Basic Biscotti

Basic Biscotti Recipe

Biscotti are oblong twice-baked cookies or biscuits, originating from Italy.  Their dry texture makes them the perfect dunking companion for a cup of coffee.  I picked up this recipe from an old roommate several years ago and since then have modified it only slightly.  This is a pretty simple and basic biscotti recipe.  I like that the base has only a hint of sweetness and it's incredibly versatile with your choice of mix-ins.  I typically make my biscotti with chocolate chips, toasted almond slivers, and dried cranberries - simply because those are staple ingredients in my pantry.  It's important not to get overly ambitious with your mix-ins or else your dough won't hold together. Try to keep your mix-ins to a total of 1 cup.  Some other combinations that would work well include:

Pain de Sucre Bakery

It's hard to believe it's been nearly 3 months since we returned from our Paris vacation.  Time flies and I feel like there's still so many yummy spots I haven't shared!  Pain de Sucre was a bakery at the top of my list.  One day as we were meandering the streets, we had some extra time before our dinner plans and we pulled up Pain de Sucre on Google Maps.  Walking up and down the street that Google Maps led us to, the bakery was nowhere in sight.  Could Google Maps have led us astray?!  As my spirits dipped at the lost opportunity, my husband spotted the store:

Pain de Sucre...not the bakery one.

It was the right name, but not exactly what I had in mind.  What a sad realization!  Even more sad when my husband couldn't stop laughing at how disappointed I was.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I made this coffee cake for the first Friday of my first week of work.  As the newbie, I will admit that my intention was to lure people to my desk so I could meet more people.  It worked to some degree, though I soon learned that many people at work are quite disciplined about eating healthy.  I did meet a few new faces but at the end of the day I was still left with a third of a pan of coffee cake.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

I cut the sugar from the original recipe and I'm glad that I did since I still found it a little sweet for my liking, though it does pair well with a cup of coffee. The top crust had a fragile, sugary crunch where the batter had caramelized but you can still spot the sprinkling of sugar granules that I could have done without.  I might have also thought it was too sweet since this was the first time I used Kirkland Semisweet Chocolate Chips (surprisingly, I just bought this for the first time) I usually use Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Pound Plus bar since I like my chocolate dark.  After falling in love with dark chocolate for so long, it's hard to go back to semisweet and milk chocolate!  Give this dessert-for-breakfast a try - I'll admit that I wasn't that bummed that I had a third of the pan left and it sure didn't last long at home.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Filling and Topping:
2 cups or 12 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bars
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9x13 baking pan or glass Pyrex pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon for filling and topping.
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.  
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick.  
5. In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff and then fold into batter.
6. Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spoon remaining cake batter over the filling in the pan. Use an offset spatula to gently spread batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture and chocolate chips.  Using your palm, gently press the chocolate chips into the batter a bit to make sure they stick. 
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

Award-winning Bakery Du Pain et des Idée

Du Pain et des Idée: L'escargot chocolat pistache

Du Pain et des Idées is touted by many, including David Lebovitz, as one of the best boulangeries in Paris.  Winner of the 2008 Gault Millau award for the best baker in Paris, owner Christophe Vasseur is known for his pain des amis, which are giant, flat, crusty loaves of bread.  The bakery is also known for its innovative and delicious pastries, such as the matcha tea croissant and escargot pastries.  Escargot pastries are named for their spiral shape, not for the presence of any escargot snails.

World Peace Cookies

World Peace Cookies

My favorite chocolate chip cookie comes from Dorie Greenspan, who originally got the recipe from Pierre Hermé.  Supposedly the cookie's name arose from Dorie's neighbor who commented that a daily dose of these cookies would be enough to ensure world peace.  The name stuck since then and I can attest that these cookies have brought much joy (and peace offerings) to those around me.
 

This cookie doesn't have the texture of your typical chewy or crunchy chocolate chip cookie.  It's actually almost like a shortbread, but kind of sandy as it crumbles and melts in your mouth with each bite.  It's important to know this as I've had a few friends wonder if they followed the recipe wrong when their cookies fell apart more than they expected.  It's also quite a buttery cookie but don't be scared off by the buttery footprints on your cookie sheet - it's totally worth it.

Look at all those chocolate chunks!

Reasons why I love this recipe:

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These shortbread cookies were quite amazing.  Full of coffee and chocolate flavor, soft and crumbly with a sandy texture.  They were definitely buttery and  one cookie was perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth.  In my first attempt at this recipe, I somehow mixed up my measuring cups and accidentally used only half of the flour required.  Imagine my horror as I watched through the oven door to see my shortbread melt into a flat pool of dough!  The messed up batch was overly buttery but still tasted so good that my husband refused to let me throw them away.  Instead, he stashed them out of my reach and polished them off within the following week.  I would make this recipe again, but before I do I'd like to explore some other shortbread varieties out there.  

