Pecan Lace Cookies

The next treat I made was a mango frozen yogurt and I felt it needs something to go with it.  Something crunchy to contrast with the creamy and smooth texture of the frozen yogurt.  I decided to make these pecan lace cookies.  Lace cookie is a type of cookies that are delicate, very thin and can be rolled or shaped into various forms.  Frankly, I've never attempted to make lace cookies before but I'm alway game to try something new.

Lace cookies are usually made with some kind of ground or finely chopped nuts.  The batter is quite thin and the cookie will spread when baking.  A variety of shapes can be made; when it's round and one side of the cookie is dipped in chocolate, you might know it as florentine cookie.  In this case, my choice of nuts was pecans and since I have quite a bit of palm sugar brought from Indonesia, I thought using it would make an interesting flavor combination.   Palm sugar has a distinct taste, a slightly burnt sugar-caramely aftertaste, and the color of the cookie is very dark.  The edges are brittle while the middle is a bit chewy, this could be another addiction (already thinking of making different kinds).  Overall, these are pretty successful and I played around with the shapes--some resulting in a kind of wavy configuration :)  And these don't last long at my house!

The recipe for mango frozen yogurt will be written soon...

Pecan Lace Cookies

Makes 16 to 20 4-inch cookies



3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed palm sugar--alternately, use regular brown sugar or light muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 large egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans



Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.  Plan to bake only one sheet at a time.  Use of silicone mats is highly recommended, it makes baking these cookies so much easier.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in the sugar and remove from the heat.  Add the rum, egg, and salt and beat until smooth.  Stir in the flour and nuts.  Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.  Drop tablespoons of batter about 3 inches apart on one of the lined pans.

Spread the batter very thin (about 1/16 inch) into rounds, oval, or long tongue shapes.

Bake until the cookies are browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet from front to back halfway through the baking time.  Remove the pan from the oven.  For flat cookies, let cookies cool for 30 seconds before transferring them to a rack to cool.  If the cookies are to be shaped, let rest for 30 seconds, then slide an offset spatula under each and shape as desired by draping the cookies over a rolling pin, nestling them into a cup, rolling them into cornets, or pinching or twisting them into any desired shape before they cool.  Cool completely before storing.  May be kept in an airtight container for at least 1 week.



Source:  adapted from Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

Mint Brownie Wedges

I love mint, in ice cream, in cakes, in brownies.  Place a wedge of this brownie alongside a glass of milk, a dollop of whipped cream (or vanilla ice cream); dessert is served.  The idea of making this last night came because I found out I still had a couple of bags of dark and chocolate mint morsels.  Those particular flavor usually comes out during winter holidays, especially at Christmastime.  Well, I thought to myself, why not making it; it's like having Christmas in July, isn't it?

Except why would I do with this particular flavor?  Upon looking at the back of the bag, I discovered a recipe that's pretty interesting and seemed quite tasty.  It was also quite easy with ingredients that I've already had on hand.  Never mind that I was in the middle of baking my daily bread and quite late--I think I like baking late at night--but, hey, the oven was ready anyway :)

I finally had a taste today after I whipped some fresh cream with a bit of sugar.  The wedges reveal dark, fudgy middle, with crackly top.  Hint of mint permeates the brownie balanced by the dark chocolaty undertone.  Since the morsels were incorporated in three different steps, I could taste them all the way till the last bite.  I must say that whipped cream slightly underperformed this time, vanilla ice cream is a much better choice.

Mint Brownie Wedges

Makes 12 servings

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons water

1 2/3 cups dark chocolate & mint morsels, divided

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream



Preheat oven to 325 degree F.  Grease 9-inch springform pan.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Combine sugar, butter and water in medium saucepan.  Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until butter is melted, do not boil.  Remove from heat.  Add 3/4 cup morsels and vanilla extract.  Stir until morsels are nearly melted.  Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture.  Stir in 1/2 cup morsels.  Spread into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Remove side of pan.  Cut into wedges.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Shortcakes with Macerated Cherries

Meet strawberry shortcake's cousin: chocolate shortcake with macerated cherries :)  When chocolate craving hits and there are cherries in the fridge, I made this to satisfy the sweet tooth.  These two components actually work fantastically together, the flavor mimics the black forest cake.  The only difference is that this shortcake isn't split into two when it's time to eat it, but instead the cherries and cream are piled on top.  It doesn't matter how you eat it, what matters is the deliciousness of this dessert.

