When I first moved out here, I was terrified of what the elevation can do to baked desserts and pastries that would normally come out perfect at sea-level. In fact, I even avoided baking because I felt so restricted. My original belief was that nothing would turn out well.

One day I had to make several recipes from pastry chef Francois Payard’s cookbook, Chocolate Epiphany, to assist him with a culinary demonstration he would be leading. Everything turned out…fine. I felt liberated. I began to read more about high altitude baking and started to experiment with my own recipes.

I realized that as a pastry chef, I had to embrace my situation as a test of my skill and to overcome the challenge with successful baked creations. I’ve been tweaking recipes ever since, with the firm belief that just because we live at 9,000 feet above sea level, pancakes can still be fluffy, cakes can still be moist and delicate, and great dessert is alive and well!

There seems to be a lack of high altitude recipes available on the Internet, and I want other people to be able to experience the thrills and enjoyment of baking, rather than dread it, like I once had. I will begin regularly posting recipes on my site that I’ve had success with here in Vail, Colorado.

Check back soon!

Since early June, the Restaurant Kelly Liken kitchen crew shops at the Vail Farmer’s Market every Sunday and then creates an entirely new menu just for that evening, showcasing all of the beautiful produce we were able to purchase that day.

Sometimes it can be a little challenging to create a new dish in a matter of hours, but it’s a great creative outlet and a chance to try out new ideas. I always try to retain the integrity of whatever fruit or vegetable I’m baking with so that it’s fresh-picked flavor still stands out.

I am always so impressed by the savory items the rest of the staff creates for the menu. Their dishes inspire me to elevate my desserts to match their level.

Living in Rocky Mountain high country certainly alters the availability and growing season of produce. Back in Indiana, rhubarb was only available in early Spring. Out here, we’ve seen it at the market through July. Currently, peaches, nectarines, plums, and other stone fruits from Palisade have been abundant and gorgeous.  When you have beautiful ingredients to begin with, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a great-tasting dish!

Here are some of this summer’s recent Sunday Harvest Menu desserts:

Chocolate-Almond Brown Butter Cake (Financiers) with Wine-Soaked Cherries and Soured Whipped Cream

Sable Breton Tartlets with Rhubarb Curd, Vanilla Mousseline, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad

Lavender Cream Shortcakes with Peaches, Honey Cream, Peach Syrup, and Lavender flowers.

Chocolate Dacquoise filled with Macerated-Strawberries, and topped with disks of bruleed Chocolate Chiboust

Cinnamon-Sugar Cake Doughnuts, Blackberry Dipping Sauce, and mini Peach Milkshake Shooter

Zucchini Cakes with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Caramelized Walnuts

Yellow Butter Cake, Grilled Peaches marinated in white wine and brandy, and Mascarpone Cream

Mini Peach Fried Pies, Peach Caramel reduction, and Butter-Pecan Ice Cream

Peach Tiramisu- Ladyfinger circles, Vanilla-Scented Mascarpone-Ricotta Cream, Amaretto Soaking Syrup, Spiced Peach Puree, Fresh Peaches, and Whipped Cream layered in canning jars with Nasturtium blossoms

Warm Peach Crumble Tartlets, Almond Streusel, Peach Coulis, and Cinnamon-Infused Ice Cream

I am very excited about this opportunity, as Restaurant Kelly Liken places a strong emphasis on seasonal, local, and organic cuisine.

Once I am able to get some more consistent Internet service, I will be sure to keep everyone updated. Stay posted!

Pumpkin pie and sugar pumpkins  have a “smooth, sweet flesh that is much less pulpy and stringy” according to Regan Daley’s In the Sweet Kitchen.  This makes them the choice for bakers and chefs when they want to use real pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree.

Long before people were thinking about Fall flavors, especially pumpkin, I was intrigued by a danish variation I had seen using pumpkin butter and cream cheese filling. So, when the time finally came around for pumpkin to step into the spotlight, I decided to try my hand at making pumpkin butter.

Let me warn you however, that like apple butter, pumpkin butter takes a few hours start to finish because the pumpkin needs to completely break down. The best part is the incredible smell that will fill the kitchen. While I used my pumpkin butter as a danish filling, it can certainly be used in other Autumn and holiday desserts.

Another flavor to capture this season is pear. They are in season right now and taste their best. When we have too many to eat, I like to poach them and store them in the refrigerator for later usage. Sugar syrups, wine, fresh herbs, whole spices, vanilla beans, and citrus peel can be included in the poaching and create a great variety of flavors. Poaching works best on fruit that is slightly underripe.

Finally, on the note of preservation, I’d like to share a tip from one of my chefs, the brilliant En-Ming Hsu. Chef Hsu gave us this formula for cleaning herbs and extending their shelf life. A few weeks ago after a big frost warning, I did this with a bunch of herbs from our garden and they are still fresh in my refrigerator. The bleach water kills any organisms on the herbs.

Preserving Fresh Herbs:

• Fill two large clean, sterilized containers (hotel pan size) with water.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon household bleach in one container, and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in the other.
• Soak your herbs in the bleach water for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the bleach water and soak the herbs in the vinegar water for 20 minutes.
• Remove herbs from vinegar water and drain briefly.
• Wrap the herbs in paper towels, then put inside of plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Butter (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 3 lbs pumpkin(s) (Sugar or Pumpkin Pie variety)
• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• pinch ground cloves

Cut the pumpkin(s) into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Place the quartered pumpkins cut side up on a sheet pan. Bake at 325 F until the flesh in tender, about 25 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin with a paring knife. Place the pumpkin flesh in a large pot with the sugar, butter, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and cloves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the volume has reduced by half, about 2 hours. The pumpkin will completely break down and turn into a smooth paste. Remove the vanilla bean pod.

Cool the pumpkin butter over an ice water bath and reserve in an airtight container under refrigeration. Makes about 15 fl ounces.

Basic Poached Pears (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 75 fl ounces water
• 15 ounces sugar
• juice of 7 lemons
• 12 pears

Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot large enough to hold 12 pears. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium.

Trim the bottom of each pear to make it flat, core out the bottom with a melon baller or paring knife, and peel off the skin. Leave the stem attached. Once a pear is prepped, submerge it immediately in ice water acidified with lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

Once all of the pears are prepped, place them into the poaching liquid and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes. Make sure the pears are completely submerged by placing a parchment circle on top of the pears. Once the pears have become slightly tender, remove the pot from the heat and let the pears sit in the poaching liquid until tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Cool pears to room temperature. Reserve, covered, under refrigeration. Makes 12 poached pears.

I’m moving to Colorado, which is an adventure in itself. My life will become significantly busier, but I’m determined to keep posting. Every time I’ve lived in a new place, I discover wonderful inspiration for desserts and pastry.

At the moment, this move isn’t permanent, but I’m excited for this new opportunity to get more experience in learning and in life. There is still time for a few holiday orders, but only before December, for those interested.You can email me with questions (contact info is up at the top right of the page).

I’ve also been brainstorming some ideas for making the most of Fall’s flavors. This includes using  apple butter, pumpkin butter, poached pairs, etc. We’ll see how that comes along, depending on the oven status (At the moment it’s broken).

In other news, we’ve managed to acquire a chocolate temperer. Tempered chocolate is necessary for proper chocolate candy making in that it stabilizes the fat crystals in the cocoa butter. This creates a quick-setting, shiny, hard chocolate that has a much longer shelf life. Chocolate can be tempered without a machine, but it’s easier to hand dip and cast large quantities of chocolate candies with the help of one.

I’d like to play around with it and make some chocolate candies for holiday gifts this year. I’m hoping to get started on that soon and will be sure to post any exciting recipes.

Speaking of our broken oven, these pumpkin-hazelnut doughnuts were created after seeing the recipe on Aran’s blog, Cannelle et Vanille (It’s a beautiful blog, be sure to check it out!). It was a chilly weekend morning and one glance at Aran’s pumpkin doughnut picture told me there was no turning back.

What made them particularly appealing was the need for a stove, not an oven. I could make them! Because they are a cake doughnut, there is no yeast, and they come together very quickly. Enjoy them while taking in the colors outside for a true taste of Autumn.

Here is the link to Aran’s recipe for Pumpkin-Hazelnut Doughnuts at her blog Cannelle et Vanille.

Last night we had a glimmer of hope. The lower oven started responding to the dials when we did an experimental run. My dad asked if there was anything I wanted to bake.

“Brownies!” my mom yelled, “Hurry!”

We all held our breath waiting for the oven to go out, but it stayed on, miraculously. It must have known how badly we needed something that was baked, rich, and chocolately.

