Compost Cookies

Have you ever had a baked good, only to spend hours on end wondering what, exactly, was in it? What was that indescribable, absolutely addictive taste?

If that's your thing, meet the Compost Cookie.

For all the salty-sweet lovers out there, listen up. For those not so convinced by the power of a chocolate-covered pretzel, well, listen up too. You just might be pleasantly surprised.

The compost cookie is officially the creation of pastry chef Christina Tosi from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York--but I'm pretty sure home bakers all around the world have been experimenting with add-ins in their cookies for quite a while. A quick survey around me found tasters (i.e. my fellow colleagues) to think of the obvious when I asked them to guess what exactly was in these compost cookies. Chocolate? Check. Some kind of nut? Check (almonds and hazelnuts, finely chopped). Salted butter? Nope. They ran out of ideas, and ended up pretty surprised when they heard the remaining ingredients...scroll down for the answer!

The subtelty of the compost cookie is that while you may add strange ingredients, that seemingly don't pair well at all, the result is completely cohesive from a flavor standpoint. Brown sugar imparts a butterscotch aroma to the baked cookies, which in turn pairs quite well with chocolate, pretzels, or... corn chips. "Don't knock it till you've tried it" is what they say. 

The preparation of the batter is an oddity as well--ten minutes of beating and a good hour (at least) in the refrigerator make for some cookies that ended up a little too much on the crunchy side for me. Good thing I kept part of the cookie dough and baked it in individual pans, making two huge cookie "bars"--chewy and utterly addictive.

It's hard to summarize a cookie with so many ingredients in just one sentence. But here goes: have you ever dreamt of going to the concession stand at the movies and getting one of everything? 

Let your dream come true with a compost cookie.

Compost Cookies

adapted from the Momofuku Milk Bar

yields 12 large cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/8 c. light brown sugar
1/2 TB corn syrup (I didn't have any and left it out with no noticeable effects)
1/2 TS vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 c. + 2 TB all purpose flour
1 TS baking powder
1/2 TS baking soda
1 TS salt
3/4 c. of your favorite baking ingredients (options: chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)
3/4 c. of your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, cream butter, corn syrup and sugars until fluffy and light in color.

Add egg and vanilla. Beat on high for ten minutes (or a little less if, like me, you're afraid of killing your mixer): mixture should become pale and almost double in size.

Delicately mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until just combined. Stir in baking ingredients and snack foods.

Drop cookies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one day.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until golden. Cool cookies completely on pan and store in an airtight container.

Blown Out of Proportion

It's easy to make a big deal out of nothing.

A quick sideways glance can become a declaration of love for some.

In other cases, it's all about the crumb. You dropped that cookie crumb on the ground? And pretended like you didn't see it? The perfect start to a dramatic tirade. Not like that's my type or anything.

When I get tired of things being blown out of proportion all day long, I react in a manner that is perfectly bizarre. I blow other things out of proportion--in an outburst of complete giddiness. Well, first it starts with a childish temper tantrum. But it all becomes filled with rainbows and blue skies when I pick up a spatula and preheat the oven.

Let's get it on, food processor. 

It's easy to make a big deal of cupcakes: who doesn't? Sure, you've got the ones who rain on the cupcake parade all the time, with statements along the lines of "Cupcakes are overrated", or "They aren't really anything special". I beg to differ: yes, they are. When you've had a rather annoying day for various reasons, a pink and sprinkle-laden baked good is an amazing little thing. 

Eating a cupcake becomes an act akin to deep meditation. You look at it closely, taking in the color of the frosting and its apparent creaminess. It's like a treasure chest waiting to be opened. First, the wrapper, followed by a first bite. It can be tricky to get just the right amount of frosting and cake in that first bite, but don't despair. When you succeed, the creamy taste of butter melds with a smooth vanilla flavor and a just-right sweetness for an unforgettable few seconds.

Am I blowing things out of proportion? Probably, but rightfully so. 

Don't pay attention to all those cake crumbs I'm dropping on the ground, though.

 Vanilla - Vanilla Cupcakes

makes 12-14 cupcakes

cake recipe adapted from Rose Levy Berenbaum's Heavenly Cakes

for the cake:
3 large egg whites
2/3 c. milk
1 1/2 TS vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 + 1/8 TS baking powder (I only used 2 1/2 TS)
1/2 TS salt
1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.


Note: All ingredients should be room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, 3 TB milk and vanilla until lightly combined.

In a stand mixer or food processor, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds. Add butter and remaining milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.

Gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.

Scoop into prepared cupcake pan, filling each liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the centers comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, and cool completely on a wire rack.

for the frosting:
3 TB all-purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 TS vanilla
food coloring, optional

In a saucepan, heat flour and milk, stirring constantly, until thickened. The resulting mixture should be very thick, like glue. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer or food processor, beat sugar and butter together until fluffy and creamy.

