Daring Bakers: Milan Cookies

Um, yes...I just posted a cookie recipe, but...

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.



Lately, my trend seems to be ridiculously late posting of my Daring Bakers challenges. I just made these cookies two nights ago. Life is just so busy and until I figure out some balance, I will probably be late again next month.

At least I got them done.

We had two choices this month for which I am eternally grateful. We could either make homemade Malomars (chocolate covered marshmallow cookies) or homemade Milanos (cookies sandwiched with a rich layer of chocolate). I have to admit, I took the "easy" way out and just made the Milanos. I have already made marshmallows and since I did these one night after a long day of work, I wasn't really feeling adventurous with marshmallow making and chocolate dipping.

Even with the easier version, I still ran into one or two road blocks. The batter was perfectly easy to work with, but the suggestion of piping out a 1/4 inch thickness of batter, 1 inch long was a little ridiculous. My cookies didn't spread at all and I was left with many, many mini cookies. I ended up just piping out rounds and hoping that they matched up. For the ones that didn't, I just dipped them in chocolate. Also, I really detest the combo of chocolate and orange so I just added a couple splashes of rum to my chocolate mix, but I may have added too much rum. I had a hard time melting the chocolate with the cream so I ended up adding more chocolate which helped the consistency, but then I was left with a ton of melted chocolate. For the cookies that didn't match up, I just dipped them in chocolate and rolled them in a bit of toasted coconut or raw pistachios. The cookies are very simple to make and very similar to the tuiles we made back in the beginning of the year. They are also very addictive and I think I scarfed down about 5 (or 20) in the process. Once again thank you to our hostess for a great challenge, and I am looking forward to what we are faced with next month and *maybe* I will get it done in time...



Milanos
(Adapted from Gale Gand)

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
Cookie filling (as follows)

Cookie filling
1/4 cup heavy cream
1-2 splashes dark rum
4 ounces semisweet chocolate

Cream the butter with a paddle attachment then mix in the sugar. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.

Cookie Filling: In a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools). Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies

Printable Recipe

Caprese Skewers

As I said yesterday, I made a few vegetarian friendly recipes for my 24, 24, 24 party. Caprese salad is one of my favorite simple salads to throw together on any random night. I adore the simple combination of flavors and the fact you can throw it together with many ingredients. Initially I had planned on making a basil oil, but time was not on my side so I did a simple balsamic vinaigrette. These are great for a party because the skewer assembly can be done ahead of time and even the making of the vinaigrette can be done ahead of time. On the day of the party all you need to do is shake the vinaigrette and drizzle it over the skewers. I even made these again for a work day lunch because I love this salad so much.

A note to my fellow Daring Bakers. I finally completed this month's challenge. Hope to have it up tomorrow!





Caprese Skewers

Grape tomatoes
Bocconcini
Whole Basil Leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place tomatoes, and mozzarella on the skewer and separate with a piece of basil. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and drizzle over the skewers. Serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Not everything at my cocktail party was sinful. I made feta salsa which while it isn't the healthiest thing on the menu, it certainly has some good for you ingredients (uh, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil..come on!). The first time I made this salsa, I served it with baked kettle chips. The last time (after our infamous Adele show at the Hollywood Bowl), I attempted various flatbreads. Some failed and some were successful. This time I decided to go with some baked pita chips so people wouldn't feel too guilty about all the other things I was feeding them. These chips are so incredible and provide a great satisfying crunch when you are gulping down large amounts of Proseco, but they don't make you feel weighed down. I plan to make these often as a snack to have during the work day when I can't escape my desk, but need something to get me through the afternoon. What are your favorite snacks for the work week?


Whole Wheat Pita Chips
(From Pennies on a Platter)

Whole wheat pitas, cut into triangles*
Canola oil spray
Kosher salt

*Depending on how may pitas you use, you may have to make these in batches.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Spray the foil or parchment paper with vegetable spray. Lay the pita triangles down and spray again. Top each triangle with a bit of salt. Bake for 5-10 minutes until crisp and browned, turning once halfway through baking.