Brownies are a classic that everyone can make. You don’t need any fancy equipment and they are quick and easy. Navigating the infinite recipes from cookbooks and the Internet can get overwhelming and is not always reliable. Trust me, there is nothing more disappointing than a bad brownie!

There are a few things to look for in a brownie recipe to know whether or not it’ll be a keeper. A keeper brownie is one that is the perfect height- not too thin nor too thick, fudgy, moist, slightly chewy, and huge on chocolate taste.

Here are the qualities of a keeper brownie recipe:

1. Lots of eggs

2. Lots of butter

3. Real chocolate, with or without additional cocoa powder

Simple, but true. Eggs may get bad press from time to time, but they are an invaluable baking ingredient. Eggs contain lecithin, an emulsifier, which evenly distributes fat particles throughout the batter. This creates a very tender finished product.  Eggs also add lots of moisture.

Butter is more obvious, it adds flavor, richness, moisture, and texture to baked goods. When melted, it produces a cakier texture.

Using chocolate in a brownie recipe simply makes them more gooey (and certainly increases the chocolate taste!). A good-quality cocoa powder adds an intense chocolate flavor to baked goods, but if you’re going for something that is more dense and fudgelike, use real chocolate.

Below are two of my favorite brownie recipes. The first is a thicker brownie and the epitome of a “keeper brownie”. Instant espresso powder adds a further note of complexity to the chocolate flavor. It’s the brownie photographed for this post, since that’s what was on hand at the time. You will not be disappointed.

The second recipe is so rich the brownie itself  melts in your mouth- and so fudgy that it’s almost creamy in texture.

One last rule of thumb: Check your brownies 10 minutes before they are supposed to be done. Sometimes they will be done early. Brownies can go from being perfect to overbaked very quickly!

The Baked Brownie (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 11 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.

Turn off heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature-not too hot.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Don’t overbeat the batter.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just a bit of flour mixture is visable.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting for easiest handling.

Brownies (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium metal bowl over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Sitr until chocolate has melted completely.

Add the sugar and eggs to the choolate mixture, whisk about 1 minute until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Do not overmix.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are just firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. These are very dense so they cut best when completely cool.

Fortunately, apples can last a long time when they are stored in a cool place.

I recommend using apples fairly soon after they have been picked for recipes where they won’t be cooked. This way they will be at their optimal crispness. When apples are stored for a long time, their peel will begin to toughen and the flesh will get softer. They are still perfect for baking though.

This year I lugged home a huge bag of Spigold apples. They are a cross between Northen Spy and Golden Delicious apples, and they have worked beautifully for apple desserts.

I made two different types of French apple tarts with my Spigolds. The first was an Apple Nougat Tart, where a sweet dough shell is filled with caramelized apples and topped with a sugared egg white and sliced almond mixture. The topping transforms in the oven to a slightly chewy crust that adds the perfect touch of sweetness and nuttiness to the apples. It’s truly delicious.

The second was a Baked Apple Tart using an almond frangipane filling. Pate a foncer dough, which is very crisp and buttery, is filled with the almond cream and then topped with fanned apple slices. As it bakes, the almond filling puffs up into the apples and whole thing is enticingly fragrant. Eating this tart reminds me of eating a luscious coffee cake.

Every year we pick apples we also make applesauce. My mom has a food mill that we use to run the cooked apple pieces through, then the applesauce is lightly sweetened with sugar and spiced with some fresh cinnamon.While we were engaging in this process I also made some caramel apples for my brother, who is a huge fan.

But now to the Apple Spice Cupcakes. The cupcakes are tender, slightly spicy, and the perfect compliment to the grated apple pieces that are dotted throughout. I made a salted caramel sauce which I used to flavor basic Italian buttercream and also drizzled over the finished cupcakes.

Happy Fall!

Apple Spice Cupcakes (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons light molasses
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tart baking apples, peeled and shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula then beat in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices to blend.

Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla, and ginger.

Spoon the batter 2/3 full into the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Salted Caramel Sauce (The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed to 100 degrees F
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the water, 1 cup sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over high heat, being careful not to get any of the mixture on the side of the pot.  Once the mixture boils, stop stirring from this point on. The caramel will be very bubbly and be careful, because it is very hot.

Meanwhile, heat a saucepan of water and place a whisk in it.

Insert a candy thermometer into the caramel pot. When the temperature reaches 300 degrees F, lower the heat to medium, which will slow the cooking. Continue to cook to 350 degrees F.

When the caramel reaches 350 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat. It should be golden brown. Let it rest for 1 minute, or until the bubbles have subsided. Add the warm cream to the caramel. It will bubble up vigorously so be careful.

Quickly whisk the creme fraiche, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice, and salt into the caramel. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to a month. When cold, it has the consistency of peanut butter.

Personally, I think this sauce tastes better if it has had a day to rest in the refrigerator.

My fears were put to rest this morning in yoga class:

“We will begin with our three-part breath”, my instructor calmly said, “On your exhale, open your mouth to let out an ahhhh”.

I should have been relaxing, taking my mind off of job prospects and adult life. Yet I found myself merely going through the motions. Do you know why?

I was thinking about the ice cream sandwiches I am going to make today, which revealed to me that I am not a cat freak, but an obvious pastry freak!

For real.

These sandwiches have an intense chocolate flavor and the right amount of crunch to be the perfect counterpart to lusciously creamy ice cream. They’re a little time-consuming, especially if you decide to poke those ‘authentic’ ice cream sandwich cookie holes in each cookie, but pulling out a plate of these from the freezer to surprise guests makes quite an impression.

Here they are, from me to you. The obsession of my morning. Homemade ice cream sandwiches. You’re probably going to want to make them again! I ended up making vanilla ice cream to sandwich between my cookies, as a nod to the classic, but you can use any flavor you choose.

Ice Cream Sandwiches from Eating Outdoors by Country Living

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 quarts ice cream, slightly softened

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until blended.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until a firm dough forms. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a rectangle about 4 by 3 inches. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.

Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with plastic wrap and spread the ice cream evenly in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refreeze.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll one rectangle of dough to form a 1/4 inch thick 9 x 11 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into six 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles. Repeat with the remaining dough to form a total of 12 cookies.

Using the blunt end of a wooden skewer, poke holes into the cookies (5 rows with 3 holes in each row). Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the pan 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Assemble the sandwiches: Place half of the cookies face down on a clean work surface. Remove the ice cream from the baking pan and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, cut 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles to fill the sandwiches with. Place on each of the cookies and top with the remaining halves. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until set- about 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings. You can pretty much make whatever sizes and shapes you want, so adjust to your liking!

Once you get off of your tractor trailer, you are directed to a row and it’s all yours! When we were younger, my brother Kyle and I would leave with berry stained faces and hands. I’m assuming we most likely ate more than we picked. Have you ever eaten a juicy strawberry, warm from the sun? Ah, the simple pleasures of life.

This is another example of why locally grown, in season produce always tastes the best. Try a hard, hollow, white strawberry from the grocery store and compare it with one of these. I could be the prune lady in the tv commercials, but with strawberries. But alas, that is not my battle at the moment. I have strawberries that need to be put to culinary use.

First up, Strawberry Cream Puffs with Rose Cream (recipe follows at bottom). I piped pate a choux dough into balls slightly larger than a quarter – these should be dainty – and after baking and cooling, cut the top 1/3 of the puff off. Pate a choux is a remarkable type of pastry. As it bakes, it creates a sturdy shell, while leaving the inside moist and hollow, perfect for filling. I filled the bottom of the puff with thinly sliced fresh strawberries, piped rose cream on top, and topped with a few strips of lemon zest. Beautiful.

Remember that if you ever make a filled pate a choux product, it needs to be filled shortly before serving otherwise it will get soggy.

Seeking inspiration from some succulent Greek yogurt, I was inspired to make a second dessert, Lemon Financiers with Macerated Strawberry Salad and Greek yogurt. Financiers are moist delicious little cakes made from almond flour. The almonds bring a great deal of moisture to the financier. The strawberries are sweet, so I wanted the financier to have a bit of tartness to it, hence the lemon. And what says summer better than lemon?

While my financiers were baking, I sliced strawberries and tossed them with muscavado sugar (similar to a dark brown sugar), a little lemon juice, and fresh basil and mint. If you let them sit for a bit, the sugars will dissolve with the strawberry juices and create the most lovely little sauce. You can do this with most fruits. I mixed a smidge of vanilla paste with Greek yogurt since I am obsessed with the look of vanilla seeds. The Greek yogurt is creamy, rich, and tart, much needed to contrast with the sweet lemon cake and juicy berries.