Few things about the chocolate shortcake.  Even though it's called shortcake, the result will be close to chocolate cake; I don't mind it a bit though since it's like making an easy chocolate cake.  Do not allow the shortcake to bake too long because it tends to get dry; a few crumbs sticking to the toothpick should be fine when it's time to check the doneness.  Otherwise, the shortcake is chocolaty and fun to eat with any kind of macerated fruits.

Chocolate Shortcakes with Macerated Cherries

Yield 6 servings

Biscuits:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Macerated Cherries:

1 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup kirsch

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh, pitted cherries



1 cup chilled whipped cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Toasted slivered almonds for garnish, optional

Make the biscuits:  Preheat oven to 400 degree F.  Line baking sheet with parchment.  Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Stir cream into flour mixture until moist clumps form.  Transfer mixture to lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough forms ball, about 10 turns.  Pat dough out to 3/4-inch thickness.  Using 3-inch cutter, cut out biscuits.  Gather dough, pat out again, and cut out total of 6 biscuits.  Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet.

Bake biscuits until toothpick inserted into centers comes out slightly dry, about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to rack; cool.  Biscuits can be made 6 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature.

Make macerated cherries:  Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan.  Let it boil and stir until sugar is dissolved; off heat, stir in kirsch and vanilla.  Let it cool.  Once cools, pour syrup onto cherries.  Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Using electric mixer, beat chilled whipping cream with the confectioners' sugar until soft peak forms.  Place 1 biscuit on each of 6 plates.  Place large spoonful of macerated cherries with juices atop biscuits.  Top with whipped cream.  Scatter almonds and pass remaining cherries alongside.



Source:  adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2007

Melon Granita

Maybe it's comfortably warm somewhere but here, it's a yo-yo weather for us.  A couple of months ago we had unseasonably few warm, 80's days; but then when May came, the rain was back and people grudgingly took blankets to sleep again.  Now that summer has come, the weather is still--yawn--not that great.  The only consolation is that summer fruits will still come in time, like strawberries, local cherries, peaches, and many more.  Interesting how nature has its own timetable.

I'm not going to wait till the warm weather to come.  When I think of summer desserts, granitas come to mind because they're easy to make and don't require the oven to be turned on.  Fruit-based granitas are always refreshing to have at the end of any meal, and what I love about them is that they're also quite low-fat.

This recipe first appeared in last year's summer edition of Indulge magazine by Zupan's Market.

Melon Granita

Serves 6

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

3 cups chilled 1-inch cubes peeled, seeded cantaloupe

¼ cup dry, fruity white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, optional

2 tablespoons lime juice

Lime zest for garnish



Place sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat; stirring to dissolve sugar.  Reduce heat to medium.  Simmer 1 minute.  Let syrup cool.

Place cooled syrup with cantaloupe cubes, white wine, if using, and lime juice in a food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Pour mixture into an 8x8x2-inch glass dish then cover it.

Freeze mixture until thoroughly frozen, about 4 hours, stirring with fork every 1 hour.

Before serving, scrape granite with a fork into icy flakes.  Spoon about 2 rounded tablespoons granite into each of 6 glasses.  Garnish with lime zest.

Pistachio and Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies might seem like ordinary cookies but when they are made with outstanding ingredients, they can shine.  What's more, they can be decorated, have things added to them, flavored in many ways, shaped to whatever creations you dream of; there's no end to manipulate sugar cookies.

The cookies I made yesterday were essentially icebox cookies because they were shaped in a log and refrigerated for several hours or overnight before being cut into rounds and baked.  This particular recipe has cream cheese in it that makes it super, super yummy!  The dough is rolled on to chopped salted pistachio which adds texture and not making this cookie a boring cookie in my opinion :)


To keep the dough logs perfectly round, put them in tall drinking glasses as they chill (I placed those glasses horizontally in the fridge).  As you cut the logs, rotate the logs to prevent one side from flattening.

Pistachio and Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Makes about 44 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons finely shredded orange or lemon peel

1/2 cup finely chopped lightly salted pistachio nuts



In a large bowl beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour, and the orange/lemon peel.

Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 7 1/2-inch roll.  Roll dough rolls in pistachios to coat.  Wrap each roll in plastic wrap.  Chill about 1 hour or until dough is firm.  (Or freeze for up to 2 months.)

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Cut rolls into 1/4-to 3/8-inch slices.  Place slices 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Transfer to a wire rack; cool.



Source:  adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Brownies & Bars, 2013