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from Smitten Kitchen

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Toffee Cookies

What a mouthful of ingredients!  This recipe is reminiscent of one of my favorite cookies, a Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Toffee Cookie, that I have yet to share on the blog.  I used my favorite Ghiradelli chocolate chips, though chocolate chunks from Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate would work well too.  This is hands-down a chewy cookie, made so from the oatmeal and toasted coconut.  It was almost difficult to distinguish the chewiness of the oatmeal from the coconut, but there is definitely a subtle coconut flavor.  The best textural component comes from the toffee bits that melt while baking, forming slightly crisp bottoms and edges.  Remember to let these cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack, otherwise the toffee bits may still stick to the baking sheet.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Toffee Cookies
Makes 2 dozen (3" diameter cookies)     

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (or quick oats)
1/2 cup toffee bits
1 cup chocolate chips (dark works best in my opinion)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread shredded coconut in a thin layer.  Toast coconut in the oven for 5-7 minutes, stirring halfway through.  When coconut is lightly browned, remove from oven and set aside to cool.  Keep lined cookie sheet to use for baking the cookies.  
2. Raise oven temperature and preheat oven to 375F.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar until mixture is light and smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.  Add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.  Add flour mixture and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Add oatmeal, toasted coconut, and toffee bits and stir. The batter will be very thick at this point.  By hand, fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons (medium OXO cookie scoop) of dough onto a lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart from each other.  
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are firm and cookies are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Fudge Brownies with Almonds

These quick and easy fudge brownies take after Mark Bittman's recipe in How To Cook Everything, The Basics.  I followed the tweaks to make nutty brownies by adding toasted almonds and subbing 1/4 cup of almond flour for 1/4 cup regular flour.  These came out more fudge-like than I expected.  The almonds were a nice addition and the almond flour contributed to the moist, fudge consistency.  For lack of a square baking pan, I baked them in the cast iron skillet which resulted in thinner brownies as well.  Definitely an easy recipe, but I prefer my brownies to be chewier and I like using regular dark chocolate more than unsweetened chocolate.

Fudge Brownies with Almonds
makes 9-12 slices

8 Tbsp butter, plus a little more to grease the pan
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a an 8x8 square baking pan with butter, or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir constantly until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar until well combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.  Gently stir in flour, almond flour, salt, and vanilla.  Carefully fold in the toasted almonds.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until brownies are just set in the middle.  Cool until set, cut, and serve. 

Skillet Blondie Cookie

I was really excited to finally own a cast iron skillet.  Such basic cookware and so cheap too!!  I really should have gotten one earlier!  This recipe was a quick fix for my cookie craving.  Even though it's officially called a blondie, it tasted like a giant cookie and went well with a scoop of ice cream.  It was moist and chewy on the inside with a slight crisp on the edges.  There are a lot of mix-ins in this recipe so the stuff-to-dough ratio is quite high.  It's possible to swap out mix-ins for other items to your liking.  I've tried craisins with walnuts and almonds with shredded coconut - both were delicious!

Skillet Blondie Cookie
adapted from the kitchn
serves 8

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 large egg
3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.
3. Heat the butter in the 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter has completely melted, add the brown sugar and whisk together until it dissolves, about 1 minute. This can also be done in a small saucepan and you can brown the butter while you're at it.  Note that the butter sugar mixture may not mix uniformly and may separate out into layers.
4. Slowly pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg, vanilla, and espresso powder. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
5. Fold the chopped chocolate, walnuts, and dried cranberries into the dough. Transfer the dough back to the buttery skillet, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the blondie is golden brown on top and set in the middle. A toothpick should come out of the center clean.
6. Cool the blondies for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Slice in wedges like a pie and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).
7. Blondies will keep for three days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate espresso roll-out cookies

I'm almost not too sure how to describe these cookies.  They are buttery like shortbread but not quite as crumbly and almost cracker-like.  The sweetness is subtle and nicely offset by the addition of sea salt.  It was hard to stop munching on these as I baked them and before I knew it I had eaten quite a handful without even feeling any cookie-overdose!  Someone suggested that these would be great for ice cream sandwiches and I think they would hold up quite well for that.  

Chocolate Espresso Roll-out Cookies
Adapted from smitten kitchen
Makes about 4-5 dozen

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup lightly salted butter, room temperature (or one stick salted, one stick unsalted)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
Sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.  
3. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix thoroughly.  In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in the vanilla.  Add espresso mixture to the large bowl and mix to combine.  Add cocoa and mix until combined.  Slowly add flour mixture and continue mixing until the dough is smooth.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap (or place into a gallon-sized ziplock bag) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  
4. Roll out cookie dough to 1/8" thickness on a well-floured surface.  Cut dough into desired shapes and set on cookie sheet.  These cookies only spread a little bit so cookies can be placed 1/2" apart.  Sprinkle cookies with a pinch of sea salt.  Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly puffy.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Depression cake - eggless and butterless

 My friend's daughter turned 1-year old last week and I was asked to bake her (and the adults) a cake.  As with many youngsters, she's developed an egg and dairy allergy that I desperately hope she'll grow out of one day lest she miss out on so many tasty treats.  After browsing for an allergy-accommodating recipe, I learned that eggless and butterless cakes were quite popular during the Depression and wartime.  Back then, eggs, butter and other common staples were rationed and difficult to get a hold of.  As a result, this recipe arose where oil replaced the fat from butter and the combination of vinegar and baking soda replicated the rising effects of eggs.  The cake turned out great - fluffy, extremely moist, and full of chocolate goodness without being too sweet.  Everyone loved the cake and was surprised to hear it had no eggs or butter.  The cocoa powder is the driving flavor factor so be sure to use one that you like.   

