DOTW- A new kind of Cookie

So... sorry I've been slightly MIA for the past few days. Life as always got away from me a little bit.... and it is just about to again. I am currently in Omaha, at my sister's house, quilting and eating- until the weekend when she leaves and I take care of her three kids for a few days. It's a good life being a sister and aunt.

So later this week or early next week look forward to some more child appropriate menus.

As for now.... I'm off chocolate. It's a travesty but I like to know that I can do it. So I have gotten more creative and here are my cookies of the moment. It all started because I was craving chocolate chip cookie dough.

Pseudo Macaroons
(they taste remarkably like macaroons but have almost none of the same ingredients)

(my basic cookie recipe)
1/2 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

(additions)
1/4 c oats
1/4-1/2 c coconut
1/2 t cinnamon
mini marshmallows

1. Make cookie dough just like any other dough.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Add in oats, coconut and cinnamon.
4. Using a cookie scoop, fill scoop with dough and push 3 marshmallows into center, down deep. Cover hole and put on lined cookie sheet.
5. Should make 12 depending on size.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown.
7. Let cool and enjoy.

Sorry no pictures! They were gone too fast!

has anyone been trying this weeks menu?
or do you have any good way that you organize you food week?

DOTW- Apple Berry Turnovers

When I first started culinary school I was enamored with the school cafe. It was like going back to Paris with the lovely windows full of ooey, gooey, yummy morsels. My two favorites there were coconut macaroons (dipped in chocolate) and apple turnovers. I could not get enough of their goodness.

Now with culinary school behind me I am slightly jaded. I know understand the magic and can recreate it. It makes going out for food not nearly as exciting, but there is still a resounding thrill that goes through me every time I make something and think "that could have totally come from a bakery".

These turnovers did it for me. I felt immense pride in seeing the perfectly thin crackling layers, watching them puff in the oven with butter as their only leavener- it's what makes me happy.

Apple Berry Turnovers

Puff Pastry

I'm guessing that hardly anyone will follow me in making your own puff pastry, but I have to say, you should at least try to sometime. The big difference between it and store bought, is that you would use butter and the store bought uses, well, not butter. BIG DIFFERENCE! But this dessert can either take an afternoon or 10 minutes- it all depends on if you make the puff pastry or not. So if you need a quick dessert this could actually be a great option.

Ingredients:

2 c AP flour
1/2 t salt
1 T cold butter
1/2 c ice water

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, cold
1 T flour

In a mixer with the dough hook mix 1 c flour, salt and water. Add the butter and let mix until a smooth batter forms. Add the rest of the flour slowely and let mix until the dough pulls together, 3-4 minutes.

Knead dough until it comes together well and freeze wrapped for 20 minutes.

Put the 1/2 lb of butter between sheets of wax paper and bang on it with a rolling pin. The idea is to get it to be a square about 3/4 inch thick(about 3 inches wide). Use the flour to stop it from being sticky on the outside. Don't let it get above 60 degrees, if it does refrigerate.

Pull out dough and roll it into a 6 inch square on a floured surface.
Put the butter square on a diagonal in the middle and fold the dough around it, seal the edges.
Turn One:
Turn the dough over and roll out to about 18x6 inches. If the butter starts to ooze at all refrigerate. Turn the dough over and fold like a letter in thirds. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Do this "turn" 5 more times. The purpose of this is to get butter into hundreds of layers. It technically should end up with
1x3x3x3x3x3x3=729 layers!
So even though it seems like a lot of work you get a lot out of it.

if you look really close you can see some of the layers

Freeze for 1 hour and make filling.

If using storebought dough you need to pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw according to the package directions.

Filling

Ingredients:
2 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1 c frozen berries
1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
1 T butter
1 pinch nutmeg

Put butter in a pan and cook apples until softened. If you undercook them they will oxidate and turn brown. Add sugar during cooking. Once they are cooked turn off heat and add berries as well as salt and nutmeg. Allow to warm.

To bring it all together:

Roll out dough into a 9x18 square, storebought should be about this size
Cut in half lengthwise, and in quarters width wise to make 8 squares
Use an egg wash on the inside of each square and fill the center of the squares, not too full though, you want to be able to close the pastrys.
Gently pull one corner to meet the other and seal the edge. To further seal the ends use a fork.
Egg wash the outsides and sprinkle with sugar (coarse or turbinado works really well), pierce the tops with a fork
Refrigerate for half an hour.
Bake at 375 degrees until the outsides are golden brown about 30 minutes.
Serve warm. If you have extra filling, rewarm and serve over turnovers, maybe with some ice cream.


Note: How Puff Pastry gets its puff: When the chilled butter begins to melt in the oven it starts to leave hundreds of little holes that then fill with steam and rise causing the dough to become flakey and puffy. How the french figured these things out, I'll never know.

Dessert of the Week- Italian Buttercream

When I made the cake this week I didn't feel like the cake was anything special. It was a good cake, but really any white cake will do. If you buy a "box cake" purchase one that uses real butter in the recipe.

The real treat were the two frostings, one white chocolate and the other raspberry. In the recipe I found they made two completely different frostings but I decided to simplify it a little bit and make them out of the same basic frosting. It worked out really well.

For the frosting I made a pretty small batch and frosted a 6 inch cake pretty thin, so for a normal cake I would suggest doubling the recipe.

Italian Meringue Buttercream- two ways

1 c butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/2 c sugar
1 oz water
2 large egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
vanilla
2 T white chocolate chips, or any white chocolate
2 T raspberry puree (you can cook raspberries then strain, buy the puree or use a jam)

1. In a small saucepan mix pour all but 2 T sugar and the water. Turn on and put in a thermometer.
2. In a large bowl whip the egg whites until they are foamy, then add the cream of tartar, additional sugar and vanilla, beat until stiff peaks.
3. Once the syrup has reached 248 degrees (never stir it) slowly pour it into meringue while whipping so that it doesent scramble the eggs, but it will cook them so it is safe to eat. You can pour the syrup into liquid measuring cup first if that is easier for you to pour from in a slow steady stream.
4. Keep whisking until it is back down to room temperature then add butter one cube at a time while continuing to whisk. If it is starting to seperate stop adding butter and turn up mixer speed until it is back to smooth. (you can whisk over a bowl of ice if you are worried that it is too warm)
5. Split the mixture in half. Add chocolate to one and raspberry to the other. Mix in and put in the fridge for half an hour until chilled but not overly stiff.
6. Frost cake with raspberry between layers and white chocolate on the outside.
7. Serve at room temperature.
The definition of an italian meringue is one that is cooked by the addition of a simple syrup.