Add the juice from the peeled fruit to taste and continue to boil until the mixture slightly thickens. To get the appropriate color add food coloring to get your preferred shade.


*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Great for garnishing pies and cakes!

Try using as a garnish in your favorite cocktail... yum

The simple syrup can be used as a decoration for pies and cakes as well and, like the peels, can be used in your favorite cocktail.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Ganache-Frosting

Chocolate ganache can be used for everything... glazing cakes, fillings, decorative topping, dipping, etc. Traditionally it is a mixture of two parts chocolate to one part cream, but liqueurs and extracts can be added for flavor.

Here's my version:

Chocolate Ganache-Frosting:
1/3 c. chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 c. powdered sugar

Combine chocolate, butter, milk, honey, and vanilla and melt over low heat until blended (I use the microwave to speed this step up... microwave 30 sec. stir and repeat until melted). Add powdered sugar until the consistency is a little more liquid than you'd like... the heat causes the consistency to remain a little looser than it would be at room temperature. Too much powdered sugar, add a little milk and butter make less stiff.

Keep refrigerated. Re-heat the topping to loosen the consistency if it stiffens after refrigeration.


*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Use to decorate cookies, cakes, pastries, ice cream and anything else that needs a little extra chocolate.

While the recipe says 1-2c. powdered sugar, try a little less (runnier) or a little more (stiffer) for a different consistency.

ENJOY!

Just the Choux

Choux:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. water
2 eggs, lightly beaten

*from Joy of Baking

Pre-heat oven to 400 F (205 C).

Pre-mix the dry ingredients and set aside.

Put butter and water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add dry ingredients into the saucepan. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, reduce heat and return to the burner stirring continuously until the dough mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot, forms a thick ball, and forms a thin film on the bottom of the pan. At this point remove from heat and turn off element.

Lightly beat the eggs and set aside. Continue to mix the dough to release the steam. When the dough becomes lukewarm to the touch... add the eggs one at a time. Mix well to form a thick and sticky dough.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well. When forming choux, it is easiest using a pastry bag... one can be easily made by filling a ziplock type bag and cutting off 1/4 in. of one of the bag's corners.

At this point you'll need to decide the shape of your choux:
For cream puffs or profiteroles you'll want to form  round mounds.
For eclairs you'll want to form thick rectangles.

If using a pastry bag (or similar) pipe 12 equal portions onto your baking sheet. Now you can brush your pastry lightly with an egg wash (1 lightly beaten egg)... this will help smooth out any points or mishaps left during piping. Dipping your finger in water will also allow you to flatten out any points left on top of your pastry, but will not leave the same shine as an egg wash.

When your choux has been formed and your oven pre-heated... place your choux in the oven for 15min. at 400 F (they should puff up during this step) and then reduce the temperature to 350 F and continue to bake for another 30min. or until your choux becomes a light amber color and are dry inside. Turn the oven off  and leave the choux in the oven to cool slowly with the oven door ajar.

The difficulty with choux is not under baking or over baking them... under baking the choux will cause your pastry to lose volume once pulled out of the oven... flop. Over baking your choux will leave the bottom of your choux black and your pastry will be over dry and rock hard. Get to know your oven and whether it runs too hot or too cool and adjust accordingly.

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:


Spanish and Latin American churros are made by deep frying choux pastery and sprinkling with powdered sugar or a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

ENJOY!

If the Choux fits... make it!

Ok... so the blog's title references choux pastry and yet... I hadn't shown you any. I know, I know... this probably should have been my first post, but I forgot to take pictures the first time I tried this recipe so this time I made sure to take a few.

I made my choux pastry into cream puffs this time, but the same recipe can be used for profiteroles and eclairs (if you just shape your choux a little differently... explained later).

So here goes...

You will need:

Choux:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. water
2 eggs, lightly beaten

*from Joy of Baking

Pre-heat oven to 400 F (205 C).

