Saucepan Fudge Drop Cookies

Brownies in Cookie form

So, I've been trying to get up 10 minutes earlier every day this week in anticipation of the daylight saving time change. As I'm getting older, Springing Forward has been kicking my butt. The week following the change, I feel like I'm in a jet lag haze. So, I keep moving my clock up each night and have made a big effort to go to bed early (thank you DVR for helping me time shift!). Next week, I'll let you know if it works.

This morning, since I was up early, I decided to make a quick batch of cookies, and remember seeing these on Tracey's Culinary Adventures blog. Tracey is a blogger friend who has great recipes and photos, and is always making something mouth watering!

This recipe was adapted from the book Bittersweet by Alice Medrich. Oh, it looks so good. Yet another book on my wish list!! The original recipe calls for a sprinkling of powdered sugar before baking, but we all skipped that.

Ok. I gotta run. I have to GO TO BED soon! I am totally looking forward to the time change though..."playing in the street" after work or heading to the beach for a sunset walk. Awesome.

I hope you make these lovely cookies...seriously, you can get them done in 30 minutes, including washing the dishes while they are baking. Thanks Blue Ridge Baker and Tracey for introducing these gems to me! Good night and enjoy!

Saucepan Fudge Drops
Adapted from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich (as seen on Blue Ridge Baker and Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

See if your library has the book Bittersweet: recipes and tales from a life in chocolate by clicking here.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used natural cocoa powder, not Dutch)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/3 cup yogurt (I used whole milk Greek yogurt, but I think all plain yogurts will work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

As Tracey says, you need to work fast with the batter. I suggest having all your ingredients ready to go so you can assemble and dish it out in just a few minutes. These cookies take no time at all!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl, and set aside. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon, and add both sugars and stir until blended - the mixture will be stiff and sandy at this point. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Don't go crazy and overmix.

Immediately scoop dough onto baking sheets. I used a cookie scoop/disher and got a total of 22 cookies. I must have made 'em big...Bittersweet's recipe says you should get about 32 cookies!

Bake the cookies until they look dry on top and are cracked all over, but are still slightly soft when pressed, about 10-12 minutes. Mine were done in 11 minutes. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about half way through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment, cookies and all onto racks to cool.

French Macaron Class with Tartelette

Tartelette in the house! (Well, at least in Southern California).

Thanks to the efforts of Rachael, Gaby and Jenny, Helene Dujardin (Tartelette) came out to Los Angeles to conduct macaron and food photography classes. Whoo hoo!

Having never made French macarons before (but eaten plenty), this class was great. Who knew aged egg whites, almonds, powdered sugar and granulated sugar could make such pretty treats!

The class was fun because I also got to meet a bunch of food bloggers and catch up with ones I met at BlogHerFood.

This is the best "to go" box ever.

Thank you sooo much Rachael, Gaby and Jenny for setting up these classes!
Both classes totally rocked!

Thumbprints For Us Big Guys - Tuesdays with Dorie

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Mike of Ugly Food Dude selected Thumbprints For Us Big Guys on page 164 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Mike of Ugly Food Dude is hella funny and one of the few (are there others?) dudes cooking in Tuesdays with Dorie. You should definitely read his blog.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

I used walnuts instead of hazelnuts because I'm lazy and didn't want to buy any hazelnuts. Besides, I always think hazelnuts should be a blue-green color.

My cookies spread out a bit and don't look like the photo, but they were tasty.

I used Pam Jam in the center. Pam Jam? My friend Pam and her family make jam every year from their Berkeley plum tree. It's the best!

Recipe:
On Mike's Blog or...
Page 164 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies

Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies

NPR has a collection of "Driveway Moments" - those stories so compelling you find yourself sitting in the car to catch the end of the piece. I have often found myself in that situation, along with "Cry on the Freeway Moment" (damn you, Storycorp).

Today, I had a NPR Baking Moment.

All Things Considered had a story about Girl Scout cookies and how you can bake & cook with them. Samoas Fried Shrimp, anyone? See here for the story and taste test. By the way, I have new respect for host Michele Norris because she too hates coconut :)

The Girl Scout website has Thin Mint Brownies, but they use a boxed brownie mix. I made the brownies from scratch and added Girl Scout Thin Mints.

I think it is appropriate to make Brownies with Thin Mints because that was my maximum level of participation. I never made it Girl Scouts...so I'll be a Brownie forever. ;)

I took Everyday Food's (Martha Stewart empire) Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe, deleted the chocolate chips, and added a sleeve of Thin Mints. It is triple chocolate: melted bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder and the Thin Mints!

I purchased these cookies from my college roommate's awesome girls, Lucia and Julia.

Last year, I made Girl Scout Thin Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Post here.