Printable Recipe

Samoas Bars

I have been seeing these homemade samoas bars in the food blogosphere for a long time and when it came to planning my 24, 24, 24 party, they were one of the first recipes I had set my mind on making. I absolutely love samoas, but I try not to indulge in them too much because they aren't so great for you and they contain some questionable ingredients. These bars are super simple. Basically you make a shortbread crust, toast some coconut and mix it with some caramel and then dip them in chocolate. Since these bars use high quality ingredients, they are a bit richer than the stuff that comes from those little girls at the grocery store so you probably will only be able to eat one, but don't worry because if they aren't all gobbled down at the party, you can take them to work and people will love you more than they already do. They keep well in the refrigerator for days too. One of my coworkers commented that they taste more like coconut macaroons than samoas, but they are still delish. When I was dipping these in chocolate, I placed the finished cookies on wax paper and once the chocolate had set, a lot of the chocolate on the bottom peeled off so I will probably spray the wax paper or try parchment next time, but I was very happy with the results. Toasted coconut is my new favorite ingredient and I am trying to find more ways to use it. Suggestions? Leave 'em in the comments.



Samoas Bars
(From Baking Bites)

Makes 28-30 bars

Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12 ounces chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together.

Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Printable Recipe

Kafta Beef Kabobs

Alright, so the beef kabobs won as the first recipe featured from my 24, 24, 24 dinner. It is easy to see why. Although it can be hard to want to taste all your food after all that prep, I couldn't resist trying a bite of these because they just smelled so good. As you will come to see over the next few days, many (or maybe all) of my recipes for this dinner were from fellow food bloggers. I tend to trust bloggers more than what the recipe sites say and another benefit is that they usually include step-by-step instructions and/or photos. I am hoping that once I get settled in to my new place, I will be able to show more step-by-step pictures of my cooking. Anyway, on to the kabobs. This recipe will easily feed about 20 people depending on how you roll them and though it takes some time (for me, it was a 2am prep), they are super simple to make. One of the keys to making this easier is to wet your hands every two or three times you roll a kabob. The flavor is outstanding. I was definitely generous in my amounts of spices and I think it paid off. This is definitely something you should taste as you go so my recommendation would be to break off a bit of the meat and cook it and see if it has the flavors you want before cooking up the rest of the batch. I spent quite a bit of time researching recipes I wanted to make for my party, but I am curious to know what some of your favorite party appetizers are. Leave them in the comments!


Kafta Beef Kabobs
(From My Last Bite and Simply Heaven)

2 pounds ground beef
1 bunch of parsley finely chopped washed and well drained
1 onion finely chopped
4-5 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2-2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (you can use cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Mix all ingredients, work it like dough. Roll out and make sure press a little tight so it can stick to the skewer. Wet your hands in between rolling. Grill on a preheated grill until cooked through.

Printable Recipe

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 - Cocktail Party

Imagine my surprise and delight when I was chosen as one of the lucky people to have a dinner party sponsored by Foodbuzz. I have been seeing posts from fellow featured publishers for months and I felt truly honored to be picked for the occasion. My proposal was an elegant cocktail party full of little bites with a nice farm fresh twist. Of course when it is a million degrees out, it can feel anything but elegant, but I think I did a pretty good job with what I had.

For some reason, I have had a fascination with foods on sticks this summer. My party featured three such recipes. First up, Kefta Beef Kabobs made with grassfed beef from the farmers market. Though they were a bit time consuming to put together, they could not have been easier to make and the flavor was outstanding. They were definitely one of the highlights of the evening.



Next were prosciutto wrapped shrimp. I was worried that the shrimp would not have any flavor given that they were not seasoned. I should have known that the salty prosciutto and the smoky grill were all the flavor I needed. These were fantastic.



Caprese Salad Skewers were made for the vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, the tastes of summer were a standout in the fresh tomatoes and basil.



Another vegetarian dish was the now infamous feta salsa. To go with it were homemade pita chips. It was a healthy and delicious snack that got many compliments.



This party wasn't all savory. To satisfy the sugar cravings I made a couple of desserts. Cinnamon Bruschetta with Strawberries used the best California strawberries I could find with a wonderful baguette from the farmers market and a touch of mascarpone.