Pre-mix the dry ingredients and set aside. Put butter and water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add dry ingredients into the saucepan. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, reduce heat and return to the burner stirring continuously until the dough mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot, forms a thick ball, and forms a thin film on the bottom of the pan. At this point remove from heat and turn off element. Lightly beat the eggs and set aside. Continue to mix the dough to release the steam. When the dough becomes lukewarm to the touch the eggs can be added to the mixture. Mix well to form a thick and sticky dough.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well. When forming choux, it is easiest using a pastry bag... one can be easily made by filling a ziplock type bag and cutting off 1/4 in. of one of the bag's corners.

At this point you'll need to decide the shape of your choux. For cream puffs or profiteroles you'll want to form  round mounds. For eclairs you'll want to form thick rectangles. If using a pastry bag (or similar) pipe 12 equal portions onto your baking sheet. Now you can brush your pastry lightly with an egg wash (1 lightly beaten egg)... this will help smooth out any points or mishaps left during piping. Dipping your finger in water will also allow you to flatten out any points left on top of your pastry, but will not leave the same shine as an egg wash.

When your choux has been formed and your oven pre-heated... place your choux in the oven for 15min. at 400 F (they should puff up during this step) and then reduce the temperature to 350 F and continue to bake for another 30min. or until your choux becomes a light amber color and are dry inside. Turn the oven off  and leave the choux in the oven to cool slowly with the oven door ajar.

The difficulty with choux is not under baking or over baking them... under baking the choux will cause your pastry to lose volume once pulled out of the oven... flop. Over baking your choux will leave the bottom of your choux black and your pastry will be over dry and rock hard. Get to know your oven and whether it runs too hot or too cool and adjust accordingly.

The following recipe links can be used to fill and finish your perfect pastries!

*Whipped Cream for Filling
*Custard for Filling
*Chocolate Ganache-Frosting

Once your choux has been prepared you can begin to fill and top your desserts.

For Cream Puffs (Round Choux, Whipped Cream, Powdered Sugar):
Slice each of your round pastries in half to form a top and bottom. Pipe or dollop the whipped cream filling onto the bottom half of the choux and place the top gently on the whipped cream. Lightly dust with powdered sugar for your traditional cream puff.

For Profiteroles (Round Choux, Ice Cream, Chocolate Topping):
Slice each of your round pastries in half to form a top and bottom. Place a small scoop of ice cream (typically vanilla) onto the bottom half of your pastry and place the top of the pastry on the ice cream to form a sort of sandwhich. Drizzle the top with your chocolate glaze to produce the classic profiterole.

For Eclairs (Rectangle Choux, Custard, Chocolate Topping):
Use a piping bag with a plastic or metal piping tip to carefully fill your rectangle pastry from one end to the other. The custard may continue to ooze out the end if too much pressure is applied when piping into the end. If piping is not your cup of tea, simply slice your rectangle in half making sure the bottom half is thicker than the top half. Doing this lets you fill the choux a little more without the custard oozing out the sides. Spread the chocolate topping on the top of your choux and you've got a traditional eclair.

I personally like to mix and match these toppings and fillings to produce custard-filled cream puffs and sugar dusted profiteroles and the like.

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

Add a little berry preserves to the whipped filling to produce a fruity version of the cream puff or a little cocoa to make it a sinful delight.

Use different kinds of ice cream to make your own signature profiterole!

The chocolate chips in the chocolate topping can be replaced with cocoa, but you will need to add a little extra butter (approx. 3Tbsp. cocoa + 1Tbsp. butter = 1/4 c. chocolate chips, you may need a little extra sugar to compensate for sweetness)

Best of all explore your own imagination to make combinations of the above to form your very own signature dish.



ENJOY!

Key Lime... Cheesecake!

No this is not Key Lime Pie... it's Cheesecake! When I originally decided to attempt cheesecake, I had no idea what I was in for. I followed the first recipe to a T... and while the cheesecake filling was good, the oh-so-delicious graham cracker crust was... well... a massive disappointment.

So what did I do... try try again... and adapt of course!