Chocolate Depression Cake
Makes one 9x13 cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa power
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan with oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly. 
3. Create a small well in the dry ingredients.  Add all the wet ingredients into the well and stir until well combined.
4. Pour batter into the prepared 9x13 pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Cool completely.
5. Top with powdered sugar or frosting as you please.

Bailey's Irish Cream chocolate chip cookies

 

I intentionally looked for a cookie recipe using Irish Cream since I bought a bottle earlier this year for Chocolate Guinness and Irish Cream cupcakes.  After perusing many recipes for Irish Cream cheesecake, Irish Cream brownies, Irish Cream ice cream...(they all sounded amazing! I noted a few to try...sometime)...I finally found one for Irish Cream cookies.  This recipe calls for cake flour, but I didn't have any so I used normal flour instead.  This probably affected the cookie texture since my cookies came out a bit "cakey" and not as moist and chewy.  The extra dark chocolate chips made up for that, though.  The pecans and coconut added texture and their flavors blended well with the subtle Irish Cream taste.  Not so sure if I would make this recipe again, but if I do I'd be interested in seeing how it turns out as a loaf instead of cookies. :P

Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Cooks.com
Makes about 3 dozen

2 1/4 cups cake flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup granulated white sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 cup Bailey's original Irish cream
2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 
3/4 cup shredded coconut 
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spread pecans in a single layer on a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake about 5 minutes until aromatic.  Keep an eye on the pecans since they scorch easily.
2. Preheat oven to 375F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.  Add egg and continue mixing until fluffy.  Add vanilla and Bailey's Irish Cream and mix well.  
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just blended.  Stir in coconut, pecans and chocolate chips by hand.
6. Drop cookie dough 1.5 tablespoons (OXO medium cookie scoop) at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart from one another.  The dough is fairly soft but the cookies do not spread much when baking.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven until edges are lightly golden.  Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Browned butter) chocolate chip cookies

This is my go-to recipe for a good chocolate chip cookie - soft and chewy in the middle, buttery and crispy on the edges. This time, however, I decided to tweak it a little and try browned butter.  The resulting flavor and appearance came out noticeably different! A deep caramel flavor permeated the cookie, the texture was akin to a chewy snickerdoodle and ridges formed all over the top surface.

Note: The browned butter was fairly hot when I mixed it with the sugars, causing the sugars to melt (perhaps too much!) and the overall dough to be more wet. I had trouble incorporating the butter and quickly melting sugars by hand so I ended up using a hand mixer. I'd definitely let the butter cool more next time.

Browned butter chocolate chip cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes about 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups dark chocolate chips 

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. To brown the butter, first heat a skillet or small pot on medium heat.  It's best to use stainless steel cookware for this since it's hard to see the butter color in nonstick cookware.  Add the butter and stir frequently until melted.
3. Continue cooking the butter.  It will start to develop a white foam which will then settle.  Keep stirring the butter and look for brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan.  The butter should start developing a nutty aroma.  Remove butter from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to prevent the butter from overcooking.  Allow butter to cool as you prepare the other ingredients.
4. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
5. In a large bowl, combine both sugars and add the browned butter.  Stir thoroughly until well blended.
6. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk to the large bowl and beat until mixed and fluffy.  Stir in the dry ingredients, one third at a time and stir until just blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
7. Drop cookie dough 1.5 tablespoons (OXO medium cookie scoop) at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart from one another.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven until edges are lightly golden.  Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Whenever making cookies, I like to flash freeze half my batch of cookie dough.  To do this, line a 9x13 baking tray with parchment or wax paper.  Drop cookie dough 1.5 tablespoons at a time onto the baking tray, fitting them as close as you can without them touching.  Place tray into the freezer for 15 minutes or until dough is hard enough to cleanly pick up.  Store cookie dough in a ziploc freezer bag or a tupperware.  When you want to bake them, simply add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.  A supply of frozen cookie dough comes in handy to satisfy sudden cookie cravings and last minute dessert ideas.  I confess that sometimes I'll just take a ball of cookie dough and nosh on it straight from the freezer! :)

Chocolate guinness and irish cream cupcakes

 I've been eying this recipe for quite a while and finally got around to trying it.  An incredibly moist chocolate Guinness cupcake, filled with Bailey's irish cream ganache and topped with Bailey's irish cream frosting.  The alcoholic flavors played off each other very nicely, each distinctive yet subtle enough to let the chocolate shine.  We had some problems with the ganache separating, but thankfully we were able to recombine the mixture...though the consistency was not quite suitable for ganache.  In the end, we decided to make a second batch.  I'm sure we'll find a good way to use up the first batch, even if it means eating chocolate by the spoonful!  I'm not letting my beloved Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips go to waste!!

Chocolate whiskey and beer cupcakes