Add flour mixture, vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in food coloring if using.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Ensconced in Scones

Scones are seemingly the epitome of tea-time chic. Does anything sound more dainty than inviting friends over for scones and a cup of tea? Perhaps petit fours or a platter of financiers--if you're stateside--but here in France, les scones are basking in admiration from all around.

Last weekend, I was getting all worked up about my great grandmother's pound cake recipe. I wanted to bake a marbré, the classic vanilla-chocolate marbled cake that accompanies many snacks in France and around the world. A chat on the phone with my Aunt Mimi left me longing for more: stories of how the cream used for the cake came directly from the barn only fed my appetite even more. Right after that small interlude of family lore, my thoughts turned to the cream I was about to use. I did not, in fact, have the necessary crème épaisse--a sour-cream type of dairy product. That's all, folks. Just kidding: you'll hear about the marbré eventually.

As my mind raced, my heartbeat went through the roof, and I wondered what in the world I could possibly bake, I settled on scones. Not that I needed to bake anything in particular, mind you, but I just had to bake.

 

Heavy cream in hand, I took my rings off  and got down to it. For some, it's getting their hands dirty in a rusty car motor that makes their Sunday worthwhile. In my case, it's all about sinking my hands into some kind of dough. (Of the 500 euro bill variety, obviously.) Scones bring exactly that kind of joy; add a cinnamon sugar topping and you go straight to heaven.

Hot from the oven, you can tell the scones are everything they promised to be. Crunchy on the outside with the cinnamon sugar, warm and pillow-soft on the inside. They are just the right kind of sweet: tasty on their own, and delightful if you add some jam. What about if you dunk them straight into chocolate pudding? Yeah, no, I didn't do that. You might want to try though: I hear it's great.

Simple Cream Scones, Cinnamon Sugar Topping

makes 8 large scones or 16 mini-scones

2 c. flour

1 TB baking powder
1/2 TS salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. heavy cream

for the cinnamon topping:
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB raw cane sugar
1 TS cinnamon

Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Stir in cream with a fork until the mixture looks easy enough to handle.
On a floured surface and with floured hands, lightly knead (the lighter the touch, the lighter your scones) the dough into a 1/2 inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or drop onto a baking sheet if making mini-scones.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until scones just start to become golden.

Serve immediately and store remaining scones in an airtight box or bag for 2 days maximum.



It's Everywhere: The Baked Brownie

It was seriously starting to become an obsession.

I felt like every blog I turned to, or almost, featured a brownie. I'm not talking about any old brownie--all I read about was the Baked brownie.

Baked, for those not familiar with it, is a bakery in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. If you live in New York, make a stop next time you go to Ikea. That, or go to Baked, then stop by Ikea. We all know it's difficult to be within a mile of Ikea and not step in. And once you've stepped in, well, the downward spiral begins: candles, pizza cutters, sheets... I know, you needed all that.

In any case, trip to Ikea or not, the brownie at Baked has made quite a reputation for itself. In its "true" version, it benefits from the addition of ancho chile powder and fresh ground ginger. I can only imagine the depth of flavor from the pairing of dark chocolate, sprightly ginger, and a little heat. I ran across the original version a few times, and then some tweaks, here and there. Toffee and pretzels were a welcome addition, and a pared-down chocolate-only brownie was equally appealing.

Daydreams and nightmares about brownies soon invaded my life--I could no longer deal with the pressure. Worse than Mean Girls and high school cliques, I just had to give in to the trend. I was finally going to get up close and personal with the Baked brownie.

It came together quickly, and I made two versions, both omitting chili powder. Mini brownies filled with peanut butter chips, for work, and a larger brownie for two (or three, but not really). The top seemed disappointingly cake-like, and I began to be doubtful. What if the Baked brownie didn't live up to all the hype in my kitchen?

My first bite proved me wrong: the texture is chewy yet silky. It melts in your mouth like a perfectly fudgy brownie should, yet it has de la matière, as the French say. This is a brownie that can be proud of itself, and that you, of course, could be very proud of as well.

Now if only I could find out how to recreate Red Hook and an Indian Summer in my apartment...

The Baked Brownie
adapted from Baked - New Frontiers in Baking
makes 16 brownies 

3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 TS salt
1 TB + 1 TS Dutch-processed cocoa powder
5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 TS vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8x8 inch pan, muffin pan, or mini-muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Turn heat off and add sugars. Mix until combined. Remove from heat and let cool for approximately 20 minutes.

Add eggs  and vanilla to chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix!

Sprinkle flour mixture over chocolate. Fold in until combined, oce again without overmixing.

Pour batter into the pan and bake for anywhere from 15 minutes (in a mini-muffin pan) to 40 minutes (8x8 inch pan), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Cool completely before serving.