Our last subjects are Berry Tartlets with Lemon Cream. Thin, crunchy shortbread crust, rich tangy lemon cream, and berry topping. Freshly sliced strawberries and blueberries were mixed with some of my mom’s homemade strawberry jam that had been warmed slightly so it was liquid. This makes the berries shiny and helps keep them fresh longer.

Of course, you can always eat the fresh berries plain, warm from the sun, like I’ve done for years.

Rose Cream (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 to 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• Pink food coloring, optional

In a chilled bowl, whip the cream with 1 teaspoon of rose water until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds a soft shape. Taste a bit of the cream, add a bit more sugar and/or drops of rose water to your taste, then finish whipping the cream to the desired stiffness.

Then I grew older and wiser, a natural progression. In fact, there are numerous varieties of salt available today for culinary uses, and they are deliciously different from table salt in their size, crystal shape, and taste. I highly encourage you to experiment with them.

One of my favorite salt varieties is fleur de sel. Of course it is also the most expensive of all salts, but this is due to the fact that it is hand-harvested under precise conditions. It is a moist, flaked salt that dissolves beautifully and is free of that sharp salt flavor, if that makes any sense. Forgive me, as savory flavors are more difficult for me to describe.

Anyways, I recently replenished my fleur de sel stock, and was inspired to bake with it after coming across this recipe. If the name is any indication, these cookies have three main flavors: peanut butter, salt, and toffee. The peanut butter flavor is dominant, but there are hints of salt and toffee which make them perfect. Add a little crunch from the toffee peanuts and peanut butter lovers are bound to find themselves in heaven.

Salted Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 1 1/3 (6 ounces) cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup natural chunky peanut butter (not unsalted)-stir well to blend the oil before measuring
• 1 cup (5 ounces) toffee peanuts or coconut toffee peanuts, very coarsely chopped

Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with both sugars. Whisk in the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just evenly incorporated.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for an hour or two, or up to 2 days. This will make it easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the chopped nuts into a shallow bowl. Scoop about 2 level teaspoons of dough for each cookie, shape into a 1-inch ball and coat heavily with the chopped nuts, pressing in any pieces that fall off, so there are no bald spots. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until they are lightly colored on top, 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies will seem very soft to the touch, but they will firm up as they cool. Set the baking sheets on a rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks.

Yield: About fifty-six 1 1/2-inch cookies

Living in a city where you have to carry your groceries for blocks completely changes your perspective on needs versus wants, but we’re not even going to get into my city life rationing groceries and acting like a pack mule (at least not this time).

Sometimes, but only on occasion, as I try to utilize my food inventory in the most efficient and unwasteful manner, I have “overstock”. Case in point: Four pint-sized cartons of heavy cream, all unopened but nonetheless facing impending expiration dates.

So, I decided to make panna cotta. Not just your typical white disc surrounded in berry sauce or whatnot, but a quivering, pale yellow panna cotta scented with exotic saffron and cardamom. And then I adorned its creamy richness with freshly grated cinnamon and crushed pistachios.

Don’t be confused, however, with pudding, or creme brulee. Panna cotta, especially in this recipe, is rich and creamy, with the help of all that heavy cream, but it is not heavy. There is only the slightest amount of gelatin in panna cotta to give it just enough structure so it holds its shape-barely.

This creates that quivering spoonful that is much more worthy of a Jurassic Park scene. And sopisticated. Jell-o, really?

Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 3 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 cardamom pods
• Slightly rounded 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3 leaves of sheet gelatin*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Finely chopped or grated pistachios for garnish (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and salt until steaming hot, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Off the heat, add the cardamom pods and saffron. Cover and allow to steep for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside (without stirring) for 5 to 10 minutes to let the gelatin soften.

*If using gelatin leaves, soak the leaves in the cold milk to soften them, then fish the softened sheets from the milk and stir them into the hot cream (after steeping) until completely dissolved. Stir in the milk, and proceed as directed.

Add the milk and gelatin to the cream mixture and reheat to steaming, stirring well to dissolve the gelatin. Strain the mixture into a bowl, preferably stainless steel; discard the cardamom pods. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of water and ice cubes and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and registers 50 degrees F on a thermometer.

Divide the mixture evenly among ramekins or dessert dishes (I used espresso cups, which created more than six servings). Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 but preferably 12 hours. Before serving, use a microplane to grate a little stick of cinnamon over each one, and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Serves 6

Let me start off by saying that if it weren’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be baking and cooking like I do today. She taught me the instinct that is baking- the spring of a done cake, the golden edges of a cookie, the way a cooked custard should coat the back of a spoon. I love being in the kitchen with my mom and it is something we always enjoy. I love you mom!

I was shopping at The Spice House in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago this weekend where I immediately gravitated to the baking spices. One whiff of the intoxicating scent from the Lavender Sugar jar and I was hooked (The best vanilla sugar is made from cane sugar and high-quality vanilla beans. Sometimes vanilla extract is added. It’s also a delicious pair of words). The lavender is rather subtle but adds an entirely new dimension that is fragrant, floral, and an essence of summer.

I wanted to convey this scent into cookies, so I adapted a Williams-Sonoma shortbread recipe to my liking. Butter is one of the main ingredients, so be sure to use a rich, high-quality product for the best tasting result. I used pastry flour to give these cookies a lighter, more tender texture but all-purpose flour can be easily substituted (If you are trying to find pastry flour, I recommend ordering from King Arthur Flour, at www.bakerscatalogue.com).

I also desired a strong vanilla flavor to compliment the lavender, so I used vanilla paste. Vanilla paste has actual vanilla bean seeds in it, which I love because you see the flavor before you taste, but equal amounts of a nice vanilla extract works too.

After mixing up my dough, I rolled it into logs and then rolled each log in a generous coating of lavender sugar. Then the logs were given some time to harden in the freezer for easier cutting and a more attractive result after baking (the warmer the dough the more the cookies will spread, losing their delicate small shapes).

Best of all, these bake up crisp, buttery, and will melt in your mouth.

The tops of each cookie were decorated with one or two dried lavender buds pressed into the surface, as even a small amount of dried lavender has an intense taste- use sparingly. The cookies will keep, stored airtight, for about a week, making them perfect for shipping to your mom or grandma. They are excellent with coffee or tea.

Lavender-Scented Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies (adapted from Williams-Sonoma recipes)

• 2 cups pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or pure vanilla extract)
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel (or kosher salt)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• Lavender Sugar, for dusting and rolling (www.thespicehouse.com)
• Dried lavender for decorating

Sift the flour into a large bowl with the granulated sugar, confectioner’s sugar, and salt. Whisk briefly to combine all of the ingredients.

Add the butter and vanilla paste to the dry mixture, then use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the entire mixture can be formed into a soft lump. Lightly roll the dough into a 1 1/2 ” diameter log. Cut the log in half for easier handling. Roll each log, carefully, in several spoonfuls of Lavender Sugar to coat.

Roll the logs up in parchment paper and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, if not longer, until firm. When ready, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4 ” slices. Place on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, 1″ apart, and sprinkle with more Lavender Sugar, if desired, or decorate with a few lavender buds. Bake the cold dough until is is just starting to turn golden around the edges, around 20 minutes or so.

Yield: About 40 small cookies

I love the incredible pairing of Guinness beer and chocolate and it’s a combination that’s been on my mind lately. So, naturally, when I was going through cookbooks (something I do frequently, for fun) I decided to give this recipe a whirl.

The recipe comes from Baked, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, and they recommend using a chocolate stout, having found Guinness beer too light and dry for this recipe. After tasting the finished shake, I think Guinness would work fine in a pinch, although the chocolate stout does add a very pleasing taste.

This is great poured into a frosty tall glass, or as “tastings”, served in shot glasses.

Chocolate Stout Milkshake (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

• 2 huge scoops (about 2 cups) premium chocolate ice cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup very cold chocolate stout
• 1 tablespoon malted milk powder

Put desired glasses for serving in the freezer while you mix up your shakes. In a powerful blender, add the ice cream, milk, stout, and malted milk powder and blend until smooth.

Pour into the chilled glasses and serve with spoons. Chocolate shakes are never going to be the same again!

Serves 2 (8-ounce servings)

When I came across this recipe, I knew it would be perfect for ringing in his birthday. The cake is made in a bundt pan, so there’s no need for assembling or frosting the cake; a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar adds just the right touch.