Recipe:
Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies
Adapted from Everyday Food's Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe

Printable recipe here

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Scharffenberger Natural cocoa powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet chocolate)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 sleeve Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, chopped. (Okay, Thin Mints keep shrinking to keep the price at $4 a box. So, it is 3 1/2 ounces of Thin Mints or 16 cookies)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9 x 9 square pan with parchment paper and butter or spray with Pam with flour (that's my method). In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. Place butter and semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove bowl from heat. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs one at a time, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in chopped Girl Scout Thin Mints. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40-50 minutes. (Be sure to check them early. The recipe says "50-60 minutes" but I checked mine at 50 minutes and they were way done). Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into squares.

Blood Orange and Cardamom Upside Down Cake - David Lebovitz recipe

Blood Orange and Cardamom Upside Down Cake

I want to live near David Lebovitz.
And that doesn't mean he would live down the street in Los Angeles.
That means I would live in Paris.

Well, until then, I can make his ice cream and desserts. Here is an upside-down cake. Yes, I love the upside down cake (but not as much as the Bundt :)

David's recipe uses navel oranges, but I used all blood oranges. Oh, it is lovely California citrus time. Rock on! Melt butter, brown sugar and cardamom in a 10" skillet.

Layer your pretty citrus on the semi-cooled brown sugar layer.

The batter comes together quickly and is spread on the oranges. Bake for 40 minutes until golden.

On a side note, my Meyer Lemon Olive Oil cake was mentioned in the Los Angeles Times Food Section's blog, Daily Dish! How exciting is that?! And it's Thursday today Whoo hoo. Los Angeles Times Food section day.

Here are some other upside-down cakes:
Gingerbread Apple Upside-Down cake
Apple Upside-Down cake
Cherry Upside-Down cake
Los Angeles Times Meyer Lemon Upside-Down cake

P.S. It's my nephew's birthday today! 8 years old is a good year, Christian!

Recipe:
Adapted from David Lebovitz's Orange and Cardamom Upside Down Cake

Printable recipe here

David Lebovitz's recipe uses navel oranges, but he says in the notes that he has used a combo of navel and blood oranges. I only had blood oranges and used them.

Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 medium-sized navel oranges, peeled and sliced in to 1/4-inch slices (I used blood oranges. I left one unpeeled and peeled the rest of them)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used Penzy's ground cardamom spice)

Batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom (David's recipe calls for 1 1/2 t ground cardamom but I went for a smaller amount - personal preference)
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 orange

Whipped cream (I didn't serve mine with any whipped cream)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Center rack in oven.
2. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar along with 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to set.
3. Overlap the orange slices in concentric circles over the topping. Each slice should overlap the other by half. I stuck the little end pieces on the edges of the skillet.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and ground cardamom. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla and orange zest.
5. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and thoroughly incorporate into batter. Scrap down sides of bowl as needed.
6. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then the milk mixture. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients until just combined.
7. Pour batter over the oranges, even out with a spatula or knife and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes. Very carefully flip onto serving platter.

Sakura Mochi for Japanese Girls' Day

Today, 3/3 is Girls' Day or Hinamatsuri in Japan. Super cool for about 50% of the population, no?

Of course, I'm all about the food. Hee hee. Actually, girls are supposed to have elaborate dolls (with stands) of the Emperor, Empress, Court and lots of other peeps. See here.

My mom grew up in post-war Okinawa and they didn't have money. So she didn't have a doll display. And I didn't get one growing up here in Los Angeles. Which, it turns out, I am soooooo thankful for because I am completely scared of dolls.

I think dolls come and try to attack you in the middle of the night...AND steal socks from the dryer. Every year, someone puts up an antique doll display in the library and I run past it all month.

So, for Girls Day, we are bypassing the dolls and heading for the sweets. Sakura Mochi!

This type of Sakura Mochi consists of sweetened red beans, sweetened rice, and covered with a sakura (cherry blossom tree) leaf. The leaf is pickled and is very similar to a grape leaf. This mochi is the perfect combo of sweet and salty. Yum!

Usually, I pick up fresh Sakura Mochi at a local Japanese confectionery, but this year I wasn't able to so I had to pick up this variety (made in Japan and shipped over frozen). If you happen upon a Japanese confectionery store, pick up the pretty in pink sakura mochi!

And don't worry about the boys...their day is 5/5!

Toasted Coconut Custard Tart - Delayed a bit...

So sorry Beryl (a fellow Southern Cal blogger)...but my TWD is going to be delayed about a week. I hope to have a double TWD post next week.

In the meantime, learn about this week's pick and check out the other bakers!

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Beryl of Cinemon Girl picked Toasted Coconut Custard Tart on pages 344 & 345 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Recipe:
Find the recipe on Beryl's blog, Cinemon Girl
Toasted Coconut Custard Tart, page 344 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake - Gourmet Magazine

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake from Gourmet Magazine (I miss you every month, Gourmet....)

