for the haute chocoholic: the dries van noten bar.
the one tradition i follow year after year: the chocolate easter egg. the more elaborate, the better. this one is from cafe kristall.
a visit to patrick roger chocolatier in paris with david lebovitz.
chocolate-making can be incredibly innovative - if treated as an ever-evolving craft that way it is in france. this is an enchanting look at dedicated employees, utmost attention to detail, and truly compelling customer service with one of my favorite bakers.
recipe: organic chocolate cherry cookies with pecans
the only thing i love more than cooking and baking itself is cooking and baking for other people. i know this knocks feminism back a few decades, but i get such pleasure out of serving M dinner every night. or pulling a fresh cake out of the oven and serving it to happy open mouths.
so when an email went out to my office asking if there were any volunteers for a mini dessert bake-off, i was in! i’m also slightly competitive sometimes, so this could be a small fuel to my culinary fire. three of us were given trader joe’s gift certificates and asked to bring in something for a firm-wide meeting on friday.
armed with my little gift coupon, i bravely stormed into the new trader joe’s and pulled ingredients. my righteous attempt at totally decadent, completely organic, but still nutritious dessert felt great. cherries, nuts, and cocoa add nutrients and vitamins, while the copious amounts of butter and sugar add flavor {insert smiley face here}. and the best part: i got to use the new hand blender my mom gave me.
organic chocolate cherry cookies with pecans {adapted from gourmet}
ingredients {use organic/local is at all possible}
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Add pecans and cherries and mix until just incorporated.
- Drop 2 level tablespoons of dough per cookie about 2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased large baking sheets. With dampened fingers, flatten cookies slightly.
- Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.
homemade whole wheat tofu chocolate knishes
when M and i moved to our new apartment - replete with a clean, wonderful, and “cozy” kitchen - i’ve been dedicated to making as much of my food as possible, using the freshest ingredients possible {which has led me to shop mostly at the union square greenmarket and the 4th street co-op —> i have my training next week!}. this means that i’m that girl carrying her lunch box to work every morning. in my defense, i found one that looks like a purse. still pretty nerdy, though.
when i moved to manhattan a few years ago - a vegan with a cat in a cramped hell’s kitchen apartment - i discovered these wonderful tofu knishes at westerly natural market. since then, and through my journey back to omnivorous bliss, they have continued to serve as my breakfast - along with a yogurt {then soy, now icelandic strained} and a piece of fruit.
i’ve been tinkering around with the recipe for a few weeks, and each batch gets better and better. my last batch, seen here, has the flakiest crust, moistest filling, and best shape. but i’m going to experiment with different sweeteners {raw agave? cocunut sugar?}, flours {what about gluten-free? spelt? injected with molasses?}, and fillings {ginger-infused? fresh peach?}. more to come!
