Cookies for Sale!

Some examples of my latest work and the business card I had made.

Tahini Cookies

It's hot outside and I don't do well in the heat. Then why am I living in such a hot climate, you may ask? Good question and a long story ( but that's for another time)- but I can tell you that this global warming thing is real- summers are definitely much hotter than they used to be. Either that or my memory is starting to fade.

Air conditioning- I couldn't survive without it, spoiled thing that I am. So when it's unbearably hot and sticky outside, inside is where you'll find me- ironically enough- baking! Yeah, I know; the heat of the oven , etc. etc. Doesn't matter. As long as I'm working in the A/C, I 'm fine. So my project for today was tahini cookies . I am testing out all kinds of cookies recipes as I'm hoping to get my stuff together and start selling a bit when the school year starts again. Business cards are in the working and I'm am busy getting a solid list of tried and true recipes together. At least I'm trying to be organized- that's a step in the right direction!

These cookies are easy, easy, easy , delicious and melt-in-your mouth. If you've never tried anything with tahini paste before, then I highly recommend giving it a chance. Beyond the typical tehina sauce, it can be used in baking with super results.

Tahini Cookies (adapted from "Cookies" by Benny Saida) 50 cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups ( 420 g.) flour, sifted

1 tblsp. baking powder ( 10 grams )

1 cup ( 200 g) sugar

1 cup tahini paste

1 cup ( 200 g.) butter, softened

50 almond halves for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. ( 180 C)

2. Place all ingredients in bowl of mixer and blend until a uniform dough is formed.

3. Form 50 balls of dough ( I weighed each one at about 20 g. so they would be uniform) and place on a parchment or silicone lined bakin sheet.

4. Lightly flatten each ball and push in an almond half on top.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes until just beginning to turn golden. Cool thoroughly on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Week

Had some trouble posting this but I think it's all straightened out now. Anyways, as I was trying to say before, the pastry chef course I have been taking is coming down to the finish line. Next Monday we have our final test( gulp!). This past week was the first of two lesson about chocolate. We learned about the origins of chocolate, how it is made, what makes a fine chocolate and how to work with it in baking. Next week comes the candy part. The 4 recipes we made were all quite simple, but very rich and delicious, as well as impressive on the plate. (Not to mention impressive on the waistline!)

Coconut Chocolate-Orange Treat

three layers of a coconut macaroon type with chocolate-orange ganache in between-

total decadence!

Three Chocolate Cookies-

a chocolate cookie with bitter, milk and white chocolate chip pieces

(at home I exchanged the white chocolate chips for peanut butter chips- both were amazing!)

Cremeux chocolate tart-

a delicious base with chocolate, carmelized nuts, butter and a bit of flour (wow!),

a crispy middle and cremeux in between! Hard to describe the incredible flavor.

Coffee-Chocolate Brownies with a cheese and white chocolate topping- just the best!

Recipe for these brownies ( which can also be marbelized instead of having the cheese on top)

For a small square pan( I used an aluminum 25cm x 18 cm)

Brownie mix:

80 g. dark chocolate

80 g. butter

1 tsp. instant coffee diluted in 1 Tblsp. hot water

100 g. brown sugar

60 g. white sugar

2 eggs

60 g. white flour

pinch of salt

20 g. chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 170 C (325 F)

Butter the pan well.

Melt the chocolate, butter and coffee in a double boiler ( bain marie) . Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar well and then add to the chocolate mix which has been removed from the heat source. Continue to mix until smooth. Add the flour, walnuts and salt and lightly mix.

Pour into pan and bake 17 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the cheese topping:

30 ml. heavy cream

75 g. white chocolate

100 grams cream cheese (here in Israel I use a soft white cheese that is 9% fat) If you use Philadelphia, be sure it is softened to room temperature.

25 g/ sugar

1 egg

20 g. flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt the heavy cream and white chocolate in a double boiler. In a separate bowl mix the cheese, sugar , egg and vanilla. Mix in the chocolate mix. Add the flour and mix well until smooth with no lumps.

As soon as the brownies are finished baking for 17 minutes, take them out and carefully pour the cheese mix on top ( start from the sides and let in fill in towards the middle) and return to the oven for another 15 minutes to set. The top should not brown. Cool completely and cut in to small squares (they are very rich!) I dusted some with cocoa and some with confectioner's sugar and set them on a plate in a checkerboard fashion. Use your imagination!

Gingersnap search

I'm searching for the perfect gingersnap cookie. You know-just like the ones you buy in the supermarket that come in the old-fashioned paper bags. It needs to have just the right snap, a lot of ginger and that extra "bite" that sets it apart from all the others. Of course there are a multitude of gingersnap recipes out there. So, I have set my sights on wading through them all, comparing ingredients and trying out the ones that appear to be "the right one".

This is my first try. I don't even know where I got the recipe- found it in my collection of recipes but with no indication of its origin. Somewhere on the net- so my apologies if someone recognizes the recipe and I haven't given credit to them.