This cake also is super moist, with strong flavors of both yellow cake AND chocolate cake. Perfect for birthdays, right? The flavor of the beautiful chocolate swirl doesn’t get lost in the rest of the cake thanks to a potent combination of chocolate and cocoa powder. Be sure to cut generous, thick slices and enjoy…

Marble Bundt Cake (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

For the Chocolate Swirl:

• 6 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder

For the Sour Cream Cake:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To make the Chocolate Swirl: In the top of a double boiler over simmer water, melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely smooth, add the cocoa powder and whisk until thorougly incorporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the Sour Cream Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds. Mixing for longer will develop the gluten in your flour and create a tough, dry product.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour one third of the cake batter into the chocolate swirl mixture. Use a spatula to combine the chocolate mixture and the batter to make a smooth chocolate batter. Spread half of the remaining plain cake batter in the prepared pan. Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the chocolate cake batter directly on top of the plain cake batter. The dollops will touch and mostly cover the plain batter, but some plain batter will peek through.

Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate and plain batter together. Pour the remaining plain batter on top of the chocolate layer and smooth it out. Once again, use the knife to pull through the layers to create a swirl.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake and invert it onto the wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The cake will keep for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.

Yield: One 10-inch bundt cake

I’ve lived in my apartment for over a week now, but I’ve found that when I live somewhere new, my residence does not start to feel like ‘home’ until I’ve broken in the kitchen a bit. That’s why I chose to spend my Saturday puttering around in the kitchen.

I had some blueberries and raspberries with a short shelf life, and a nearly overripe pear. What to do, what to do? One of the first things they have taught us in pastry school is that nothing should ever be wasted. Luckily I was inspired to make a pear berry crisp after flipping through a cookbook for dinner ideas.

You can use almost any fruit you want, and the pear, blueberry, and raspberry combination I used was surprising delicious. I made half a recipe since it was just myself who would be eating it. The topping is not crunchy like most crisps, it was much softer, like a crumbled muffin, with a strong vanilla taste. It reminded me of eating a coffeecake with a streusel topping. Bonus: the apartment smelled divine. Double bonus: it comes together quickly.

I liked to eat mine at room temperature and slightly warmed, depending on my mood. Either temperature, it’s delicious with a dollop of thick, creamy Greek yogurt.

Pear and Berry Crisp (Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros)

• 3 large pears
• 1 cup of mixed berries
• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick), plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 14 by 8 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch (or a 13 by 9-inch) ovenproof dish. Peel, core, and slice the pears, and put them in the dish. Mix in the berries and scatter half the superfine sugar over the fruit.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and the other half of the superfine sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and vanilla and rub them in with your fingertips, working until the mixture isn’t smooth but looks like damp clustery sand. Your fingers might be tired.

Scatter the topping over the fruit to cover it completely in a good thick layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden and some berry juice has oozed up a bit over teh crust and darkened it here and there.

Let it cool down a touch and then serve warm with whipped cream, a bowl of custard, vanilla ice cream, or Greek yogurt.

Yield: 8 servings

Here’s an update to that. We met today for our “cupcake transaction”. She is a very sweet girl and I wish her all the best of luck. I am happy we got the chance to work together.

These are photos of some of the cupcakes she wanted.

1. “The Emily”. Kat wanted this cupcake to be very girly in a fluffy, white, volumptuous way. I made three variations, one with coconut, one that was swirly and high so she could put a fancy liner on it if she wanted, and the third was a spiky meringue.

2. “The Joan”. This cupcake needed to represent Kat’s art teacher, who was kind, warm, caring and the epitomy of an “art teacher”. Joan was also into intricate bead artwork. I made two variations; one with an “artist’s palette” color frosting, and the other with some bead-style decorations added.

3. “The Andy”. Kat wanted this cupcake to have a tube sock look to it, with white, red, and blue stripes. I did two variations, the first was swirled white frosting with red and blue sprinkles on a white cupcake with a red and blue liner. The second was a piped white frosting layered with colored fondant stripes.

4. “The Damon”. This cupcake needed to represent a flashy, over the top personality. I made two variations, each with spiky chocolate frosting and dramatic touches, such as chocolate lettering and silver dragees.

5. “The Neil”. Kat wanted a masculine, handsome cupcake that also demonstrated a life devoted to the United States Army. I covered white and chocolate cupcakes with army green frosting, fondant stars painted with gold luster dust, and white star sprinkles.

6. “The Ken”. Red was the color that came to Kat’s mind for this cupcake. I swirled red frosting and sprinkles on top of white cake to convey a popular, nice cupcake.

7. “The Vanessa”. Kat envisioned a cupcake that almost blends into the background and conveys a talented, other world. For this cupcake I swirled pale blue frosting on white cupcakes and decorated each with either tiny pearl decorations or small fondant flowers.

8. “The Justin”. This cupcake needed to be “soft turned hard”. For this one, dark chocolate cake was covered with soft marshmallow filling and dipped in chocolate, to create a shell.

9. “The Chad”. Kat wanted a cupcake that was slightly angry, so I used a red velvet cupcake that was covered in soft marshmallow filling and dripping with chocolate.

Cupcakes, anyone?

You may wish to reduce the amount of spices and molasses, as they are a bit spicy and younger mouths may not appreciate that taste.

Fresh chopped cranberries, dried cranberries, or dried cherries all work wonderfully with this recipe. Add them at the end with the buttermilk.

Always remember the key to light, tender scones is to blend the dough to a point where you can still see little pieces of butter and handle the dough as little as possible.

Gingerbread Scones (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons light unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a thin silicone mat. Place the flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds to blend well.

Add the cold butter pieces and pulse 5 times at 1-second intervals, or until the butter is cut into medium pieces.

Blend the buttermilk and molasses together, in the measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the food processor and pulse another 20 times, or until the dough holds together in large, thick clumps. Use a spatula to scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze or knead the clumps together until they form a cohesive dough.

Pat the dough into a circle about 7 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Brush the tops with a thin coating of the beaten egg (you will not use all of the egg) and sprinkle evenly with the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden brown.

Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 scones

Red velvet is my favorite type of cake- it is in its own category of cake and taste. It has a hint of cocoa in it, and a slight tang from buttermilk and vinegar, as well as an intriguing red color. This recipe also has sour cream in it, which makes for a moister, softer cupcake.

Frosted with a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting and red and green sprinkles, these cupcakes are perfect for Christmas, although I would gladly eat them any time of the year.

Christmas Red Velvet Cupcakes (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) red food coloring
• 3 1/2 tablespoons high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill muffin cups (approximately 2 1/2 dozen) with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir the red food coloring and cocoa powder together to make a smooth paste. Set aside. using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the cocoa paste while continuing to beat. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and beat the batter for about 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk (this can be done in the measuring cup).

Add the flour mixture in three increments, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium speed just until the ingredients are combined. Add the sour cream and vinegar and beat on low speed until combined.

Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full with batter. Bake for 18 minutes or so, just until the cupcakes feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake, or the cupcakes will dry out. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Yield: Approximately 2 1/2 dozen standard cupcakes

Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or mint extract

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined (Be careful, once you add the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle). Stir in the vanilla or mint extract.

The dates are made into a puree so there are no date pieces in these, although you could always process the dates less to make a chunkier mixture. They give a slightly sweet taste to the brown sugar muffin base.

I love the nutty, crunchy topping. Toast your pecans for the best flavor.

Let’s Make a Date Muffins (Eat Feed Autumn Winter by Anne Bramley)

Streusel Topping:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Muffins:

• 9 ounces whole Medjool dates, pitted (about 14 dates or 2 cups)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Using a fork, cut in the butter until well combined and mixture begins to hold together a bit. Set aside.

To make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Place the dates in a shallow bowl (in a single layer, if possible), pour the boiling water over them, and soak for 15 minutes. Transfer the dates and soaking liquid to a food processor and puree until almost smooth but a few pea-sized fruit pieces remain. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. With the motor running, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until moistened. Follow with the date puree, and when thoroughly combined, mix in the remainder of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and give a final stir with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Top with the streusel and press down gently to adhere.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins

I replied saying she needed to pick up mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. What was the root of this frantic text? I pondered this as I began prepping for the tiramisu. Tiramisu is one of those desserts that tastes more decadent the longer it sits in the refrigerator, so I wanted to get everything ready for when the cheeses arrived with my mother.

Apparently, my Mom and Dad were at an Italian restaurant eating a late lunch, when the waitress served tiramisu to the table next to them. Bam! Just like that my Mom was pining for tiramisu.

This little ordeal worked out rather well because I had been wanting to try out this recipe for tiramisu. It calls for making your own ladyfingers. Of course, you can always use store-bought ladyfingers too. For some reason I like to do these kinds of things. I’ve even made my own graham crackers before. I don’t know why, but I like doing it that way. I suppose part of me likes to taste how dishes were intended to taste before we had food manufacturers.

