GourmAndrea

Rolo Cookies

MMmmm These are my favorite cookies, I adore them! They are soft brownie like cookies and they have a Rolo chocolate tucked away in the center; genious! :) I got this recipe from my Alley-Mate (Thank you Delta!) she brought some over at Christmas and she had them in the cutest gingerbread man baggies that I assumed they were commercial (and wondered why commercial cookies tasted good) and asked her where she bought them. But alas here and her mom make them every year and she was kind enough to give me the recipe yay! I think I may make them at Halloween with all the extra chocolates I have because I did some with Reeses and some with Caramilks this time and they were all super good.

ROLO COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

40 Rolo Candies (4 rolls)

A bit of sugar for rolling  cookies in

Large bar of white chocolate for dizzling tops

1.) Preheat oven to 375F

2.) In a small bowl combine flour,cocoa,baking soda blend well.

3.) In a large bowl beat sugar,brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy add eggs then vanilla; beat well. blend in flour mixture.

4.) Use 1 tbsp of dough for each cookie then wrap around Rolo Candy and roll tops in sugar.

5.) Bake for 7 to 10 min on ungreased cookie sheet or a parchment lined sheet.

6.) When cool drizzle with white chocolate (if chocolate is taking awhile to set put it in fridge for 20 min or so.) 

*Note: I would prep and shape these then let them sit for about 30 min before baking I found the rise and shape were much better on the cookies that rested awhile

Chocolava Cookies-Julie Van Rosendaal

Cookie craving anyone? For a couple days I have been fighting it and with my pregnancy due date in a couple days I am going to blame it on that :) So it was fate today that The Edmonton Journal Food section (I love that section) had an incredibly simple,fast recipe in todays paper it pulled me in.

These cookies have it all chocolate,soft middles,crispy edges and the best part 3 different kinds of sugar yum! The article says something about them being low in fat so that should impress all the 80's dieters haha.

Chocolava Cookies-Julie Van Rosendaal

Makes 20 cookies 

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cocoa, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (heaping if you use unsalted butter)

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

icing sugar for rolling

1.) Preheat oven to 350F

2.) Combine flour,sugar,brown sugar,cocoa,baking powder and salt.

3.) Add the butter and whisk or pastry cut it in until it is well mixed and crumbly.

4.) Add eggs and vanilla and stir until dough comes together, requires a bit of arm strength but keep going it will come together.

5.) Place a few heaping spoonfuls of icing sugar into a shallow dish. Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in icing sugar. Put on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non stick pray 2" apart. 

6.) Bake for 12-14 min until edges are just set and center is still soft. Let cool on pan a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Per cookie: 111cal 2.6g fat 

Sweet Potato "Pie"-Na Cotta

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

This month I decided to do a take on sweet potato pie. Part of this challenge was to make florentines, I have already made them before. This time I went with an almond/graham cookie base. I finished them with whipped cream and pecan brittle.

 

 

 

 
 
 
Sweet Potato Panna Cotta

Makes 12 muffin size panna cotta

2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp water

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1.) In a small microwave safe bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit for 3 min.

2.)In a food processor or blender puree the sweet potato,whole,milk,heavy cream,sweetened cond milk,brown sugar,spices,vanilla and salt together until smooth. Transfer mixture to a microwave safe bowl or a large glass measuring cup (makes it easier to pour) and microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm.

3.) Microwave the geltatin mixture for 10 seconds and then whisk it into the sweet potato mixture; let cool slightly.

4.) Line 12 muffin cup with liners and then spray the liners with cooking spray. Pour your mixture into each cup filling about halfway. Put pan and all into the fridge for about 3 hours to set gelatin. Note they will stick a bit to the liners and have to be inverted and coaxed out; if you would like perfect molded ones freeze then remove wrappers.

Pumpkin Spiced Pecan Brittle 

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup chopped pecans (any nut you want)

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

pinch of salt

1.) Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

2.) In a small bowl toss the nuts with the spices and salt, there may be excess left over.

3.) Combine 3/4 cup sugar with 1/3 cup of water in a medium saucepan and cook over high heat swirling the pan every once and awhile to promote even cooking. Cook for about 8-10 min until a medium amber color. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter and pecans; quickly pour onto prepared pan and spread thinly.

4.) When fully cooled break into shards.