The dough was simple to make. I needed a small touch of flour to roll them into logs ( how do you get a perfectly round log?) Froze them a bit ( they can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days as well) then sliced and baked. I now see that I sliced the first batch too thick and they didn't come out crunchy or "snappy" enough. Taste was good but not enough bite in it for me. Next time I think I would add more ginger( for sure) and even a bit more pepper. The second batch was sliced a lot thinner and I gave them a little extra time in the oven . That definitely solved the "snappy" issue.

Here's the recipe to try if you like, and if anyone out there has a gingersnap cookie recipe to add to my collection, I'll be happy to give it a try. Happy snapping!

Gingersnap Cookies

makes 40-50 cookies

2 cups (280g) flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsps. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

11 TBLSP. (150 g) butter, salted or unsalted , at room temp.

2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup (80 g) mild-flavored molasses ( sometimes called light molasses)

1 large egg, room temp.

1. Stir together dry ingredients

2. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter just until solft and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down any butter clinging to the sides of the bowl.

3. Stir in vanilla, molasses and egg.

4. Mix in dry ingredients gradually until dough is smooth.

5. Divide dough into two equal protions and roll each on a lightly -floured surface until about 2 inches (5 cm) around.

6. Wrap eachin plastic wrap and roll lightly to smooth them out. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

7. Preheat oven to 350 (180) and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

8. Slice cookie dough into 1/4 inch ( scant 1 cm) rounds witha sharp knife.

9. Place on baking sheet about 5 cm apart( they spread slightly). Bake 10-14 minutes until deep golden brown. Bake on lower end of range for softer cokies and higher end for snappier ones( depending on your oven)

10. Cool on baking sheet or two minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Storage: the dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Once baked, store in an airtight container for a few days.

Bialys

I have been dying to try these for some time now. Growing up, I remember Sunday mornings with fresh bagels and bialys from "Snowflake Bakery" in Syracuse , N.Y. Bialys, for those who hae never heard of them, are similar to bagels , but different( that makes sense, huh?). Bialys originated in Bialystok, Poland, and when the European Jews emmigrated to the U.S., they brought their recipes along, one being for bialys. From what I have read, there used to be dozens of bialy bakeries in New York- today, only a few remain. They can still be found in selected bakeries in Florida as well ( I'm sure in other parts of the country too, but that's what I'm familiar with). The bialys I remember were crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, not too thick and of course had the yummy center filling of onions, poppyseeds and garlic.

The recipe I used is from smittenkitchen who always has the best recipes and stories to go with them! The original recipe is from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum ( which I have yet to acquire, but that will come too!)

I followed the recipe exactly and although the process is time consuming (more waiting than anything), they turned out really great. The recipe makes only 6 bialys, so next time I will try doubling the recipe. ( 6 bialys in my house is like a drop in the bucket) Now, slice in half, add a bit of Philadelphia cream cheese or just let some fresh butter melt all over the bialy- heaven!!

Birthday Cookies

Some people draw, some paint , some sculpt- I decorate cookies. That's about the extent of my artistic capabilities, although I suppose I shouldn't sell myself short. The possibilities are endless and I have seen things that other people have done that are true masterpieces. I just took a look at some pictures of the first cookies I decorated and can proudly say I have definitely improved. Still need lots of practice, but I'm getting the hang of it. The secret is getting the right consistency of the royal icing for the purpose you need- flooding, writing, detailed work- and that can be very tricky. Anyways, here are some cookies I finished today for a first birthday party. Kinda cute if I say so myself!

Mozart Cake

This is the cake I made for my friend's birthday. For this one you've got to take a momentary break from any diet you may be on. It is so rich, that a small piece will do the trick, but even if I say so myself, it is amazingly delicious. The combination of the meringue base and layer, with chocolate creme and then layered with a white chocolate and dark chocolate mousse in between- well what can I say.......

The cake is not hard to make, but does take a long preparation time. Baking the meringue bases, making the mousse , chilling, putting together all the pieces and freezing, but boy is it worth the effort. Recipe follows- it's from a collection of best recipes from a popular Israeli food magazine called "Al HaShulchan" ( On the Table). They call it "Mozart Cake"
Mozart Cake
Ingredients for a 26cm. springform pan

Meringue
4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar ( 100 gr.)

3/4 +1 tablespoon ( 100 gr.) powdered sugar

3/4 cup ( 70 gr.) ground hazelnuts
3/4 cup ( 70 gr.) ground almonds

Mousses
750 ml. sweet whipping cream

225 grams bitter chocolate, chopped

225 grams white chocolate, chopped

Chocolate Creme

100 grams bitter chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream

50 grams butter

Topping

1/2 (120 ml.) whipping cream

150 grams bitter chocolate, chopped

1 1/3 cups (150 grams) hazelnuts or walnuts chopped or sugared hazelnuts, broken into small pieces

Prepare the meringue:

1. Whip egg whites in mixer until just foamy. Slowly add sugar and continue whipping until soft, stable peaks are reached.

