rugelach

The first time I tried rugelach was at my aunt's wedding; my sisters and I were bridesmaids, and, in our waiting room, there were plates of the tasty little cookies. They were flaky and sweet, as are the ones made from the recipe below.

Rugelach
Adapted from Gourmet, May 2004

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. plus 4 teaspoons sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. apricot preserves
1 c. walnuts, finely chopped
Milk for brushing cookies

Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and warp in plastic wrap, then flatten into a roughly 7 x 5 inch rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line shallow baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining pieces into a 12 by 8 inch rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a try and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.

Whisk 1/2 c. sugar with cinnamon.

Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread 1/4 c. preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 c. walnuts or chocolate chips over jam, then sprinkle with 2 tbs. cinnamon sugar.

Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Use 3 more logs in the same manner and arrange 1 inch apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 tsp. of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, cut at 1-inch intervals.

Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to warm in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

lefkos pirgos cafe

Today, we visited my aunt in Astoria, Queens. While we were there, we went to our favorite Greek bakery, Lefkos Pirgos. Everything there looks amazing, but we always buy the same two things: spanakopita and baklava. If you are ever in the area, you must try them!
I'm convinced that this spanakopita will turn even the most vegetable-adverse into spinach-lovers! It's that good.

The baklava has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. Between layers of flaky pastry are cinnamon-spiced walnuts and gooey, sweet honey.

perfect chocolate-dipped things!

I have always struggled with dipping cookies and things in chocolate. The chocolate either melts, or is too goopy and thick, or is too thin. A coworker of my mom's passed along a great recipe, and it worked great!

Dipping Chocolate

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. heavy cream

Combine chocolate and cream over double boiler, and stir until melted. Dip things in chocolate, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets to set.

best m&m cookies ever!

These m&m cookies totally beat the ones from my cookie duel. I made them a lot smaller (using a tablespoon scoop) and took them out of the oven when they were just cooked through. They were thick, soft, and chewy for days after baking.

the best m&m cookies ever

2 c. shortening
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tbs. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
4 tbs. cornstarch
3 c. bread flour
1 tbs. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. m&ms

In a large bowl, combine flours, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat shortening with sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, and mix until well combined. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Mix in 8 oz. m&ms, using a wooden spoon. Scoop onto cookie sheets, using a small scoop (one tablespoon of dough per cookie). Chill in refrigerator until cold, at least 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chilled cookie dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 6 minutes, until puffed. Remove from oven, and place 3 m&ms on top of each cookie. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes more, until just cooked through. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

m&m cookie faceoff

I am on the hunt for a good recipe for M&M cookies, so I decided to try out two versions tonight. The main difference between the two recipes is the type of fat used: in the first recipe, shortening is used solely, and, in the second recipe, a combination of shortening and butter is used. The first cookie tasted like Chips Deluxe M&M cookies, slightly dry and crumbly, but not unpleasantly so. What I especially liked about the first cookie was their height; they did not spread as much as a butter-based cookie. The second cookie had a crisp exterior and a moister interior. They also had a slightly richer flavor, due to the butter and the increased amount of vanilla.


M&M Cookies #1

1 c. shortening
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. plain M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream together shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in M&Ms.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and place a few M&Ms on top of each cookie. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until light golden. Let cool on wire racks.



M&M Cookies #2

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in M&Ms.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 minutes, then remove from oven. Place a few M&Ms on top of each cookie, and return to oven for 2 to 3 more minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

bratwurst panini

Tonight, I made panini, based on a recipe from Epicurious (Grilled Sausage Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere Cheese). I altered the recipe slightly, using bratwurst instead of sausage and sharp cheddar rather than gruyere. I started the onions first, since they need about 25 minutes to caramelize. In another pan, I browned the bratwurst whole, then removed them from the heat, sliced them diagonally, and added them to the sweet onions. Once cooked through, I began to assemble the sandwiches: I spread spicy brown mustard on one piece of bread, placed a layer of cheese slices on the other, piled on the bratwurst and onions, and grilled the sandwich in my panini press until golden and crisp on the outside.

Bratwurst, Caramelized Onion, and White Cheddar Panini

2 tbs. canola oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
5 to 6 bratwurst links
4 oz. sharp white cheddar
6 slices bread
3 tbs. spicy brown mustard

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, and toss. Salt onions, and let sweat until softened and translucent. Add sugar and balsamic vinegar, and increase heat to medium. Cook onions for 20 minutes longer, until deep golden and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.

In another skillet, brown bratwurst. Remove from heat, and slice diagonally. Add bratwurst to onions and finish cooking.

Spread mustard on 3 slices of bread. Divide cheese among remaining bread. Place bratwurst and onions between bread, and grill in panini press until bread is toasted.

poffertjes

Our poffertjes pan came in the mail today! Poffertjes are tiny Dutch pancakes, served with powdered sugar. We enjoyed them so much while we were in Holland that we wanted to try making them at home!

Poffertjes

1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tbs. butter
Confectioners sugar, for serving

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in medium bowl.

Warm milk over low heat. Combine 2 tbs. warmed milk with yeast; let stand 5 minutes, until foamy.

Add yeast mixture and rest of warmed milk to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area for 1 hour.

Heat poffertjes pan over medium-high heat. Grease with butter. Fill wells with batter, and cook until bottom is golden. Flip poffertjes with spoon, and cook other side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Sift confectioners sugar over warm poffertjes. Serve immediately.