Month: January 2019

Chocolate chip cookies

This recipe is from the New York Times. It is perfect and simply cannot be improved. Yes, waiting 24 – 72 hours between making cookie dough and baking them seems absurd, but I promise you: these cookies are worth the wait.

Chocolate chip cookies

Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 3 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 1/2 oz cake flour
  • 8 1/2 oz bread flour (you can substitute all purpose)
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp course salt
  • 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 10 oz light brown sugar
  • 8 oz granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 lbs 60% cacao chocolate chips/discs
  • sea salt (to sprinkle)

Instructions
 

  • Take the unsalted butter out of the fridge. Let it soften.
  • Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. I usually fold them in with a spatula instead of the mixer.
  • Scoop dough into 3 1/2-ounce mounds (the size of generous golf balls) and set back into your bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic/beeswax wrap and refrigerate for 24 - 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
  • Now that you've waited at least 24 hours and are absolutely desperate to eat these damn cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Transfer your cookie dough to the baking sheets, making sure to leave ~2 inches in between them so they can spread.
  • Sprinkle each cookie dough ball lightly with sea salt (if the salt doesn't stick, spring the cookies lightly with water and then add the salt flakes) and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 - 20 minutes.
  • Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies directly onto the rack to cool a bit more. Eat with abandon. Thank the gods for delivering this manna from heaven.

Notes

I usually bake the cookie dough in a few batches, so I have fresh cookies for a few days in a row. Just keep the bowl tightly covered with plastic/beeswax wrap so the dough doesn't dry out in the fridge. You can also freeze these cookies; they'll just need a bit more time in the oven.

Dutch baby

This is my go-to breakfast for Sunday mornings. It’s made up of six ingredients I always have on hand, and it’s a cinch to whip up. It’s originally from the NYT, but I made a couple alterations.

Dutch baby

This pancake emerges from the oven puffed and golden, then deflates into a craggy, tender pancake that's perfectly accompanied by a dusting of powdered sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon. Other topping suggestions: apricot jam or lemon curd.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup milk (room temperature)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Instructions
 

  • Pull eggs and milk out from fridge; bring 'em to room temperature.
  • When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Combine eggs, flour, sugar, and almond extract. You can mix the ingredients in a blender or by hand with a whisk. Either way, mix until smooth.
  • Add milk to batter. Mix again until fully incorporated.
  • Once your oven reaches 425 degrees, put the butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place it in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (~2 minutes) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
  • Pull the pancake out of the oven. Wonder at its puffed glory. Mourn as it deflates. Cheer again when you realize you get to eat it slathered in a dusting of powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Notes

  • The batter turns out smoother if you let the eggs and milk come to room temperature, but you can go straight from fridge-to-oven if you're short on time.
  • The original recipe uses nutmeg to flavor the batter; I vastly prefer a splash of almond extract here but any warming spice or extract will work.

No-Knead Sour Dough Bread

Very easy and good!

No-Knead Sour Dough Bread

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups sour dough starter Be sure to return 1 cup to starter container
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 2 TBS cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups flour

Instructions
 

  • Let all ingredients come to room temperature. Mix milk, salt, sugar, and cooking oil together in mixing bowl. Beat the egg and add to mixture. Add the sour dough starter and mix well. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, mix well. Cover and set in warm place to proof, at least two hours. It should double in bulk. Punch down and put into a well greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until about an inch below bottom of pan, about 1 hour 45 minutes, or longer if colder. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. It is done when it starts to shrink away from the sides of the pan. When done, remove from oven, brush top with melted butter. Set on rack to cool. Very fine, very fine.