Almond/Graham Crusts

Makes 12 cookie crusts

1/2 cup slivered almonds; toasted

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter; at room temp

1.) Preheat oven to 350F line 12 cup muffin tin with liners

2.) In a food processor grind almonds,graham crackers and sugar until fine crumbs form.

3.) Add in butter and pulse until crumbs stick together when you press them inbetween your fingers.

4.) Put about 1 1/2 tbsp in each cup and press down into the bottom of the liner fairly firmly.

5.) Bake for 7 min or until crust is set and lightly browned.

To assemble dessert place cookie on plate and then invert a panna cotta by slowly peeling the outside of the wrapper while holding it over the cookie and it will pop out with some coaxing. Then add a dollop of whipped cream and a shard of brittle and a lightly dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

Cinnamon Bun Cookies

These cookies taste like a cinnamon bun with cream cheese icing and also like the best tasting snickerdoodles without it. This recipe intrigued me because it is a lot like a basic snickerdoodle but it also has cream cheese in the batter. The texture comes out slightly crisp on the outside and chewy cake-like on the inside.

 

I adapted this recipe from the Cuisinart site they have a photo contest that you can enter to win products ect. I didn't realize until I was submitting a picture is that you have to be an American citizen to win anything.....snap! so I put the picture in anyways. If you want to see the original recipe it is here

This is the adapted version of that recipe

Cinnamon Bun Cookies Makes approx 50 cookies

COOKIE DOUGH

1 /2 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 oz (55 grams) cream cheese, I used light

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

*Note if you are using salted butter just reduce the amount of salt to a 1/4 tsp

SUGAR MIXTURE

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

ICING

4 oz (114 grams) cream cheese softened, I used light

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tbsp milk

1.) Preheat oven to 400 F

2.) Cookie Dough: cream butter and sugar by hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. 

3.) Beat your eggs in one at a time ( I like to count to 20 for each egg) scraping down the bowl after each one. Beat in your vanilla.

4.) Whisk together flour,cream of tartar,baking soda and salt. Add this to your wet ingredients slowly with your mixer on low. Mix the last cup or so in by hand.

*Note: This is a really sticky dough I chilled mine for about 45 min before shaping

5.) Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and put in a small bowl. Shape your dough into balls about 1 1/4" wide then roll them into cinnamon sugar mixture and place on either a parchment lined cookie sheet or an un-greased cookie sheet.

5.) Bake for about 10 min and let sit on cookie sheet for 2 min before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

6.) Icing: Cream together butter and cream cheese then beat in vanilla with the mixer on low slowly add the confectioners sugar until incorporated then beat in milk. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate your cookies. Note: I had about 2/3 cup of extra icing so feel free to be more generous than I was in the picture.

Croquembouche

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Croquembouche is french and it means "crunch in the mouth" is a french dessert that is made for special occasions even weddings! It is made up of little profiteroles which are a choux pastry that is usually filled with a pastry type cream, the same sort of idea as an eclair or a cream puff, they are then stacked with caramel. This is one of those things everyone should make at least once in their lives just because?

 Is it something I would make again? Meh it is not really my thing and I burned myself twice (shame on me) on hot sugar it sticks to your skin so have ice water handy and it will pop off. I had to make the caramel god knows how many times because even working quickly it cools very fast and then you have to either reheat it or make a new batch.

 

 

 

These are France flag cookies I made and the recipe I used for them was Martha Stewart's sugar cookie recipe she originally did star shapes on her croquembouche and they looked really pretty. The biggest bonus of making some sort of sugar cookie decoration is you can use them for any spots that need filling ect. There is a blog called Bake at 350 and I found great tutorial there for flooding icing and royal icing you can find it here if you are interested. I couldn't in good conscience make all these cute France cookies without making at least ONE Canadian one. If you make the Canadian one a toothpick helps sooo much.

 

I made the three fillings in the recipe for this month they were vanilla,chocolate and coffee the chocolate flavor won my taste test. They are called pastry creams but I think that they are the same thing as pudding because they are made the same way.

 

 

Thanks for the interesting challenge it is something I knew was coming one of these months and I am glad to say I have made one and hopefully my one and only......

I just want to note I did two batches of Pate a Choux to make this tower. I also did the half batch recipes for all the creams and I was still a bit short on them. Here is the recipe if anyone wants to tackle this. 

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:

Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.aking:
 

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:
You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place – see video #4 below).

When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!