Ladyfingers are a very light, delicate cookie that work terrifically for soaking up the espresso syrup in this dessert. They actually get kind of soggy with the syrup, but it goes wonderfully with the rich filling.

Assembling tiramisu is kind of fun. The ladyfingers are dipped in a delightful kahlua-espresso syrup, and then layered with sweetened cream cheese and mascarpone cheese (with just a hint of espresso). The cream cheese and mascarpone cheese create a thick, creamy, and rich filling. The tiramisu is dusted with cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate, which ever you prefer. I did a little of both. As the layers soak and the flavors blend together, you are left with a dessert that will make people go weak in the knees.

Tiramisu literally means “pick me up” because of the espresso soaked layers and flavor throughout. You can always use decaf if you are worried about your dessert keeping you awake.

This is perfect to make around this time of year, when you can make it in advance and keep it tucked away in the fridge, since it tastes better the next day (or two or three).

*Another note: I used fresh espresso instead of instant espresso powder. I added espresso to my taste, probably around 1/2 cup for the syrup, and 1/3 cup for the filling.

Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Ladyfingers (You can always use store-bought if you prefer):

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting the ladyfingers, plus extra for dusting the baking sheets
• 7 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Soaking Syrup:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup dark rum, such as Myer’s (You may choose to omit the rum and add more Kahlua in its place)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (16-ounce) tub mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• Dark cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate, for dusting

To make the ladyfingers: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12 x 17-inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the paper with a light coating of powdered sugar. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl on high speed about 5 mintues, until the yolks become thick and pale yellow.

In a separate clean, large bowl, use a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Fold the egg white mixture gently into the egg yolk mixture. Use a sieve to gently sift the flour over the batter. Gently fold in the flour just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, making each ladyfinger about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. This takes a little practice, don’t worry if your ladyfingers are a little wobbly, they will be hidden by layers of luscious cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. You’ll be able to fit about 5 ladyfingers across and 4 down on each sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Sift the 1/2 cup powdered sugar over the ladyfingers just as they come out of the oven. Cool for 5 minutes and use a spatula to transfer them from the baking sheet to the cooling racks.

To make the soaking syrup: Simmer the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, liqueur, rum, and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on high speed. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium speed just until incorporated. Combine the boiling water and espresso powder in a small bowl. Stir 1/4 cup of the cooled soaking syrup and 1 tablespoon of the espresso liquid into the filling.

Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture into a medium bowl. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of espresso liquid into the second bowl of cream cheese mixture. You will have 1 bowl of light brown cream cheese filling and 1 bowl of dark brown cream cheese filling (from the addition of extra espresso liquid).

To assemble the tiramisu: Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Dip both sides of 1 ladyfinger in the cooled soaking syrup and place in the bottom of the pan. Repeat with more ladyfingers and syrup to line the whole pan. Spoon the light-colored cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth gently with a spatula. Cover with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers. Spoon on the dark-colored cream cheese mixture and smooth the top as before. You may not use all of your ladyfingers. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dush the top with a light dusting of dark cocoa, or sprinkle grated bittersweet chocolate evenly over the top.

Cover the tiramisu and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve cold from the refrigerator. Cut in squares and serve with a spatula.

Yield: 16-20 servings

The problem is, I am caramel challenged. Try as I might, I have a very low success rate when it comes to making caramel.

I stood over that saucepan for a good 45-50 minutes. The recipe recommended medium-low heat, so it took a while. I stirred and stirred, trying to keep the sugar from scorching. For a fleeting moment I pretended I was filming a Werther’s Original commercial. Finally, temperatures were reached and the completed caramel was poured into a buttered pan to cool.

It looked fine. It smelled delicious. And it was rock hard.  Ohh I was mad! The temperatures on my new candy thermometer were exact. But sometimes that happens in baking. You’ve just got to keep trying, learning the visual and textural cues that tell you when something is ready without the use of instruments. Practice makes perfect.

That fiasco beside, I have two recipes here that are pretty fool-proof. The first is for rolled sugar cookies. What’s nice about this recipe is that the dough only needs to chill for 30 minutes before you roll it out. It sticks very little and is forgiving when scraps are re-rolled, making it ideal for little hands. The cookies are delicately crunchy and perfect with or without a sweet glaze of icing.

I was feeling artsy after I baked them and decided to embellish them in true holiday fashion. I made royal icing and then a thin powdered sugar glaze to use for flooding. This is a really neat way to ice cookies. Royal icing has egg whites (either fresh or powdered), which creates a stiff, hard icing when it dries. By outlining cookies with royal icing, you create a “dam” that stops thinner icing from going over the edges. When the cookies are “flooded” with the thin icing, it creates a little icing pool that dries in a smooth, shiny layer. You can use a toothpick to guide the icing into all the edges.

The second recipe is my newest favorite. It comes from Tessa Kiros’ cookbook Apples for Jam. It is the most beautiful hot chocolate, especially when served in a mug with a big top. As much as I love the recipe for Campton Place Hot Chocolate, this one requires no make-ahead ganache. Chocolate is melted into milk, just like most true and traditional hot chocolate recipes. Meanwhile, heavy cream is sweetened with a touch of powdered sugar and whisked until it is slightly thickened. After the chocolate milk mixture is poured into mugs, the sweetened cream is poured into the chocolate mixture. The thick cream is cool and sweet, floating on top of the hot chocolate. It’s delicious. You can also make a mocha that is better than any coffeeshop’s by substituting 1/2 cup fresh espresso for the milk.  

On to the recipes:

Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies (At Home with Magnolia by Allysa Torey)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat well.

Add the dry ingredients, in three parts, and mix until just combined. Shape the dough into three flat disks, wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted cutter, cut out the cookies and place on baking sheets lined with waxed paper. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator and chill for an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease two baking sheets.

Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and arrange on the greased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you choose to decorate these cookies, I recommend the powdered sugar icing I also use for Cut-Out Shortbread Cookies.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Beautiful Hot Chocolate (Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros)

• 2/3 cup chopped best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon confectioner’s sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder or ground cinnamon, to serve

Heat the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t burn (chocolate burns easily). Bring it just to below boiling point, when bubbles form along the edges and steam rises. Whisk with a wire whisk to make sure it is completely smooth.

Meanwhile, whisk together the cream and confectioner’s sugar until quite thick but not stiff- just dense enough to sit on top of the hot chocolate.

Pour the hot chocolate into cups and gently spoon the cream over the top, dropping it first on the back of a spoon and letting it slide onto the top of the chocolate. Sieve a tiny amount of cocoa powder or cinnamon over the top and serve at once. This can be drunk as it is so that the chocolate streams through the cream, or the cream can be stirred through first.

Yield: 2 servings

We ended up making four different types, two old and two new recipes. At our house, there are always a few Christmas “classics” that are a tradition in our family and can never, ever be skipped. In recent years these have included Spice Molasses Cookies, Aunt Mary Cookies, Greek Holiday Twists, Chocolate Crinkles, and Nutmeg Meltaways. Yesterday we made the Spice Molasses Cookies and the Aunt Mary Cookies.

The Spice Molasses Cookies are a subtle nod to our beloved Paradise Bakery Ginger Molasses Cookies. Although not as thick as Paradise’s, they are not too spicy, perfectly chewy, and taste of brown sugar and molasses. To our family, everything about them says “Christmas is here”.

The Aunt Mary Cookies get their name from my Mom’s Great Aunt Mary, a very Greek woman with a love for baking. Every Christmas, she would send packages of baked goods, including these cookies, to my Mom’s family when she was younger. What is so neat about her recipes is that she created them herself. Her filled cookies, pictured here, are a mix between a pastry and a cookie. The dough has cream cheese in it, which gives it a slight tang, and its flaky layers work beautifully with the fruit filling. Aunt Mary asked my Mom to keep the recipe in the family, so I will not post the recipe, although hopefully it will still inspire creative minds on the search for Christmas cookie ideas.

With two traditional cookies taken care of, I decided to try two new recipes (Obviously we are going to have to have another Christmas cookie baking day, or else “it won’t be Christmas”). The first was Shortbread Checkerboard Cookies. I wanted to make these soleybecause of their picture. They look so neat! The dough doesn’t require any long periods of chilling, which is nice, although if you’re going to try this recipe, a note of warning: these call for a lot of patience. The dough can be sticky at times, making it difficult to work with. An easy way to prevent this would be to stick it back in the freezer for a bit, but I was a baker on a speed mission. I also discovered this dough is easier to work with if you assemble it on parchment paper, rather than directly on your work surface, because it won’t stick to the work surface that way.