My dad has a Meyer lemon tree. Growing up, it was just the lemons we would use. But now that I'm grown up, I know that tree is magic. Meyer lemons have a great smell, flavor and give tons of juice (as well as seeds).

I've been the Meyer Lemon Fairy recently...dropping these gems off around town - see what tendercrumb and justjenn have been making. I've made a few things, and wanted to try this Lemon Olive Cake!

I added zest from two lemons in the batter.

It is helpful if you have two Kithenaid bowls. I am really fortunate to have two of them...one to use with the yolks and one to whip the egg whites.

The cake is really light and refreshing. It is dairy-free and uses eggs to leaven the soft cake flour.

Recipe:
Lemon Olive-Oil Cake - Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 2006

3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan
1 large lemon (see below for amounts of zest and juice needed)
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
4 egg whites
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper and oil parchment. (I used Pam with Flour spray instead)

Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons (I didn't measure mine...I love zest and used two lemons...probably 1 Tablespoon) and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Beat together five egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. (I used the whisk attachment) Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate.

Honey-Wheat Cookies - Tuesdays with Dorie

Honey-Wheat Cookies via Novocaine

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Michelle of Flourchild picked Honey-Wheat Cookies, page 81 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Okay. This post is almost late (but isn't...45 minutes to spare!) and I'm way distracted. Dude, it's the Winter Olympics! I've been watching these awesome Vancouver games and have bags under my eyes to prove it. Even though I'm on the West Coast getting the delayed feed and know all the results via Twitter, I'm still lovin' it.

I planned to make these cookies yesterday but called my dentist about a sensitive tooth. Before I knew it, I was sprawled out on the dentist chair listening to soft rock and sitting through the 10-year long injection of Novocaine. Twice. Upper and lower left side of face. And then I got three filling-type buccals (I think that is what I got) to cover exposed nerve endings. Oh, my sorry gums. You literally cause me pain.

Anyway, I skipped the store (for the wheat germ) and took a nap. When I woke up, I swear, someone had come into my house and hit me on the side of the face during my nap. Or, I was on Jerry Springer and I got beat up by some woman who thought I was making eyes on her man...or woman...or transvestite man/woman. Or, I was in my new favorite Winter Olympic sport Snowboard Cross and ate it. Thus, no cookies yesterday, and just a handful of Tylenol instead.

So, as I watch the ladies short program tonight, I made a few of these Honey Wheat Cookies. Taking photos between programs and during the Ski Cross. Yes, nothing like eating cookies while athletes give it their all.

The cookies? Delicious. And they have wheat germ so I'm going to have a bunch for breakfast. ;)

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Recipe:
Find it on Michelle's blog: Flourchild
Or, page 81 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours

New School of Cooking - Pro Baking 1 - Class 9: Cinnamon Rolls, Puff Pastry & Croissant Dough

I'm taking the Pro Baking 1 series (taught by Chef Carol Cotner Thompson) at the New School of Cooking in Culver City (Los Angeles) this fall/winter. In Class 9, we made cinnamon rolls with our brioche dough and started our Puff Pastry and Croissant doughs.

In Class 8, we started our Brioche dough (yeasted dough with added butter) and put it in the freezer. We made the Brioche dough using the paddle attachment of the KitchenAid. The paddle attachment pulls the gluten strands better than the dough hook, and it was a much faster process. I have made Brioche before with the dough hook and it takes a long time. I'm glad I learned this new method!

The day before this class, the staff moved our dough from the freezer to the refrigerator for proofing. We had it sit out for a bit on our tables and then made cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls - what a great treat to make any time of day!

After a brush with melted butter and a rise, these were baked up into yummy goodness.

The class had extra broiche dough so they made donuts and beignets. Sweetness. And it was on Superbowl Sunday so the beignets were most appropriate! Yeah, the Saints won! (See, I told you I was behind in posting about my class...now I'm all about the Winter Olympics)

These donuts were filled with cherries. OMG delicious.

We started our Puff Pastry and Croissant doughs. Both doughs are very similar but the Croissant dough has yeast while the Puff Pastry doesn't. The latin term for these doughs? "Butter delivery device veni vidi vici". We used close to 2 pounds of butter today...that's 8 sticks. We turned it three of the minimum four turns. To see how the turns work, please see Tracey's Culinary Adventure's great step-by-step process.

Stay tuned to see what we made in our last class with the puff pastry and croissant doughs!

Recaps of the New School of Cooking, Pro Baking 1 course:
Baking Therapy: Going back to school
Class 1: Quick Breads
Class 2: Custards
Class 3: Soufflés & Pate a Choux
Class 4: Tarts, Pie, Crisps and Cobblers
Class 5: Chocolate
Class 6: White Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
Class 7: Artisan Breads
Class 8: Flat Breads, Brioche and Focaccia