Last and certainly not least were homemade samoas bars. An easy take on a Girl Scout classic.



Of course, a couple of my friends couldn't resist adding to the spread. I was gifted with Afghan pastries and Swedish meatballs. Both were amazing.



A huge thank you to my friends for making it a wonderful day and a ginormous thanks to Foodbuzz for helping me to put this on. Recipes will be up over the next week. Which one would you like to see first?

Cantaloupe and Bocconcini Salad with Mint

The farmers market has been full of great fruits and vegetables, but besides last weekend I haven't been doing much cooking. With the hot summer settled in, I feel less and less like firing up my stove. Luckily, Mark Bittman just posted this amazing list of salads some of which I will be making immediately. I also remembered this salad from one of my favorite cookbooks, Everyday Food. It takes about two minutes and is light and refreshing. My cantaloupe was particularly juicy so I loved how that sweet flavor mixed with the tart lemon. The salty prosciutto added just enough savoriness to keep it interesting and the mint was a lovely fresh kick. I don't own a melon baller (yet) so I used a tablespoon measure. I think next time I will use a teaspoon to keep everything around the same size. If you can't find bocconcini, just use fresh mozzarella and cut it into bite sized pieces. This is a great simple salad for the summer.


Cantaloupe and Boncconcini Salad with Mint
(Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)


Makes 2 servings

1 small ripe cantaloupe, scooped into balls with a melon baller (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 ounces bocconcini (small fresh-mozzarella balls), or fresh mozzarella cut into 1-inch cubes
1 to 2 thin slices prosciutto, cut into strips
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves

In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe, bocconcini, prosciutto, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Toss with mint leaves, and serve immediately.

Print Recipe

Root Beer Cupcakes

I teased you with these the other day. Here's the recipe! I made these over the weekend for my birthday. I had actually been planning on making vanilla pistachio cupcakes, but the store on my corner had all these cute summer displays with root beer bottles and I couldn't resist. The bite I did manage to have was pretty good. Since I didn't use root beer extract or schnapps in the batter, you don't really get a lot of root beer flavor, but it does give the cake a nice richness and the cakes are moist. I had trouble really getting a good root beer flavor in the frosting too, so I kept adding more which made the frosting a bit soupy in the warm weather, but I did enjoy the flavor. The original recipe is intended to make a large bundt cake, but I cut the recipe in half and did cupcakes because big cakes made for me make me nervous (I don't know why).

I'm sorry it is still taking me a little while to reply to comments and visit your pages. Besides the crazy weekend last weekend, I am also moving this weekend and next. Hopefully I will return to a normal schedule in a couple of weeks!

Root Beer Cupcakes
(Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cake:
1 cup root beer (not diet)
1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

For the frosting:
1 ounce 60% cocoa, melted
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup root beer
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

To make the cake:

Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. The batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into the pan, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full and cook 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cupcakes.

Printable Recipe

Campanile Brunch

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes yesterday!! I had a great weekend and a truly lovely birthday. One of the highlights of the weekend was brunch with my mom and sister at Campanile. After the amazing pig roast last month, I was already thinking of when I could return. Since I was planning a little get together for later in the day, I wanted to find a nice brunch spot, but also a place that would leave us with some room for the spread I had spent many hours preparing. For those of you not familiar with Los Angeles, there are A LOT of brunch spots in town. Picking one can be almost an impossible task. I am so glad I picked Campanile for this particular day.



After an unfortunate accident with the coffee, we were gifted with some complimentary pastries. The blueberry muffin was very similar to the one I made last week and the apricot strawberry pastry was just enough to whet our appetites. My mom having had two dinners the night before, was in the mood for salad so she went with the Greek. My sister was a little hungrier and is also someone who requires eggs in the morning so she went with the Egg and Prosciutto. I picked the Autostrada thinking it would be a salad, but was presented with a fantastic looking sandwich filled with cured meats and provolone and bits of spicy peppers in every bite. It was a fantastic meal followed by a wonderful afternoon with close friends. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Root Beer Cupcakes

Today is my birthday. I made root beer cupcakes (among other things). Recipe coming soon!!