I've used this recipe and variations of it a few times and it never fails me... give it a try...

You will need:

Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. grated lime zest (or more to taste)
2/3 c. key lime juice

*adapted from Key Lime Cheesecake I

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F (150 C)

Crush graham crackers until they have an even consistency then add the sugar and melted butter. Mix well. Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides (~ 1-in.) of a 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate until your filling is ready.

To make the cheesecake filling, room temperature ingredients are best. Thoroughly beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, corn starch, and lime zest until light and fluffy. This is the only stage you can beat well without increasing your cheesecake's risk of cracking during baking. Add the eggs and lime juice. Finish mixing by hand, do NOT over beat... once the eggs have been added try to minimize the addition of air into your cheesecake.

Once the cheesecake filling is ready, pull your graham cracker crust out of the fridge and pour your filling into the crust slowly and level off. Place the cheesecake into the oven and place a shallow pan (13x9 in.) half filled with water on the oven rack just below your cheesecake. The second pan filled with water will help reduce any cheesecake cracking during the baking process. Set the timer for 55-65 min.

The cheesecake is ready when just the center of it shows a little jiggle when gently shaken. Make sure you turn the oven OFF at this point, then leave the cheesecake the oven for another 30 min. with the door open, just a little, to allow for a slow cool down. Allowing the cheesecake to cool slowly also helps keep the cheesecake from cracking. Remove from oven and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving for best results.

For the decorative topping seen in the picture... I made candied lime peel and key lime syrup:

Candied Peel Recipe & Simple Syrup

*Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

I hate wasting good things and believe you can usually make do with things you already have in your kitchen...

When making the graham cracker crust... more graham cracker is better in my book! So if you have a little extra... throw it in! Just make sure to adjust the butter and sugar measurements accordingly.

Try using vanilla or honey cookies in place of the graham cracker for a variation on the traditional crust. (Chocolate cookies would be good, but maybe not for a lime cheesecake) Use the same proportion of butter, but depending on the cookie sweetness leave out the sugar.

This recipe makes a lime cheesecake, but I have used raspberries in place of the lime juice and left out the zest... worked out GREAT! If you're looking for a plain cheesecake, leave out the corn starch and lime ingredients and add a little vanilla extract instead.

ENJOY!

S'more Please!

Gotta love S'mores... the epitome of childhood and campfires. I do not have a campfire in my home soooo... what could be cooler than making S'more Cookies! Now I'll admit I found this recipe on another blog... I know, I know... I'm a horrible baker blogger. I guess my justification is that I will only post recipes that I have had success with and that I find quite tasty.

Here goes!

You will need:


3/4 c. softened butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (~ 1pkg.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. mini-marshmallows

*adapted from Cookie Madness

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Prepare a parchment covered baking sheet or grease the sheet well.

Blend the butter and sugars until fluffy. Slowly add in the egg and vanilla until well mixed. Use a small blender to crush your graham crackers (or by hand) until they are an even consistency. Add the flour, graham cracker, salt, and baking soda to the wet mixture and mix well.

Make 1-inch balls out of the dough (refrigerate a little if needed) and place on your prepared baking sheet a couple inches apart (the cookies do spread out). Bake for 8min. in pre-heated oven. Remove and quickly press in your desired amount of chocolate and marshmallow and return to the oven for another 3-4min.

And wahlah! S'more Cookies!

**Tips/Hints/Suggestions:

I'm a fan of not wasting materials and utilizing what you have on hand...

Because the flour and graham crackers are similar consistency when thoroughly crushed I used one full package of graham crackers which amounted to ~1 1/4 c. You can add more flour if your graham crackers do not amount to that once crushed, as long as you keep the two ingredients combined at 2 1/4 c. total.

If you like MORE chocolate you can add chocolate chips to your dough before rolling into balls... and then you can still top with chocolate chips OR for a more fancy look, you can break up Hershey bars for the top.

If you do NOT have mini-marshmallows you can cut up larger marshmallows into smaller pieces and use those instead.

ENJOY!