After all that rolling, cutting, and stacking, I was delighted at the beautiful checkerboard pattern on my cookies. The dough has a hint of citrus flavor from orange zest, and it works wonderfully with the buttery sugar dough and the chocolate. I also used toasted pecans instead of toasted hazenuts.

The fourth cookie was Mexican Chocolate Crackle Cookies.  I am so impressed with these. These are small crackled chocolate cookies. There is not a lot butter, so they don’t spread much. Beaten eggs contribute to their distinctive, light texture, which helps them not to be too rich. Use the best quality bittersweet chocolate you can find, it will make these taste even better. Ground toasted almonds, cinnamon, and ancho chile powder are also added to the dough. The cinnamon and chile powder add warmth, but don’t worry, when you bite into the cookie you aren’t going to think “There’s chile powder in here”. Rather, it brings out the chocolate flavor even more and you feel the tiniest amount of heat in the back of your throat.

The balls of dough are then rolled in granulated sugar, to give it some cracks and crunch, then rolled generously in powdered sugar, adding a coolness to the warmth in the cookie.

And on to the recipes…

Spice Molasses Cookies

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Cream shortening. Add the sugar, egg, and molasses and mix well. Combine the flour with the remaining ingredients and gradually add to the shortening-sugar mixture until blended. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes (tops will crack).

Yield: 4 dozen

Checkerboard Cookies (Recipe from www.joyofbaking.com)

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (1 medium orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Bake hazelnuts for 15 minutes or until skins start to blister. Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean towel so the nuts can “steam” for 5 minutes. Rub the towel briskly in a back and forth motion to remove the skins from the hazelnuts. Set aside to cool. When cool, place the hazelnuts in a food processor along with the cocoa powder and process until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back into the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the cocoa and hazelnut mixture to the dough and beat until incorporated. Set aside.

Lay out two large sheets of parchment paper (about 10 x 12 inches) and on one sheet of parchment roll out the white dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. If the dough is too sticky, put in the freezer for a few minutes or place another sheet of parchment paper on top to sandwich the dough as you roll. Wrap the dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until the dough is firm.

Meanwhile, take the chocolate dough and remove 1/2 cup (used later for wrapping the checkerboard log) and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. On the second sheet of parchment paper, roll out the remaining dough into a 6 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap the dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.

When both the white and chocolate dough are firm, remove from the freezer and lay the white dough on a cutting board, removing any wrapping. I found it was easier to work with the dough if I put a piece of parchment paper over the cutting board. Lightly brush the top of the white dough with a little water (this helps the layers to stick together). Remove the parchment paper from the chocolate dough and place it evenly on top of the white dough. Trim the edges of the two doughs so the rectangle now measures 6 inches by 10 inches (Take the chocolate dough trimmings and add to the 1/2 cup reserved chocolate dough).

Lengthwise cut the rectangle into thirds (Three 2 inch by 10 inch strips). Place one strip on a piece of plastic wrap. Brush the top of the dough with water and place the second strip on top of the first (alternate colors so you have a black, white, black pattern). Brush the top of the second layer with water and stack the third layer. Press down lightly on top of the dough and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm.

When firm, remove from freezer and unwrap, placing the dough on a cutting board. Using a sharp long knife, cut the layers lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide and 10 inch long strips (You will end up with 4 strips). Stack the layers, turning every other strip so top faces down and bottom faces up, to produce the checkerboard effect. Rewrap the stack and place in freezer again to firm up.

Meanwhile, take the reserved chocolate dough trimmings and 1/2 cup and roll out on a piece of parchment paper into approximately 9 1/2-inch x 10 1/2-inch rectangle, making sure the dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm.

Remove the stack of checkerboard dough from freezer and place in center of chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the checkerboard layers until you have a smoothsurface that encloses the checkerboard design. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm. The dough can be frozen for up to a month.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough from the freezer and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the block of dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and bake from 5-7 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around the edges. The edges will also feel firm. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Yield: About 3 dozen

Mexican Chocolate Crackle Cookies (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur or cooled brewed coffee
• 6 ounces 70 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) whole almonds, toasted and cooled completely
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder (optional) Note: I couldn’t find it at my grocery store so I put a dried ancho chile pepper in the food processor to create my own.
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) unsifted confectioner’s sugar

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of the double boiler. Place the butter, liqueur, and chocolate in the top of the double boiler (off the heat). Turn off the heat, then set the chocolate mixture over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove and let cool slightly while you whip the eggs.

Place the eggs and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar in the bowl of the mixer and whip on high speed until very light in color and thick, 5 to 6 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whip until blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Place the flour, nuts, cinnamon, baking powder, and chile powder (if using) in the food processor and process until the nuts are very finely chopped, 60-90 seconds. Add the flour mixture to theegg mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir gently a few times withthe spatula to make sure there are no patches of unincorporated flour or butter lurking near the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat the over to 325 degrees F and position an oven rack in the center. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop the chilled dough into tablespoon-size balls using a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in one small bowl and the confectioner’s sugar in the other. Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioner’s sugar. Be sure to coat the dough generously with the confectioner’s sugar-in this instance, more is better. Space the cookies about 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through the baking time, for 11-14 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and cracked. If you nudge a cookie, it should slide on the sheet rather than stick. It is better to slightly underbake these cookies than to go too far- when overbaked they are dry and unpalatable. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Yield: About 45 cookies

Another crinkle cookie, these are low-maintenance and beautiful from the contrasting white and brown that happens as the cookies bake and their surfaces crack.

You’ll want to be sure to chill the dough a few hours before you bake them, otherwise they will be impossible to form into little balls. Unlike most of the other recipes I blog about on here, this recipe does not use butter. Shocking!

The canola oil in these cookies creates a cakelike texture and very little spreading. The cookies only bake for 8-10 minutes, so despite the cakelike properties that come from baking with oil, they will still be fudgy.

Chocolate Crinkles (Better Home and Gardens: Christmas Cookies)

• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, melted chocolate, oil, baking powder, and vanilla. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Gradually beat in the flour until combined. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours, or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (this can be done easily and efficiently with a mini dough scooper). Roll the balls in powdered sugar and place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are dry. Do not overbake. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack, where they will deflate slightly.

To store, layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Yield: 36 cookies

The spongy chocolate cake bakes up in just 10 minutes. The part that probably takes the longest, depending on how fancy you want to get, is the decorating. Rolling the cake can also be a nerve-wracking task to some; with yule logs, however, you can cover any cracks if they do occur with the thick chocolate ganache frosting.

In true pastry case fashion, I spent a lot of time detailing my meringue mushroom decorations, sugaring rosemary sprigs and cranberries, and making sure the ganache was spread to look like tree bark. Right before I served it, I dusted it lightly with powdered sugar to make it look like a soft dusting of snow. Very Christmasy indeed!

I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner with some of our relatives from my Dad’s side. We are celebrating Thanksgiving this Sunday with my Mom’s side of the family, and I have another big dessert planned that I will post about, so check back.

Everyone was very curious about the mushrooms-what they were made out of, how I made them, and if they could eat them. I think they add a very realistic touch to the log, so take a little time on them. And yes, they are edible! Sidenote: If you ever decorate something with inedible things, be sure to tell everyone, because I guarantee at least someone will try to eat the decorations. It is safest to always use edible decorations.

Chocolate yule logs make a great impression at holiday parties and also double as a beautiful centerpiece. You can make lots of them and stick them together to make one giant log to feed a big group. The cake also can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Yule Log Cake (Eat Feed Autumn Winter by Anne Bramley)

Meringue Mushrooms:

• 1 large egg white, room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Cake:

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Ganache Frosting:

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
• Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the meringue mushrooms: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg white until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. With the motor running, slowly add in the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form (If you dip a spoon in and lift out, the meringue will stand straight up).

Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, pipe mushroom caps and stems onto the parchment. Make your stems and caps a variety of sizes. For caps, pipe mounded disks. Using your finger dipped in water, you can smooth out any piping lines across the caps. For stems, pipe columns straight up. Lengths of 1/4 to 1 inch provide a nice variety. Remember, they’re mushrooms-they look more realistic being imperfect! If you hate your work, you can always scoop it off the parchment back into the pastry bag and pipe again. This makes a fairly generous amount of meringue to work with, so don’t fret too much.

Bake the meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and let them sit inside until the oven is completely cool. Gently lift the pieces from the parchment and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate the cake. The meringues can be prepared up to three days ahead.