2. Fold in the powdered sugar, hazelnuts and almonds.

3. Using the base of a 25 cm. pan, outline the circle of the pan on two separate pieces of parchment paper. Turn the papers over ( so the pencil side is down) and place on a baking sheet.

4. Using a spatula or piping bag, fill in circles of the meringue using the pencils marks as the outer border.

Bake at 110 C. (225F) for 2 hours until the meringue hardens.

Prepare the mousses

1. Heat the whipping cream until just before boiling.

2. Prepare one bowl with the dark chocolate and one bowl with the white chocolate. Pour half of the hot cream over the dark chocolate and the other half over the white chocolate. Mix until smooth cream is formed for each and chill inthe refrigerator at least 4 hours.

Prepare the chocolate cream

1. In a pan, melt all the ingredients for the chocolate cream, mix and cool.

Putting it all together:

1. Place one meringue base in the springform pan and spread the chocolate cream over the top.

2. In a stand mixer, whip the chilled white chocolate mousse. If it hardened too much in the fridge, let it soften for a few minutes at room temperature before whipping.

Spread the white mousses over the cream. Place the second meringue base on top of the white mousse. and press firmly down.
3. Whip the dark chocolate mousse and spread evenly over the top meringue layer.Freeze for ay least 24 hours.
After the freeze:

1. Heat the last bit of whipping cream to almost boiling.

2. Pour the cream over the dark chocolate and stir untilthe chocolate melts.

3. Pour the topping over the frozen cake evenly. Return to the freezer for about 10 minutes, until the topping hardens. At this point you can cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave in the freezer for a few days.

4. To serve, remove from freezer and deforst for 3-4 hours in the fridge. Release the cake from the pan using a hot, wet kitchen towel wrapped around the pan to help it slip out easily.

5. Press the chopped nuts onto the sides of the cake.

6. Cut the cake with a smooth edged knife dipped in boiling water to help cut it smoothly.

After all that work, you want the slice to look great on the plate, not a messy bunch of goop!

Enjoy!

Mother's Day Cookies

Today we are celebrating my friend Bonnie's birthday and since it is also Mother's Day ( in the U.S., not here in Israel , but no matter!) I decided to make a cake and cookies for all the girls on Mom's day. They were so fun to decorate and the possibilities are endless. The cookies are a delicious sugar cookie recipe I use and I play around with adding other flavors such as grated lemon or orange peel, even adding a few drops of different liqueurs to flavor as well. Royal icing added the final touches on top.

Very girlie cookies- a shoe, dress and purse.

For the base on each cookie I colored fondant and on some I rolled different textures on the surface.

Attaching the ribbons to the purses for the handles was a bit tricky.

I made the mistake of waiting until the fondant was dry.

I should have stuck the ribbon under the sugar paste when it was still soft.

Live and learn!

Bagged and ready to go!

Wishing Moms everywhere a Happy Mother's Day !

Early Senility

Nothing to joke about , really, but I sometimes question where my head is. I made a huge batch of sugar cookies in the shape of a flag with the intention of decorating them for Israeli Independence Day. I was so proud of myself. I made them in advance and put them securely away in a box to decorate as the day came closer. Yeah- put them away so well that I totally forgot about them! Among my mountains of "stuff" in the kitchen( I try to be organized, really I do!) I found the box of cookies, waiting to be dressed. Of course, Independence Day had passed three days before! Not one to waste- better late than never- so I proceeded to decorate and here are the results. Next time I'll leave those kinds of projects in full view!

Bagels #1

I love bread. I could eat it for every meal and every course of every meal. Even instead of dessert- and that's something! Doesn't do much for my waistline, but that's a whole other issue.

Not only do I love eating bread but I love making it. It's relaxing, satisfying and the smell that fills the house while it's baking is indescribable. I've baked lots of different breads before but have never tried bagels. Bagels, as far as I 'm concerned, need to have a crispish type crust and a chewy, flavorful bread on the inside. After reading Pioneer Woman's post of the bagel-making experience she had with Smitten Kitchen ( wish I had been there), I decided it was time to give it a try. This is attempt # 1 using Peter Reinhardt's recipe recommended by Smitten Kitchen.

The Sponge

The dough

the bagels go into the fridge to rest overnight

Boiling the bagels

Covered in sesame seeds ( yum!)

Final Product

Verdict: Not difficult to make. I'm not sure my sponge rose to the extent it was supposed to. They didn't come out smooth and shiny like a bakery bagel ( or the one's in Smitten Kitchen's pictures!), but I am determined to keep trying and will re-do this recipe again as well as try some others. In any case they were delicious and the crust was crunchy while the inside was chewy. I had fun going through the process ( not a difficult one at all, just takes time- mostly waiting time) and that's important too. By the way, all the bagels were "inhaled" within a very short period of time and the general reaction was "more!"