To make more realistic looking fungi, I brushed the bottoms of the caps with melted chocolate and let it almost set, then brushed melted white chocolate over the chocolate. Next I took a toothpick and ran it through the chocolates to create those “gills” that mushrooms have. Let the design cool and set.

For a truly dedicated mushroom-decorator, add some cocoa powder with the cream of tartar when making the meringue. Your mushrooms will be more of a gray tone, and not pure white.

When assembling mushrooms, it’s easiest to take a small paring knife and carve a small circle in the bottom of the cap for the stem to insert into.

To make the cake: Combine the water, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the over to 375 degrees F. Butter a 12 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and then dust with flour.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks on medium speed for 1 minute. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is double in volume, thick, and light yellow. Beat in the cooled cocoa mixture and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and continue to beat for another minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl mixing bowl. Sift the flour over the batter and fold in gently. Set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using a large spatula, gently fold into chocolate batter by thirds. Spread the batter onto the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cake springs back gently when pressed. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with a clean damp kichen towel, and cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling: Combine the whipping cream, sugar, and cocoa powder in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides before the cream starts to thicken.

Lifting by the parchment paper, slide the cake out of the pan and onto a work surface. Spread the filling over the cake. It helps to use an offset spatula to get a flat surface. Turn so the long side faces you. Using the parchment to help, loosely roll the cake away from you. Don’t try to make too tight a roll or the cake will crack and the “log” will be too thin. Cut approximately 2 inches of the cake off each end, cutting on the diagonal. Set aside to make “knots”. Refrigerate the cake while you make the ganache frosting.

To make the ganache frosting: Coarsely chop the chocolate (no piece should be larger than 1/4-inch). Place in a large mixing bowl.

Heat the cream until it barely simmers. Whisk it into the chopped chocolate and continue to whisk until all the chocolate is melted and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Set the ganache aside to cool and reach a spreadable consistency, 1 to 4 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. Stir every 20 to 30 minutes as it cools.

To assemble the cake: Position the cake on the platter on which you intend to serve it. Sometimes a cutting board is just the trick if you don’t have a large enough platter. I covered mine with parchment paper to make a white surface for the log. Have your small “stump” pieces ready. Spread chocolate ganache over the cut end of each and attach to the log in whatever pattern suits you. Gently frost the seam where the stumps attach to the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to solidify the ganache.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of ganache for the mushrooms. Generously frost the rest of the cake, covering all seams and exposed cake. If you desire, you may leave the ends of the log exposed. Once the cake is completely frosted, you can use a knife or a fork to make swirls on the end of each stump and down the length of the log.  Refrigerate until ready to serve but let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating for best taste. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Just before serving, sift confectioner’s sugar over the top of the cake to simulate snow (If this is done too early, the sugar will become moist and fade into the surface of the cake). Use bits of ganache (or melted chocolate) to attach mushroom stems to mushroom caps, if necessary, and to stick them on the cake. Dust the mushrooms with cocoa powder, if desired. Position the mushrooms on top of and around the cake.

You can also sugar cranberries and rosemary sprigs, using powdered egg whites that have been reconstituted (they are pasteurized so they are safe for everyone to eat). Brush the rosemary and cranberries with the egg white, then roll or sprinkle with extra-fine sugar. Let it sit a few minutes to harden. Position the sprigs and berries around the log. Don’t tuck them too far under the cake however, as the rosemary may infuse its flavor into the cake where it’s touching.

Yield: 14 servings

They are probably one of the best roll recipes in my repertoire, and trust me, I’ve baked lots of rolls. A few summers ago, when I discovered the joy and taste there is in homemade bread baking, I was in a “roll phase”. Again, pastry geek. It was a never-ending quest to find the perfect roll recipe, which I tested on my carb-hungry teen brothers (such hooligans). At one point I recall throwing ice cubes into the oven as rolls baked to obtain the perfect crust. Well, these aren’t crusty rolls, but they are that pillowy soft kind you pine for every once in awhile. There’s an egg and some glorious butter in the dough, which gives it a richer flavor. Mmm, carbohydrates.

There’s not a lot of room for error in making these either. The dough is made in a standing mixer, with no kneading, and scraped into a bowl. The dough sits overnight in the refrigerator, which slows the rising time and gives them a better flavor. This is also convenient because you don’t spend the entire day catering to the needs of bread dough.

The next day, all you do is shape the dough, let it rise for one hour (and fill the house with a wonderful smell), and bake. It’s a durable dough that isn’t a sticky mess, so this can be done quite quickly. When the rolls come out of the oven in their hot, golden brown goodness, brush the tops with salted melted butter, which takes their flavor over the edge.

They are great eaten on their own for breakfast, alongside a meal, or used to make little sandwiches. They are the perfect go-to roll in a pinch.

Alas, but our breakfast feast wasn’t complete without the Campton Place Hot Chocolate. I don’t have any photos because my family drank it all up, so you”ll have to take my word for it. The recipe comes from Sherry Yard, the head pastry chef at Spago (Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant).

You’ll have to make ganache, which sounds really fancy but is actually extremely easy to make and only dirties two dishes. The ganache should be made in advance so it can cool down and develop a thick frosting-like, fudgy consistency. Cocoa powder is whisked into a cream and milk mixture, then the ganache is added, creating an all-around smooth chocolate flavor with lots of depth. What’s truly fantastic is that this hot chocolate isn’t too sweet, nor does it taste like hot chocolate pudding. It is…perfect.

Icebox Butterhorns (Taste of Home June/July ‘95)

• 1 package (1/4 ounce or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• Additional melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, egg, salt, and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Beat in butter and remaining flour (dough will be slightly sticky). Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Beginning at the wide end, rolle up each wedge. Place rolls, point side down, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place, until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush tops with melted butter.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Campton Place Hot Chocolate (The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

• 1 recipe Master Ganache (recipe follows)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Tia Maria or vanilla extract

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the ganache. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until well combined, about 4 minutes. Stir in the Tia Maria or vanilla.

Serve the hot chocolate right away as is or store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It can be reheated easily on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you wish, top it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Master Ganache:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream

Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces, since big pieces will not melt. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl and working out to the sides. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes.

Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to a thicker consistency, like soft fudge. It can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 2 cups

The Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping is well, topped with a streusel crumb mixture that bakes into a sweet crunchy top crust. It pairs really well with the delicate pumpkin filling.

The Pumpkin-Pecan Buttermilk Tart is sprinkled with big, meaty pecans and a dusting of sugar before it bakes, creating a slight variation of candied pecans on top of the pumpkin filling.

Like I said, either way they are both tasty, and I give them my seal of approval. Two more for The Pastry Case!  So why tarts and not pies? Honestly, as much as I enjoy classics, sometimes I find pumpkin pie a bit boring. Maybe it’s because around this time of year you can buy it at the grocery store, at cafes, anywhere really. Show me something a little bit different and I might be tempted.

Tarts can be made with numerous types of crusts-the flaky pie crust type, the buttery shortbread type, the softer subtle cookie type (as used in these), among others. They also have an air of elegance to them, particularly because the tart will always have a perfectly fluted crust, due to the pan shape. They are much easier to cut into neater slices and to remove from the pan. Have I convinced you yet? Give these recipes a try.

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Tart Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream (more as needed)

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed abuot 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas.

Whisk the egg with the cream and add to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough is just combined. Continue mixing for 10 seconds longer. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to a 1/8 inch thickness on a generously floured flat surface. Fold it over the rolling pin and gently transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan. Press it lightly into place. It is now ready to for you to fill and bake it.

Pumpkin Filling:

• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Streusel Topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter

Line a 10-inch tart pan with the tart dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling, spoon the pumpkin into a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, the sugars, the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and flour; whisk vigorously about 30 seconds. Whisk in the cream and bourbon.

To make the topping, combine the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Pulse 3-5 times, until the mixture is crumbly.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared tart crust. Spoon the streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Don’t worry, it won’t fall to the bottom. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is set. Let the tart cool at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Pumpkin-Pecan Buttermilk Tart with Sweet Tart Dough (The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri)

Sweet Tart Dough (Makes one 10- or 11-inch tart crust or one 9-inch pie crust):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is finely mixed into the ingredients- you do not want any visible pieces of butter (this is a soft crumbed crust, not a flaky crust).

Add the egg, egg yolk, and water. Pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball. Invert the food processor bowl over a floured work surface to turn out the dough. Carefully remove the blade and transfer any dough on it to the work surface. Form the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

After chilling, the dough can be rolled out on floured work surface until it is a 1/8 inch thick circle. Carefully fold the dough into quarters, place in tart pan, and unfold to fit (this eliminates any stretching of the dough). Press the dough into the pan and sides. It is now ready for the filling.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

Set a rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. For the filling, place the pumpkin in a bowl and whisk in the eggs. Whisk in the 2/3 cup sugar, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and buttermilk. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the top with pecans and sugar.

Bake the tart until the dough is baked through and the filling is set, 30-35 minutes. Cool the tart on a rack. Keep the tart at a cool room temperature, loosely wrapped in plastic, on the day it is baked. Wrap and refrigerate leftovers and bring them to room temperature before serving again.

Yield: One 10-or 11-inch tart, about 10 servings.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream (The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Just before serving, combine the cream, sugar, and cinnamon. Whip until a soft peak forms.

Best of all, it doesn’t take up precious refrigerator room! In fact, this can be assembled up to the point of glazing and kept in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

The amount of chocolate used in this recipe is insane. It’s a good recipe to have for one of those days when a Kit Kat bar just won’t cut it. Or if you need to ask someone a big favor. Cut the cake into very thin slices and serve with cold milk.

One note of caution, however, is that this recipe contains raw eggs. Yes. Traditional mousse uses raw eggs, and this recipe follows. The eggs add a richness and the ultimate creamy texture to the mousse, making it truly sinful. You won’t taste the egg, only what it adds to the mousse. Just be careful when selecting your eggs for the mousse- choose organic, free-range eggs that are fresh. Anyone very young, the elderly, and anyone immunocompromised should avoid eating raw eggs.

Chocolate Mousse Dream Cake (adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 12 ounces premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dark rum, such as Myer’s, or the liqueur of your choice, such as Kahlua or Grand Marnier (optional)

Milk Chocolate Mousse

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 10 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Dark Chocolate Glaze

• 4 ounces premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper round and coat evenly with cooking spray. Melt the butter and chocolate in a metal bowl set over a medium saucepan with 2 inches of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place it in a larger roasting or baking pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when it is firm to the touch. It will rise while baking and settle down to its original size when removed from the oven. Cool the cake completely in the pan on the rack.

To make the mousse: melt the butter and milk chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool. Using a mixer or whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the egg yolk mixture with the chocolate mixture. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until shiny, stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, using a large rubber spatula. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on high speed just until soft peaks start to form. If you beat the cream more, the mousse will get lumpy. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Spread the mousse over the cooled cake, filling the pan to the top. Wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

At this point the cake can be kept in the freezer for up to three weeks.

To make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Combine the corn syrup, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Immediately pour the cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Keep the glaze at room temperature to ensure that it will pour. If the glaze is too thick, add more cream.

To assemble the dessert, remove the cake from the freezer. Dip the bottom of the pan in hot water to loosen, then invert it onto a plate, so that the mousse is on top. Pour the glaze over the mousse, making sure it covers the sides. Let the glaze set at least 1 hour. Freeze until ready to serve. The dessert is best when removed from the freezer just a few minutes before cutting. If left at room temperature, it will begin to melt.

Yield 14 to 16 servings

The cranberries turn into an oozy bubbling garnet mixture as they bake beneath the sweet crumble topping. While they are still sweet-tart in taste, the buttery flaky crust and the crumble topping balance the flavors well.

This tart keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Though delicious at room temperature, it is meant to be served warm (try it with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream). If chilled, allow one hour for it to come to room temperature. If you’d like to enjoy it in all its warm glory, reheat it in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts to the topping mixture for a variation.

Warm Cranberry Crumble Tart (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 1 recipe Flaky Pie/Tart dough, baked and cooled in a 9-or 9 1/2-inch tart pan

Filling:

• 5 cups (20 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling: Coarsely chop half the cranberries by hand with a chef’s knife or with a few pulses in the bowl of a food processor (the food processor method is much, much faster. Trust me). In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cranberries, whole cranberries, sugar, orange zest, flour, and cinnamon and stir to blend well. Use a spatula to scrape the filling into the cooled tart shell.

To mix the topping: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cold butter and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture begins to form clumbs the size of small peas (some will still look a little sandy, which is fine). Cover the filling evenly with the topping.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack, making sure you hold the pan by the sides and not by the bottom (the hot tart pan may come apart that way).  Cool for 20 minutes before serving, or cool completely, then reheat just before serving.

To serve: Place the tart pan on top of a large can from your pantry so that the bottom balances midair as the rim falls to the counter. Use a large metal spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or simply leave the bottom of the tart pan under the tart for support. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the tart.

Yield: 1 9-inch/9 1/2-inch tart, serving 8 to 10

Making them creates lots of dirty dishes, but hey, the recipe makes a lot and they can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Make them ahead of time and enjoy them throughout the season or put them in decorative tins or small take-out boxes tied with ribbon to give as gifts.

You can make them with or without the chocolate chips. I’m a fan of the salty-sweet flavor combination, so I tossed a few bittersweet chocolate buttons into each pie.

If you plan to freeze them for later, don’t dust them with powdered sugar. When you wish to enjoy them, simply take them out to thaw (it should take about 30-40 minutes at room temperature) and dust them with powdered sugar afterwards.

Mini Bourbon-Macadamia Nut Pies (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

Pie Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Filling:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dark corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
• 2 cups whole macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed until combined. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of dried peas.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream, then add them to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until the dough is combined. Continue mixing for another 10 seconds. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the nut filling.

To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3-inch (standard) muffin pans with butter or cooking spray (really, any size muffin tin will work, although mini muffin tins might produce a nut pie with too much crust). Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Stir in the syrup and sugar, bring the mixture to a boil, and remove the saucepan from the stove. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl just until blended. Pour 1/4 cup of the hot mixture into the eggs and whisk until combined (mixing a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs keeps the eggs from scrambling. If this happens, don’t fret, just pour the mixture through a strainer). Gradually whisk the rest of the hot mixture into the eggs. Whisk in the salt, and bourbon, if using.

To assemble the pies: On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/8 inch thick disk. Dip a 4-inch biscuit cutter (or drinking glass) in flour and cut out the rounds as close together as possible so you don’t have to keep re-rolling and working the dough. Lightly press the rounds of dough into the muffin pans to cover the bottom and sides evenly. Spoon in the macadamia nuts, evenly dividing them among the muffin cups, and sprinkle with the chocolate chips, if using. Pour the syrup over the nuts and chocolate chips until the cups are almost full. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a small spatula or knife around the edge of each pie to loosen it, then gently remove from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Yield: 2 dozen pies

Both of these recipes came from the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine. There are over one hundred cookie recipes and you know I began plotting my Christmas cookie list the second I opened it. I am always searching for the perfect ginger-molasses cookie, and I have a weakness for chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee combinations so it’s only natural that these were the first two recipes I tried.

The Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies were a flatter cookie very similar to a traditional gingersnap, minus the addition of coarse sugar, which adds a crunch to the cookie. They look great when stacked, so stacks of them tied with ribbon would make very cute gifts. My favorite of the two were the Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles, which were puffy, brownie-like mounds that had complimenting coffee and cinnamon flavors. They were soft and fudgy.

The great thing about crinkle cookies is that the dough almost always has to be refrigerated before you can roll it and bake it. The cold dough holds it shape better, and makes it easier to roll in sugar, which creates the loveable cracks in these cookies. Usually the chill time is 1-2 hours, and in a time pinch can be done in the freezer. While you may not get immediate cookie gratification because of this, the chill time allows you to make the dough far in advance if needed (typically dough can sit in the refrigerator for about 3 days). Crinkle cookies also freeze extremely well, and for up to 3 months, so you can bake them early and then take them out to thaw for company or when the Christmas cookie plate is empty (often the case in our house).

Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies (Christmas Cookies Magazine from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup full-flavor molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger (if you don’t have this, it’s ok to leave out)
• Coase sugar for rolling

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and allspice. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour and the crystallized ginger.

Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours until the dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place coarse sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls (or use a mini-ice cream scoop to speed up the process) and roll in the coarse sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until the tops are crackled and edges are firm (mine were done at 8 minutes, but we like our cookies on the chewy side). Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Yield: About 42 cookies. To store: layer cookies in an airtight container, cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles (Christmas Cookies Magazine from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds using the paddle attachment. Add brown sugar,  the 2/3 cup cocoa powder, the coffee crystals, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg whites until combined, then add the flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour until the dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls, then roll balls in sugar mixture to coat (reserve any remaining sugar mixture). Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Sprinkle cookies with any remaining sugar mixture.

Yield: About 42 cookies. To store: Layer cookies in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.